JB/014/448/001

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35

The greatest happiness principle is not the object of open attack only attacked
from by principles openly & professedly opposed to it, — it has had to suffer from
covert & influential usurpers of its name & authority. And
from such sources it has perhaps been most injured. Reference has
been made & homage paid to it by principles which have claimed
alliance with it — while they have in fact been only subordinate to
ipse dixitism. This has been too often the position of the
preachers of Justice — men who under the cloak & covering
of an attractive title have generally strung together their
directions, — precepts, mandates - call them what you will - saying
to every body who will listen — Do so & so — for this is what is
required by justice. Two assumptions are here — & both
are representatives of the ipse-dixit theory system — first that
Justice is the proper & sufficient standard of reference — &
2d. that this which you are required to do is dictated by
justice — Assumptions (need it be said?) both unsupported
by argument, — both gratuitous & dogmatical.

When Mr Godwin took "Political Justice" for the title of his well-known
work — "Political he committed an act of insubordination
not to say rebellion or high treason against the sovereignty of
the - only legitimate - all-ruling principle

Justice is subservient to the greatest happiness
happiness principle, or it is not — its dictates teach the
minimization of misery, — & the maximization of happiness — or
they do not. If they do, — & as far as they do — they are
in accordance with that principle — & they represent it.

But suppose their dictates differ — suppose
there is dissonance, — hostility between the two — which is to succumb?
Justice — or happiness:- the end, — or the means?

Identifier: | JB/014/448/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 14.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	014	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	448	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f35
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	hall
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5211
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