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The Religion of Nature Delineated · Chapter

I: Of Moral Good and Evil explained

This chapter establishes the foundation of morality in the difference between good, evil, and indifferent acts, arguing that moral acts require an intelligent and free agent.

What happens

This chapter establishes the foundation of morality in the difference between good, evil, and indifferent acts, arguing that moral acts require an intelligent and free agent. It defines truth as the conformity of words or signs to things, and extends this to deeds, showing that actions can affirm or deny truth. The chapter argues that violating truth—whether by act or omission—is contrary to the will of God, the laws of nature, and reason, and addresses objections regarding necessity, self-preservation, and the treatment of objects.

Themes in this chapter

  • Moral Good and Evil

    The chapter's central theme: establishing the foundation of morality in the distinction between good and evil acts, grounded in truth and the nature of intelligent agents.

  • Truth and Reason

    Truth is defined as conformity to things; acts and omissions that deny truth are violations of reason and the divine will.

Characters to notice

  • A Man

    The central agent whose acts are evaluated for moral good and evil; capable of distinguishing, choosing, and acting for himself.

  • Cicero

    Mentioned as an exemplar of eloquence, contrasted with gesticulation.

  • Unknown

    Implied as the reader or the philosopher who answered an argument by walking.

Key passages

  • “That act which may be denominated morally good or evil, must be the act of a being capable of distinguishing, choosing, and acting for himself: or more briefly, of an intelligent and free agent.”

    Only acts performed by a being who can distinguish, choose, and act freely can be called morally good or evil.

    Establishes the necessary condition for moral agency.

  • “Those propositions are true, which express things as they are: or, truth is the conformity of those words or signs, by which things are expressed, to the things themselves.”

    Truth is the correspondence between our words or signs and the actual state of things.

    Defines truth as correspondence to reality.

  • “A true proposition may be denied, or things may be denied to be what they are, by deeds, as well as by express words or another proposition.”

    Actions can deny the truth just as words can, by treating things as what they are not.

    Extends the concept of truth denial to actions.

  • “To deny things to be as they are is a transgression of the great law of our nature, the law of reason.”

    Denying the true nature of things violates the fundamental law of reason inherent in our nature.

    Links truth denial to a violation of natural reason.

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The Religion of Nature Delineated — I: Of Moral Good and Evil Explained