JB/015/355/001

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31

The great security for the active energy of the benevolent
feeling is found in the mutual dependence of every human
human being upon other or others of the human races – & in this
dependence is the checks upon the maleficent affections to be
looked for – since if neither hatred nor love produced a re-action –
if men could visit others with their ill will without getting any
ill-will in return – or on the other hand if they poured out
their kindly sympathies in mere waste, awakening no responsive kindly
sentiment in resp – there would the link between prudence & beneficence would
be wanting. If one man ġive pain to another either by words
or deeds that other will in all ordinary cases seek to inflict
pain upon him. Hate engenders hate as a sort of self defence.
It is employed as a for prompt & often for vindictive punishment – whose
awards are to a certain extent in the power of the sufferer.
Cases there are, no doubt where the disposition to return evil for
evil is controlled by high & ennobling moral principle, by the
true arithmetic of virtue. But those cases are exceptional – &
to dream of escaping the ill will of those whom we make the
victims of our ill will is to calculate on miracles for the guidance
of conduct And be the exceptions what they may to the rule that malevolence in your bosom will bring with it when brought into action
be the prolific parent of malevolence towards yourself in the
bosom of others – an exception can scarcely be found to the
counterpart of the rule – that love is the source of love.

The practical deduction is obvious. Never let
pain or uneasiness be inflicted on any one, in any shape, but for
the purpose of producing a preponderate good. A good clearly
to be made out – & traceable in its consequences. The good, if
good it be, will be good to some person or other – to persons
one or more – to yourself by whom the pain is caused –
to himself in whom the pain is caused – or to third persons –
to third persons assignable, – or to third persons in general. The
demand of prudence & benevolence is peremptory that there shall
be a balance of preponderate – a predominance of good.

Identifier: | JB/015/355/001 "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	355	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f31
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	i i smith & son 1831
Marginals		Paper Producer	maria edgeworth
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1831
Notes public		ID Number	5571
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