________________
moral due to
of his moral nature when properly used, instead of depraving morality, heightens it. And we may further say that owing to this peculiar endowment, the whole resources of men are well in hand and the creature with this controlling agency when raised to its highest pitch, displaces a thousand obstacles in the way of its self-realisation.
Thus we see that man is not moral owing to any peculiar organ, for there is Man, is not no peculiar organ in virtue of which we any peculiar
organ of his may say he is a moral being. On the other
own : he is
moral by his hand, it is by the whole make and constiand
whole make and consti
tution. tution of his nature, not by a particular faculty, that he is framed for morality. And as a moral being, he is placed in the perpetual conflict between the ideal and attainment, and hears incessantly the categorically imperative demand of the idealself. He always hears the 'Thou shalt'. voice of the ideal to the actual man which admits of no concession or compromise. This ideal man stands out as the judge of what we do, and as such it accuses, or excuses, condemns or approves with a voice of authority, which we may, owing to our
481
-
61