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46

Chapter V
Of Well-being & Ill-being

It is desirable – it is even necessary that some word should be found to represent
the balance of a man's pains & pleasures, – as spread over any considerable
portion of his existence.

Well-being will fitly denote the balance in favour of pleasure. Ill-being, the
balance if in favour of pain.

The word happiness is not app always appropriate. It represents pleasure
in too elevated a shape – it seems associated with the idea of enjoyment in
its superlative degree.

Comparatively speaking there are few who would deny not admit that they had
in their progress through life enjoyed a portion more or less considerable
of well-being. Much fewer, – perhaps none would admit the enjoyment
of happiness.

The quantity of well-being depends on general sensibility – its quality upon particular sensibility – the being particularly more alive to pleasure &
pain when experience in particular it from some sources than from others.

But by competent attention & observation every man will be best acquainted
with the character of his own sensibilities. By countenance, gesture, deportment,
contemporaneous or subsequent conduct he may give indications to others, – but
no evidence will be so complete, – no testimony so direct as that of his
own emotions feelings thence it follows that with the benefit of a little experience
every man is a more competent judge of what is instrumental to his
own well-being than any other man, – & hence it would be absurd
to prescribe the same line of conduct to be invariably observed on the same occasions
without any reference to the particular sensibilities of the party concerned.

Taking the whole of mankind together on which side of the account
does the balance of lie? Beyond dispute, it is on the side of well-being:
of well-being existence is in itself a conclusive proof – or small is the
quantity of pain at the expense of which existence can may be got rid of terminated.

True it is & melancholy as true that the name of religion
has been employed to introduce an Almighty being whose delight is in
human misery. Men have been found who shutting their eyes to all
the evidence around them – the unbounded evidence of goodness & of power
have introduced final misery – hopeless – and limitless – interminable
misery as the consummation of his awful dispensations. The dreadful
dogma is not to be found in Christianity. It is a most vain – most
pernicious – most groundless conceit. The Christian Scripture lies
open to every eye. In no one part of it is intimation given of any
such doom.

The unfrequency of suicide is irresistible testimony to the fact
that life is on the whole a blessing. And tho' the popular & sympathetic

Identifier: | JB/015/183/001 "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	183	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles	chapter v of well-being & ill-being
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f46
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	m 1826
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1826
Notes public		ID Number	5399
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