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The object of every man's wish & of every man's endeavour, from the beginning of life to the
end of it, is to increase his own felicity: – his felicity – as connected with pleasure
& disconnected with pain.
But again what is pleasure – & what is pain? Does every man form the same estimate.
Far from it. That is pleasure which a man's judgment, aided by his memory
recommends & recognises to his feelings as pleasure. to his p No man can allow another to decide
for him as to what is pleasure – or what is the balance, or the amount of pleasure.
And hence a necessary consequence that every man of mature ripe age & sound
mind ought on this subject to be left to judge & act for himself – & that the
attempts to give a direction to his conduct inconsistent with his views of his own
interest is but no better than folly & impertinence. And the more closely the
matter is examined the more decidedly will this be found to be the case.
The business of the moralist, what then does it become? He can place before
the eyes of the inquirer a sketch of the probable future more correct & complete
than would have presented itself to his view in the midst of present influences.
The moralist may assist him in making reflections & drawing conclusions – in
taking a more complete comprehensive audit of the past – and from thence deducing calculations
or conjectures for the time to come. He may point out ends which had not suggested
themselves, – and means by which they can be accomplished. He may enable him
to estimate wisely choose between balancing pleasures or pains. He may point out mark out
occasions where enjoyments may be reaped or sufferings avoided. And thus far
he will be labouring in an honest & honourable vocation. He In fact in order ifto
will be most useful he will be employed somewhat in the character of a scout
– a man hunting for consequences – consequences resulting from a particular
course – collecting them as well as he can & presenting them for the use of those
who may be disposed to profit by his services. His task is humble – his
labor is great – his reward can only be the anticipation of good to be done.
It is not thus that public instructors have generally proceeded.
They have erected for themselves, in the field of moral action, a high throne
– thence in the character of absolute & infallible monarchs have they
dictated to the world below – & sent out their commands, & prohibitions – their sanctions
& their for prompt & peremptory recognition. The wantonness of
a political ruler has often been the topic of animadversion – the
self-erected arbitrator wielding like the madman in his cell
his arbitrary imaginary sceptre is, in truth, more egregiously wanton. A
certain sense of responsibility – a power of reaction may control the
despotism of an acknowledged ruler, but where is the control which
is to check the waywardness & presumption of the self-elected moral dictator
of morals.
His tone is the tone of the pedagogue or the magistrate – he
is strong & wise and knowing, and virtuous. His readers are weak and foolish & ignorant
& vicious – his voice is the voice of power – & it is from the superiority of
his wisdom that his power is derived.
And if all this were so without prejudice to to the public, b
it might be the gratification of pride to the individual – pleasure to him –
& so much pleasure gained. But the misfortune is, that the assumption of this
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Identifier: | JB/015/153/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
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015 |
deontology |
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153 |
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001 |
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linking material |
1 |
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recto |
f23 |
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sir john bowring |
j & m mills 1828 |
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john fraunceis gwyn |
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1828 |
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5369 |
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