IthasbeenbeforeobservedBooki。chap。vi。thatthetwosidesofthedoublerelationinwhichUtilitarianismstandstotheMoralityofCommonSensehavebeenrespectivelyprominentattwodifferentperiodsinthehistoryofEnglishethicalthought。SinceBenthamwehavebeenchieflyfamiliarwiththenegativeoraggressiveaspectoftheUtilitariandoctrine。
ButwhenCumberland，replyingtoHobbes，putforwardthegeneraltendencyofthereceivedmoralrulestopromotethe``commonGoodofallRationals’’
hisaimwassimplyConservative:itneveroccurstohimtoconsiderwhethertheserulesascommonlyformulatedareinanywayimperfect，andwhetherthereareanydiscrepanciesbetweensuchcommonmoralopinionsandtheconclusionsofRationalBenevolence。SoinShaftesbury’ssystemthe``Moral’’
or``ReflexSense’’issupposedtobealwayspleasedwiththat``balance’’
oftheaffectionswhichtendstothegoodorhappinessofthewhole，anddispleasedwiththeopposite。InHume’streatisethiscoincidenceisdrawnoutmoreindetail，andwithamoredefiniteassertionthattheperceptionofutilityorthereverseisineachcasethesourceofthemorallikingsoraversionswhichareexcitedinusbydifferentqualitiesofhumancharacterandconduct。AndwemayobservethatthemostpenetratingamongHume’scontemporarycritics，AdamSmith，admitsunreservedlytheobjectivecoincidenceofRightnessorApprovednessandUtility:thoughhemaintains，inoppositiontoHume，that``itisnottheviewofthisutilityorhurtfulness，whichiseitherthefirstortheprincipalsourceofourapprobationordisapprobation’’。AfterstatingHume’stheorythat``noqualitiesofthemindareapprovedofasvirtuous，butsuchasareusefuloragreeableeithertothepersonhimselfortoothers，andnoqualitiesaredisapprovedofasviciousbutsuchashaveacontrarytendency’’；heremarksthat``Natureseemsindeedtohavesohappilyadjustedoursentimentsofapprobationanddisapprobationtotheconveniencybothoftheindividualandofthesociety，thatafterthestrictestexaminationitwillbefound，Ibelieve，thatthisisuniversallythecase。’’