JB/015/577/001

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263

A belief – an honest belief that they are under the
real influences of benevolence – sometimes leads men to
conduct the most intrusive & tyrannical. Power is usurped
for the purpose, it is supposed, of doing good. The doing
good is benevolent beneficent – therefore it ought to be
done. Beneficence is virtue, – & virtue must, at all
events be practised.

Under the shadow of this fallacy vast masses
of misery have been poured out upon the world, & that
with the most benevolent intention.

The ground work of the mischief is this.
Men A man fancies they he knows what is best for other men – that
they are he is better acquainted with their sources of
happiness than they can be – that [U 289 he has more appropriate
knowledge, & having more power that he can
turn his knowledge to good account on their behalf.
He has formed his own estimate of good – he is thoroughly
persuaded that such and such a thing is good – &
being good he will compel others to receive
&
to adopt it, – because it is good & because he knows
from experience that it is so.

Yet despotism never takes a worse shape
than when it comes in the guise of benevolence, – & is never
more dangerous than when it acts under the impression
that it represents beneficence.

Identifier: | JB/015/577/001 "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	577	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f263
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[top of fleur de lys motif]]]
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5793
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