A Treatise of Human Nature

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BOOK III PART II


perienced how ineffectual all these are, I may
embrace with pleasure any other expedient, by
which I may impose a restraint upon myself,
and guard against this weakness.


The only difficulty, therefore, is to find out
this expedient, by which men cure their natu-
ral weakness, and lay themselves under the ne-
cessity of observing the laws of justice and eq-
uity, notwithstanding their violent propension
to prefer contiguous to remote. It is evident
such a remedy can never be effectual without
correcting this propensity; and as it is impos-
sible to change or correct any thing material in
our nature, the utmost we can do is to change
our circumstances and situation, and render
the observance of the laws of justice our nearest
interest, and their violation our most remote.
But this being impracticable with respect to all

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