JB/014/378/001

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1829. June 6. H 1 Copy.

Article on Utilitarianism.

(1 14
43.
Virtue, vice, justice,
injustice intelligible only
when referred to one of
these three principles: —
1 Greatt. happss.
2. Asceticism.
3. Ipsedixitism.
Explanating these
3 principles already
given Ipsedixitism
pursued by disciples
of Pythagoras.

Virtue & vice, justice & injustice — words all of them
universally employed spoken & written in discourse not altogether so
universally understood. No otherwise than by reference made to
the greatt. happss. prine. can any clear & useful applicatn.
be made of them or any one of them. Never has any one of them have any been
employed but 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 greatt. happss. prine., 2. the
prince. of asceticism, whh. is the direct opposite to it, or a
3rd whh. may be denominated the prince. of ipsedixitism
or the ipse dixit principle. Of the greatest happiness
principle sufficient explanation has it is hoped
been given: so likewise of its opposite the principle
of asceticism, for it is in the nature
of opposites to afford explanatn. of one another. By
the ipse dixit prince. understand that principle or
say that commencement. or train of reasong. whh. does
not make reference either to the happiness or unhappiness
as the end in view or standard of right & wrong
in human conduct: but 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 and 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 says so it is.

44.
J. B. wd. now substitute
in his Introd. the prine.
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
remuneratory branch
only does it apply.
When Mr. Bentham's Introd. to Mors. etc. above mentioned
was first published his veiws been as clear &
comprehensive as they are at present this same
ipse dixit principle or principles of ipse dixitism
he wd. have substituted to his prince. of sympathy &
antipathy therein mentioned. The ipse dixit prine. may be
considd. as havg. two branches, the one applying 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 remaunatory
branch together, has the principle of sympathy & antipathy only
applicatn.: the affectn. of sympathy being in this case the
sole inducemt. for every applicatn. made of the matter
of reward as such; the affection of antipathy of every applicatn.
made of the matter of punishmt.. The principle of caprice
was the appellative that afterwds. occurred to & has been employed

Identifier: | JB/014/378/001 "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	378	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 / f21
Penner	john flowerdew colls	Watermarks	b&m 1829
Marginals	john flowerdew colls	Paper Producer	arthur moore; richard doane
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1829
Notes public		ID Number	5141
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