William Edward Hartpole Lecky
The Map of Life
Conduct and Character
Published by Good Press, 2019
EAN 4057664612021
Table of Contents
THE STATESMAN
Duty of a statesman when the interests and wishes of his nation conflict
Nature and extent of political trusteeship
Temperance questions
Legitimate and illegitimate time-serving
Education questions
Inconsistency in politics—how far it should be condemned
The conduct of Peel in 1829 and 1845
The conduct of Disraeli in 1867
Different degrees of weight to be attached to party considerations
Temptations to war
Temptations of aristocratic and of democratic governments
Necessity of assimilating legislation
Legislation violating contracts.—Irish land legislation
Questions forced into prominence for party objects
The judgment of public servants who have committed indefensible acts
The French coup d'état of 1851 Judgments passed upon it Probable multiplication of coups d'état Governor Eyre The Jameson raid How statesmen should deal with political misdeeds The standard of international morals—questions connected with it The ethics of annexation Political morals and public opinion
Moral compromise in the Church Difficulties of reconciling old formularies with changed beliefs Cause of some great revolutions of belief.—The Copernican system.—Discovery of Newton The antiquity of the world, of death, and of man The Darwinian theory Comparative mythology.—Biblical criticism.—Scientific habits of thought General incorporation of new ideas into the Church Growth of the sacerdotal spirit The two theories of the Reformation Modern Ritualism Its various elements of attraction Diversity of teaching has not enfeebled the Church Its literary activity.—Proofs that the Church is in touch with educated laymen Its political influence—how far this is a test of vitality Its influence on education Its spiritual influence How far clergymen who dissent from parts of its theology can remain within it Newman on a Latitudinarian establishment Obligations imposed on the clergy by the fact of Establishment Attitude of laymen towards the Church Increasing sense of the relativity of belief This tendency strengthens with age The conflict between belief and scepticism Power of religion to undergo transformation Probable influence of the sacerdotal spirit on the Church
THE MANAGEMENT OF CHARACTER
A sound judgment of our own characters essential to moral improvement
Analogies between character and taste
The strongest desire generally prevails, but desires may be modified
Passions and habits
Exaggerated regard for the future.—A happy childhood
Choice of pleasures.—Athletic games
The intellectual pleasures
Their tendency to enhance other pleasures.—Importance of specialisation
And of judicious selection
Education may act specially on the desires or on the will
Modern education and tendencies of the former kind
Old Catholic training mainly of the will.—Its effects
Anglo-Saxon types in the seventeenth century
Capriciousness of willpower—heroism often succumbs to vice
Courage—its varieties and inconsistencies
The circumstances of life the school of will.—Its place in character
Dangers of an early competence.—Choice of work
Choice of friends.—Effect of early friendship on character