JB/015/454/001

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1820. 31 May. Deontology Comportment towards Superiors

By superiority, as above, superiority in general is to be understood superiors
in power: and, consequently, on the part of the persons
who are considered as their inferiors, there exists, as towards
them, a correspondent degree of dependence.
In regard to the deportment proper to be maintained
as towards such superiors by their inferiors, the error of which we have spoken is
apt to have place and it in of a sort prejudicial, at once, so beneficence,
as well as prudence:
and which is
apt not to stop at
the breach of these
negative virtues, but
to go on to a violation
of the corresponding
positive ones.
A sort of merit is attached, by some, to the to manifesting, towards the feelings
of superiors, a that degree of regard which, by the same
persons, would not be refused to equals or to inferiors.
To this supposed merit is annexed more or less or self-
praise on the score of spirit, as it is called: on the
score of a spirit of independence. But, if there is no
merit in the violation of the dictates of a single virtue,
viz beneficence, negative or positive, still less
can there be, in the violation of the dictates of that
same virtue, added to the dictates of self-regarding prudence.

In this particular, a difference may have place
according as, on the occasion in question, third persons
are, or are not, present.

Where the case third persons are preset, is the case
in which a display of this sort of spirit is most
apt to be made.

It will depend, however, upon the cast of
that has place on the part of the persons
present. It may happen that, in the eyes opinion of
or some of them, the character of the person
in question may be raised by this display of independence:
so far as this is the case, what a man loses
in the affection and regard of the superior in
question, this, or more, he may gain by increase
regard on the part of these same third persons.
So much for the case where third persons are present.
In this case, a sort of conflict has place between
the two virtues. The dictates of beneficence are
neglected: those of prudence — self-regarding prudence
are consulted and conformed to.

Identifier: | JB/015/454/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1	1820-05-31	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	454	Info in main headings field	deontology
Image	001	Titles
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	c1 / f139
Penner	john flowerdew colls	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections	jeremy bentham; sir john bowring	Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5670
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