The Growth of Thought as Affecting the Progress of Society

Self-interest becomes a problem of public welfare in William Withington's discussion of how people learn to live together. He distinguishes the accumulation of knowledge from an active intellectual life, using the example of a tame lion to separate comfort and training from the full development of a creature's powers. The argument then identifies three means of improving society: political institutions, philosophical education and religion.

The political task is to arrange common life so that private aims can contribute to shared welfare. Philosophy refines people's ideas of happiness, while Christian charity offers a stronger motive for justice and concern for others. Withington also considers the isolation of thinkers whose ideas run ahead of their age and criticizes social distinction based on fashion. Readers interested in moral philosophy and early sociology will find an argument linking changes in thought with changes in everyday conduct.