Abstract of Logic, Book 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of End.
Ax. 1. ENd is defin'd to be that, for the ſake of which a thing is.
1. §. Being that which moves the Efficient to Action by ſuperinducing its Love upon it, and begetting an Appetite on, and Deſire of it ſelf.
Ax. 2. End is three ways divided; and firſt into that of which, and for which.
Ax. 3. The End of which, is that which the Efficient deſires.
Ax. 4. For which, for whoſe ſake, or for which, the Efficient deſires ſuch an End.
1. §. As for Inſtance, The of which, of Medicine is Health; for which, the Sick.
Ax. 5. Secondly, End is divided into Principal and Secondary.
Ax. 6. The Principal End is that which the Agent firſt, or alſo, principally intends.
Ax. 7. The Secondary, which the Agent ſo intends as that it may enjoy it with the Principal; or elſe attain it, if the firſt and principal End ſhould fail.
1. §. For Example: The principal End of Clothes, is, that our Bodies ſhould be defended againſt the Inclemency of the Heavens; the Secondary Conjoyned with that Principal, is that they ſhould adorn it. So the Principal End for which God was pleas'd to manifeſt himſelf in the Creation of the World, was, that Man ſhould be endued with the Knowledge of God and Piety: The Secondary and Succedaneous, that he might render them inexcuſable, who holding the Truth in Unrighteouſneſs, go on ſtill in Iniquity.
Ax. 8. Thirdly and Laſtly, End is divided into Subordinate and Laſt.
Ax. 9. A Subordinate End is that which is referred to ſome farther End.
Ax. 10. The Laſt, to which all other Ends are referred; that it ſelf to no farther.
1. §. There is often a long Series of Subordinate Ends, in which the Subordinate is a Means in Reſpect of the Sequent End. For Example: One digging in the Earth, to fetch out Iron: Iron is drawn out, that of it may be made ſome Inſtrument, which may be ſerviceable for our Uſe: As, ſuppoſe a Penknife, or a Lancet; the Lancet inſerves the Phyſician for the Cutting of the Vein; the Cutting of the Vein to tranſmit the Superfluous Blood, or take away the Vitious. The Loſs of Blood conduces to the Conſervation or Recuperation of Health. Our Health indeed of it ſelf is to be deſired; but referred notwithſtanding to this End, that our Actions may be free and Expedite. Actions again are referred either to Pleaſure, or Glory, or Honeſty, or ſomething elſe; in which Subordination of Ends there is no going to Infinity as we have taught before. For otherwiſe vain and fruitleſs, would be that Appetition which Nature has planted in all things; as the Philoſopher argues Book 1. of the Ethicks, Cap. 1. There is therefore ſome chief End in which the Appetite muſt terminate and acquieſce.
2. §. An End is ſaid to be two ways laſt; either in its own Genus or abſolutely. That is ſaid to be ſo in its own Genus, which is the laſt amongſt thoſe Ends which are intended by the ſame Agent. So in that Series which I have brought, there are many Ends which are laſt in their own Genus: For to fetch forth Iron is the laſt End of ſuch who dig in the Mines; the Penknife of the Smith, Health of the Phyſician: But there is but one abſolutely laſt, and that is Felicity.
3. §. That End which is ſubordinated in its own Genus, is referr'd to a farther End by it ſelf: But that which is laſt, by Accident. For Example: The Smith ſoftens Iron in the Fire, puts it upon the Anvil, ſtrikes it, hammers it, poliſhes it, whets it, till of it he makes a Lancet. All theſe by themſelves, and in reſpect of the ſame Agent, viz. the Smith, are ſubordinated: For the Lancet is the whole Endeavour of the Smith. But that it ſhould be ſerviceable to the Phyſician in letting of Blood is no Care of the Smith's; and therefore all thoſe things which the Smith does in Order to the making the Lancet, are ſubordinated to this End of the Pyſician's by Accident.
Ax. 11. When the End is good, by how much the farther off it is, by ſo much the better it muſt needs be; the laſt End therefore muſt be the beſt, and the chief Good it ſelf.
1. §. This Theorem is extant Book 1. of the Eth. Cap. 5. That the End is good, is aboveſaid; Otherwiſe it would not move the Efficient: Nor is it yet ſufficient that it be good; but it ought alſo to be good of it ſelf; ſince the Means are no otherwiſe good than as they are ſerviceable to the obtaining of the End; from whence follows that the End is better than the Means. But the ſubordinate is a Means in reſpect of the Sequent, that is, the ſubordinate End. The laſt End therefore is ſomething which is beſt; becauſe in no reſpect a means by which it ſhould become worſe: Nor is it material whether this End be real or imaginary, as is ſaid Book 4. of the Metaph. Cap. 2. Since the End no otherways moves the Efficient, than as it ſeems to be good, and ſo we come to the next Axiom, which is,
Ax. 12. By how much an End is the laſt in the Execution, by ſo much the earlier is it in the Intenſion. And ſo on the contrary.
1. §. End alſo is divided into Internal and External; but this Diviſion has not Place in all things, but only Faculties and Arts Conjectural, in which that is ſaid to be Internal, which the Artificer attains to as often as he pleaſes; External, which he does not always attain to: So the Internal of Oratory is to ſpeak Ornately, and Accommodately to perſuade; the External to perſuade.
2. §. The Diviſion of End into End by it ſelf, and End by Accident, as vulgarly underſtood is not without its Fault: For an End by Accident is not a Final Cauſe: For a Final Cauſe is not a Cauſe any farther than it is intended. But an End by Accident is not intended, but evenes beſides the Intention. Wherefore when an End is ſaid to be by Accident, the Event or Effect by Accident is to be underſtood: For if any one digging in the Field, that he may make it more Fertile, ſhould by Accident find a Treaſure, the finding that Treaſure will not be the End, but Effect, or Event of it by Accident.