;itsstabilitydependsonthesteadinesswithwhichtheyabidebythatagreement; and, sofarastheywaver, , thoughunexpressed, , orexpressed, understanding; andhavingmadetheveryimportantadvanceuponwolfsociety, , withtheconsequentdistributionofpunishmentsandrewardsaccordingtoacceptedrules,receivedthenameofjustice, , withouttheestablishmentofacapitaldistinctionbetweenthecaseofinvoluntaryandthatofwilfulmisdeed; , withincreasingrefinementofmoralappreciation, theproblemofdesert, whicharisesoutofthisdistinction, , yetitwasrecognizedthattheunintentionalslayerdidnotaltogetherdeservedeath;and, byasortofcompromisebetweenthepublicandtheprivateconceptionofjustice, asanctuarywasprovidedinwhichhemighttakerefugefromtheavengerofblood.
Theideaofjusticethusunderwentagradualsublimationfrompunishmentandrewardaccordingtoacts, topunishmentandrewardaccordingtodesert; or, inotherwords, ,thatis, actionfromrightmotive, notonlybecamesynonymouswithjustice, butthepositiveconstituentofinnocenceandtheveryheartofgoodness.
Nowwhentheancientsage, whetherIndianorGreek,whohadattainedtothisconceptionofgoodness,lookedtheworld, andespeciallyhumanlife, intheface, hefounditashardaswedotobringthecourseofevolutionintoharmonywitheventheelementaryrequirementoftheethicalidealofthejustandthegood.
