JB/015/287/001

Click Here To Edit

136

Gratitude. Is effective benevolence in act or disposition in consideration
of services received by the grateful person, or some person connected with
him by the ties of sympathy. Its efficiency is not a necessary consequence
of its existence – it may be a state of mind, remaining inoperative
for want of occasion. It is in the growth grows in the mind of the grateful person out of benefits conferred on
him. But it is not necessarily virtuous – for virtue doing a small
quantity of good may be accompanied by vice doing a large quantity
of mischief. A man has conferred on me a service. He is in prison for a
flagitious crime. To rescue him would be gratitude, – but it would
not be virtue.

Gratitude is a subject of great laudation. Every body is fond
of gratitude because every body who does a favor likes to receive favor
in return. Yet effective benevolence may be more efficient where no
gratitude has place.

Gratitude is a most popular virtue – it is fed by self regard –
and ingratitude is represented as a most very hideous vice. All men
are interested in endeavoring to obtain repayment for benefits lent.
And the public opinion tribunal has affixed a special stigma upon
him who upon occasion does not make the return of services he
has received. He who does a benefit is supported by
the concurrence of society in anticipating the fruits of gratitude, – or
a benefit in exchange. And every man rather has greater expectation
of good services from an acquaintance than from a stranger. A
refusal of services from an acquaintance & especially from one
you have obliged produces more annoyance than the refusal of services
by a person unknown to you.

In fine gratitude, in so far as it is under the guidance of utility may be
ranked among the subsidiarate virtues, – but it may be so counterbalanced by
evil as to belong to the regions of vice.

Opposed to gratitude is ingratitude, of which resentment is
a modification one of the forms. Gratitude produces good deeds & resentment evil deeds. Resentment
may be used in an ambi-lateral sense – a man may resent a kindness as
well as an unkindness. Resentment in action is maleficence.

Ingratitude

It was the sign of a certain degree of advancement in morality zeal
to think of making ingratitude a crime: but it was the sign of an
Era, but little advanced (in wisdom) not to see that it was
impracticable.

How long and intricate an account must it not often be necessary
to take between two persons who have lived much together before it can
be known in point of good offices which of them is the debtor?

The fortunes the necessities of each must be known. The most crafty –
the least sincere .. would be sure to gain the cause. The most generous, the most worthy. would stand always the worst chance. What he gave
he would give before witnesses – what he received he would receive in secret:
there would soon be no such thing as either generosity on the one hand, or
gratitude on the other. (Original § vol p.53)

Identifier: | JB/015/287/001 "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	287	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f136
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5503
Box Contents