JB/015/373/001

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48

10 Veracity – There are two classes which comprize the
pernicious breaches of veracity They are the anti-prudential
& the anti-social. The violation of truth when mischief is
done to the individual or the community is vicious – and the
idea of the sacredness of truth is a very important element
in the field of morals.

But the value of truth is not always & on all
occasions the same. Like every other quality professing
to be virtuous veracity must be made subservient to prudence
& benevolence. Its value excellence can only be estimated by the result
of good that it produces – & though it may appear safe &
simple legislation to declare that prudence & benevolence shall
be made subservient to truth, – a little examination will show
that truth in order to be most useful beneficial must be subordinate
to the great & leading virtues. For truth must be either useful –
useless or pernicious. Upon useful truths no restraint should
be placed – the more influence – the more diffusion they have
the better. Prudence & benevolence unite not only in
encouraging their utterance but in giving wings to their
circulation. As to truths whose influence is neutral – neither
injurious nor beneficial – they may be left to men's caprices –
for they stand upon their innoxious qualities – but of
those truths that are mischievous – truths which are
creators of pain & destroyers of pleasure – let them be
suppressed – they are ministers of evil – not instruments
of good. Happily however the number of such pernicious truths
can be but small & the demands for their utterance rare.
– the The man who treats the dictates of veracity lightly, – who
seeks occasions either for the concealment of truth, – of prevarication
or of uttering falsehood loses that reputation for veracity the
preservation of which is one of the highest objects of prudence. And strong must
be the case of utility which will warrant a man's sacrificing any
portion of his character for veracity, for falsehood is the high road to
self contradiction.

Identifier: | JB/015/373/001 "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	373	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f48
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	c wise 1829
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1829
Notes public		ID Number	5589
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