JB/015/263/001

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113

is man's primary virtue. Nothing is gained to happiness
if prudence loses more than benevolence wins.

There is, however, a large portion of benevolence
which may be called into activity without any sacrifice at all.
Men there have been &and are who deem all services done to
others as something lost to themselves – a narrow & a baneful
sentiment – for it occurs to is the lot of every one to have the power of
conferring favors at no cost at all – or at so small a cost
as not to be worth a calculation. To make a favor of that
which should be a spontaneous – or at all events a willing
contribution to the happiness of another – is in common parlance
to give evidence of a low-toned spirit of philanthropy – while
on the other hand no beneficence looks so bright in the
popular eyes – none is in fact so praiseworthy as that
which avoids the parade of its sacrifices. And the popular
sanction is here in accordance with the deontological
principle.

Benevolence & beneficence are maximized when
at the least expence to himself a man produces the greatest
quantity of happiness to others. To lose sight of his own
happiness would not be virtue but folly. His own happiness
is the be forms or ought to form as large a portion of
the whole mass of happiness spread among the community
as does the happiness of any other individual.

Now suppose any man to confer upon
others a smaller portion of happiness than he himself sacrificed – that
is, suppose him in order to give a certain amount of
pleasure to another that he to give up a greater amount
of pleasure of his own – this would not be virtue – it
would be folly. It would not be effective benevolence –
it would be miscalculation – the whole amount of
happiness would clearly be diminished by it.

This, indeed, is a result course of action which could
not intentionally have place. No sane person wastes
or desires to waste happiness – still less his own happiness.

Identifier: | JB/015/263/001 "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	263	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f113
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5479
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