Journal of Dr GFW

Now we have reason to believe that man does enjoy less than many other beings. We also have every reason to believe he is far superior to any other created being with which we are acquainted. Some cause has operated then to have produced this difference in the pleasantness of his situation. It is said and believed by far the greater number of people in civilized communities to be the result of sin. That this brought us all our woes. But this does not satisfy my mind. Because had man never sinned, there would have been people to have suffered. Had man retained his primeval state, it would appear from the history of that transaction, there would have been but those two first created. I draw this conclusion from the fact that they had no desires, no knowledge, and everything for all their wants was ready prepared by nature without any exertion on their part, and that they were not sensible of their situation until they had transgressed. But the whole cause of man's misery must be traced to a departure from the real wants to those of artificial wants introduced into society. He not only endeavors to grasp at the real and artificial necessities, but for more than he can enjoy. The simple wants of nature are few and the articles really necessary are plenty, I believe in healthy and necessary comforts of life, they could be easily obtained. All animals have to exert themselves and that exertion affords pleasure and produces health. So it would be vestige of enjoyment. We seek for honor, for show, for fading felicity, for that which does us no good and instead of being productive of pleasure is the real source of misery because they are founded in that which is not real. But our situation in society now makes it necessary, and necessarily makes us miserable.