strictest and most proper sense unnatural; this word expressing that
disproportion. Therefore, instead of the words DISPROPORTIONATE TO
HIS NATURE, the word UNNATURAL may now be put; this being more
familiar to us: but let it be observed that it stands for the same
thing precisely.

Now what is it which renders such a rash action unnatural? Is it
that he went against the principle of reasonable and cool self-love,
considered MERELY as a part of his nature? No; for if he had acted
the contrary way, he would equally have gone against a principle, or
part of his nature--namely, passion or appetite. But to deny a
present appetite, from foresight that the gratification of it would
end in immediate ruin or extreme misery, is by no means an unnatural
action: whereas to contradict or go against cool self-love for the
sake of such gratification is so in the instance before us. Such an
action then being unnatural, and its being so not arising from a
man's going against a principle or desire barely, nor in going
against that principle or desire which happens for the present to be
strongest, it necessarily follows that there must be some other
difference or distinction to be made between these two principles,
passion and cool self-love, than what I have yet taken notice of.
And this difference, not being a difference in strength or degree, I
call a difference in NATURE and in KIND. And since, in the instance
still before us, if passion prevails over self-love the consequent
action is unnatural, but if self-love prevails over passion the
action is natural, it is manifest that self-love is in human nature
a superior principle to passion. This may be contradicted without
violating that nature; but the former cannot. So that, if we will
act conformably to the economy of man's nature, reasonable self-love
must govern. Thus, without particular consideration of conscience,