JB/015/580/001

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266

The motives to seek the good opinion of others will be
strong in the proportion of the power of others to do us service
Inferiority of social position diminishes the means of benevolent
action, – & almost nullifies scarcely allows those of positive beneficence to be
brought at all into operation There are two wa methods
of winning the friendly sympathies of superiors – the by accommodating
ourselves to their wishes & pleasures, – or by the display of
talents in whose exercise they may see an after interest, –
and feel the desire of appropriating them to their service.
But this latter case requires pre-eminence of talents, and
therefore is at the disposal of few – the other means are at
the disposal of all.

Rising in the scale of superiority, man rises in that
of usefulness. Superiority is in fact the representative of
power – power in its various shapes – the power of good
& the power of evil. To associate all the power, we have
with the exercise, & hence with the habit of effective
benevolence, is to give to virtue its widest scope. By what
is the exercise of that benevolence to be limited? by nothing
as respects objects susceptible of pain or pleasure – by no
limits of family – or clanship – or province – or nation –
No! not even by the boundaries of the human species – but
by the considerations of prudence alone. Prudence must
not allow the individual to sacrifice more happiness than
he gains. Benevolence demands that to the common stock
of happiness every man should bring the largest
possible contribution.

Identifier: | JB/015/580/001 "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	580	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f266
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5796
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