THE END OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE

of it the General Will. In each case thetransition was made by virtue of the newemphasis laid on Equality. “ Locke applieshis Social Contract to modify the naturalequality of mankind, so far as that phraseimplies equality of property or even of privi-lege, in consideration of general security. InRousseau ’s version equality is not only thestarting-point but the goal.” 1Paley and Bentham reached the samedestination, but by different routes. Paleyavoided an egoistic conclusion to his hedonismby a God from the machine. “Virtue, ” hesays, “is the doing good to mankind, inobedience to the will of God , and for thesake of everlasting happiness”—in this waybringing back I and others to a parity.Bentham reached the same result by purereason. There is no rational ground, heargued, for preferring the happiness of oneindividual, even oneself, to that of anyother. Hence the greatest happiness of the

1 Leslie Stephen , English Thought in EighteenthCentury, ii, 102.

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