JB/015/142/001

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The object proposed is It is proposed to place prominently forward the connection between interest & duty in all the
concerns of private life is the object now proposed. The more closely the subject is examined the more
obvious will the agreement between interest & duty appear. All laws which
propose have for their end the happiness of those concerned, endeavour to make that
for a man's interest which they proclaim to be his duty. And in the morals field
it cannot be a man's duty to do that which it is his interest not to do Morality
will teach him rightly to estimate his interests & his duties, – & examination will
show their co-incidence. That a man ought to sacrifice his interest to his duty is
a very common position, – that such or such a man has sacrificed his interest
to his duty is a common frequent assertion, – & made the ground work of admiration.
But when interest & duty are considered in their broadest sense it will be
seen that in the general tenor of life the sacrifice of interest to duty is
neither possible practicable nor so much as desirable – that it cannot, in fact, have place
& that if it could the happiness of mankind would not be promoted by it.
It has been almost invariably the practice usage in treating of morals to speak of
a man's duty, and nothing more. Now though it can scarcely be said with truth
that what is not a man's obvious interest is not his duty, it may be safely pronounced
to be a waste of words that the attempt to show a man's duty is unless it can be
shown that a particular action or course of conduct is for a man's interest, the
attempt to prove to him that it is his duty will be but a waste of words.
Yet with such waste of words has the field of Ethics been hitherto filled. It is
your duty to do this – it is your duty to abstain from doing that. And this
is easy travelling for a public instructor. But why is it my duty? And
the answer, if sifted, will be found to be – 'Because I bid you – because it is
my opinion – my will". Well, but suppose I do not conform myself to this
will of yours? O then you will do very wrong – which being interpreted
means 'I shall disapprove of your conduct'.

It will scarcely be denied that
every man does acts with a view to his own interest – not a correct view
because that would obtain for him the greatest possible portion of felicity – & if
every man acting correctly for his own interest obtained the maximum of
obtainable happiness, – mankind would reach the millennium of all
accessible bliss, – and the end of morality – the general happiness will be all reached in accomplished.
To prove that the immoral action is a miscalculation of self-interest is to
show how erroneous an estimate the vicious man makes of pains & pleasures
is the purpose of the intelligent moralist. Unless he can do this, he does
nothing: – for as has been stated above, – for a man not to pursue his own what he deems likely interests to produce to him the greatest sum of enjoyment is in the very nature of things impossible.

Identifier: | JB/015/142/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	142	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f11
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	m 1826
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1826
Notes public		ID Number	5358
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