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105
As in the Inquiry after what are the dictates of prudence so in the
recognition pursuit of the claims of effective benevolence.
The political field of action is scarcely belongs to the empire of
the Deontologist private – though It may not be out of place however
to remark that the light of utility alone will convey the patriot
safely through its mazes. Here as elsewhere the dogmatism about
right & rights has often led men astray, – confused their honest purposes
and perplexed nullified their benevolently-intended heroism. Opposition –
revolt may or may not be a public virtue. To allow of resistance on the score of a greater general utility to þe obtained
by resistance than by submission is to put a buckler in the
hands of liberty. To enjoin resistance on the score of some
imaginary injunction of the law of nature or revelation is to
place a torch in the hands of fanaticism.
When effective benevolence is brought into
the realms of Deontology – when the greatest good – the universal
happiness is made the central point round which all action
rolls revolves – the golden era of moral science will commence. When
the sufferer becomes omnipresent –its influence universal
the demand for punishment will be punished in superseded to a great extent by the
powers of reward. No pleasure will be unnecessarily wasted
no pain unnecessarily inflicted. Hitherto a feeble ray
of universal benevolence has thrown an uncertain light glimmer over
the field of human action. Sometimes it has been
absorbed in unfruitful meditation, – at others it has
exhaled in periodical discourse, clouded too often in
mystery, – or dispersed by the storms of selfish passions.
Identifier: | JB/015/255/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
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deontology |
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recto |
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sir john bowring |
1831 |
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1831 |
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