JB/015/431/001

Click Here To Edit

116

The restraints of prudence demanded upon discourse by prudence must be
sought in every direction where discourse has the power of inflicting
pain - & indeed the rules which apply to words differ only from the
rules that apply to actions, – in that their immediate influence of discourse, upon
human felicity is now so accurately definable. The effe harm which is the consequence
of a corporal injury can be estimated without much difficulty
The value of a pleasure derived from a particular gratification might for be
an probably averaged rate of without any considerable error. But the
influence of words upon the mind of the speaker or upon the
mind of the hearer cannot be very accurately correctly traced. The same
quantity of tooth-ache would affect pretty equally ten different
individuals – but the same words, which addressed to one man would
fill his mind with acute distress would be heard by another with complete
indifference.

In the giving advice to others – & in the abstaining from
giving it there is great reason for the exercise of prudential
calculation. Cases are rare in which the giving advice is not the
infliction of pain on him who receives it – for until his conduct
were in some respects defective there would be no motive for
giving him the advices – and to have defects pointed it – is necessarily
or weaknesses divulged cannot but be disagreeable to him whom
by the advice it is sought to improve. Is there a certainty that the advice
will be wasted? Let the advice given adviser spare himself the
pain of disappointment – & spare the adviser the annoyance
of a useless infliction. But with led by inserted between self-regarding
prudence of beneficence – if the adviser has good reason to
believe that his lessons will not be lost – he is well occupied
in giving them. Let him avoid reference to past by-gone misconduct
except as necessary to give more efficiency to his counsels –
Let this counsel be tinged as little as possible with
reproach for the past, – but brightened as much as may to, with
encouragement fo the future. Let the In a word let
him look forward instead of backward – & urge his
hearer to do the same. By sparing him the mountains
of pain – by opening to him the prospects of pleasure,
he will best discharge his moral mission.

Identifier: | JB/015/431/001 "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	431	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f116
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5647
Box Contents