JB/015/146/001

Click Here To Edit

But of sensitive beings the human are naturally the nearest & naturally
the dearest to us. And how can their happiness be best provided for by you? How but by
the exercise of the virtues – of those qualities the union of which is virtue? Virtue
divides itself into two branches – Prudence,+ + There is another meaning attached to the word prudence, namely the apt application of means to an end. It is
hardly necessary to say that it is not used in this confined sense here. – and effective benevolence.† † It has been necessary to create a word compound as none single word in our language conveys the idea of benevolence in a
state of activity; – or of benevolence & beneficence united. Benevolence without beneficence is a
fruitless tree – adding nothing whatever to happiness – and beneficence apart from benevolence is no virtue – it
is no moral quality – it belongs to a stock or a stone – as well as to a human being. Prudence has
its seat in the understanding. Effective benevolence principally in the affections, – those affections
which when intense & strong – become passions.

Prudence again has two divisions – that which respects ourselves or
the self- regarding⊞ ⊞ This is used in preference to selfish – which conveys an idea of a vicious preference. Self regarding – which might have been exercised by the prototype of Robinson Crusoe Alexander Selkirk in his
uninhabited island; – and that which respects others, & which may be denominated extra-regarding
prudence.

Effective benevolence is either positive or negative. Its operation
is by action, – or by abstaining from action. Its business is either with the
augmentation of pleasure or the diminution of pain. When it operates positively by
the production of pleasure, power as well as will must be possessed. When it operates
negatively by abstaining from action, nothing but the will is required. The power
of benevolent action is limited – the power of benevolent abstaining is unbounded Insert ‡

It is a sad reflection withal that the quantity of happiness which any, even
the mightiest can produce is small in amount compared to with the amount
of misery he may create by himself or others. Not that the proportion of
misery in the human race exceeds that of happiness – but that for the
amoun sum of misery being limited by to a great extent by the will of
the sufferer, he always possesses the for the most part some power of relief.

But the operation of effective benevolence is to increase by
exercise. The more we pour out its riches are poured out wealth is upon others, the greater does the stock of wealth
become in our own which we ourselves possess. The diffusion of the its riches of is the
very source of its opulence. He who secures for himself a pleasure, – or avoids for himself a pain influences
his own felicity happiness directly, – he who provides a pleasure or prevents a pain to another,
indirectly influences advances his own felicity happiness.

Identifier: | JB/015/146/001 "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	146	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5362
Box Contents