JB/015/435/001

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120

motives he may make out a case as recommendatory of his conduct
is if he were the most accomplished of moralists. To that that his
motives were ill directed to his object is to reason wisely with
him – to say that his motives had not the object of obtaining
for himself some advantage, is to deny the operation of cause on
effect. There is – and the exertion [of the disposition is a striking
evidence of the tendency of men towards despotic assertion – there is
by far too great a willingness to turn away from the consequences of
conduct in order to inquire into the its sources. The inquiry is a
fruitless case – & were it not fruitless it would be useless. For were
motives other than they are – were they fit & proper evidence of the
vice or virtue of an given action – it would not be the less
true that opinion could ultimately have no other test for judgment
but than the consequence of that action. A man's motives affect nobody
until they give truth to action & it is with the action & not with
the motives that individuals, – or societies have any concern. When
in discourse let all indications of motives be avoided. This
will removed one spring of error & false judgement from the mind of the speaker
and from the minds of the hearers ones source of misunderstanding.

156 pp 12/1 sheet – L.

Identifier: | JB/015/435/001 "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	435	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f120
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[top of motif]]]
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5651
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