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1829 June 6 Article on Utilitarianism.

43.
Virtue, vice, justice
injustice intelligible
only, when referred
to one of these 3 principles
1 gt- happiness. 2. asceticism
3 ipsedixitism.
Explanation of these principles
already given. Ipsedixitism
pursued by
disciples of Pythagoras.

Virtue & vice, justice & injustice-
words all of them universally employed in spoken & written discourse
not altogether so universally understood. No otherwise
than by reference made to the greatest happiness principle
can any clear & useful application be made of them
or any one of them. Never have they has any one of them been employed but
that reference expressed or implied has been made
by it to one or other of three principles or say standards
of right & wrong, namely 1. the greatest happiness principle,
2. the principle of asceticism, which is the direct opposite
to it, or a 3rd. which may be denominated the principle
of ipsedixitism or the ipse dixit principle. Of the greatest happss.
principle sufficient explanation has it above been
given : & likewise of its opposite the principle of
asceticism, were it only that for it is in the nature of opposites to
afford explanation of one another. By the ipse dixit
principle understand that principle th or say that
commencemt. or train of reasoning whh. does not make
reference either to happiness or unhappiness as the end
in view or standard of right & wrong in human conduct:
but either tacitly or expressly & avowedly the
opinion - the declared opinion - of either the writer or
speaker himself or some other individual named or
unnamed. This appellative is not a new one invented
for the present purpose, but an old one borrowed
from an antique & consequently high authority. It is
the principle pursued, so Cicero informs us, by the disciples
of Pythagoras. Ipse [referring to Pythagoras] ipse dixit,:
he has said the matter is so & so, therefore said a disciple
of the illustrious sage so it is.

44
J.B would now substitute
in his Introd. the
principle of ipsedixitism
for that of sympathy &
antipathy : it may be said
to have two branches, one
applying to civil the other
to penal law: to the remanatory
branch alone only does
it apply.

When Mr. Bentham's Introd. followd. & above mentioned
was first published, had his views been so as clear & comprehensive
as they are at present this same ipse dixit principle
or principle of ipse dixit he would have substituted
to his principles of sympathy & antipathy therein mentioned.
The ipse dixit prin. may be considd. as havg two branches,
the one applyd to the so called civil branch of law, the other to
the so called penal branch of law. To the penal branch of
law and that alone of law, or rather to that & the remanatory branch together, as the principle
has the principle
of sympathy & antipathy
any application, the affection
of sympathy
being in this case the
sole inducement for
every application made
of the matter of reward
as such; the application
of affection of antipathy
of every application
made of the matter of
punishment.

The

Identifier: | JB/014/339/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 14.
Date_1	1829-06-06	Marginal Summary Numbering	43-44
Box	014	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	339	Info in main headings field	article on utilitarianism
Image	001	Titles
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e1 / f27
Penner	john flowerdew colls	Watermarks
Marginals	richard doane	Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public	[[notes_public::"original / copied" [note in colls's hand]]]	ID Number	5102
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