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MS Ethics Vol. III. p.18
As to good work, to take them in the largest sense, they consist in
evil actions avoided and in good ones done.
Now, in the 1st place, there is no way of determining (in a great And what after all can determine what
number of cases) what is good and what evil, but by the standard
of utility, which, as a Sole and governing standard, is not
commonly received.
In the second place It is not pretended that any assurance with
respect to the ratio, either in number or quality of evil acts omitted, to
evil acts done, or of good acts done to good acts omitted necessary to
ensure a man against future misery, can be obtained.
A man with ten chances for ten thousand a year or any greater
sum forever, to one for a perpetual fit of the cholic or stone could
hardly be easy, could hardly be any otherwise than under great anxiety –
but here are ten changes – perhaps a hundred – perhaps a thousand for
the cholic or the stone, to one for the ten thousand a year. (p.77-80)
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Here it appears thata whatever sanctions or
motives to virtue the commonly adopted opinions as to a future
state afford, they are to be found alone in such portions
of them these opinions as are consistent with the deontological principle
– that the doctrines generally received are inconsistent
with that principle – inconsistent with human
happiness – & therefore cannot be true.
Nothing is farther from the intention &
convictions of the writer than to deny that the existence of a return
of future rewards & punishments – whose object shall
be to maximize happiness – & to develope the
benevolent attributes of the divinity. It is only
intended here to show in some particulars the
inconsistency of some orthodoxy opinions with
the true principles of morality & their incompatibility
with the production & progress of that felicity which
it is the object of morality to accomplish.
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ms ethics vol. iii p. 18 |
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