★ Find a new page to transcribe in our list of Untranscribed Manuscripts
1819 Apr. 26.
Deontology 1. Theoretical
Ch. 1 Relation
1 1
Ch. or §. Prudence and Benevolence [or Beneficence] the virtues to
which all others are reducible — of which all others are but
modifications. Prudence and Benevolence, the two all-comprehensive
Virtues.
If then conduciveness to happiness is the seat of virtue,
if all happiness is either the happiness of the agent himself or the
happiness of others, if in mans disposition conduciveness to a mans own happiness
is prudence, if conduciveness to the happiness of others benevolence
and in so far as productive of effect effective beneficence,
all other virtues howsoever denominated are but so many modifications
of prudence or benevolence or both together. Here then we have
a division o is the act of virtue divided, the whole of it into two
branches: forming together a test by which every thing else that
has ever borne the name of virtue may be tried: and those
which have no value are without value condemned and discarded: and of those
which have value the value proved and the quantum of it
measured.
Since Aristotles time Four virtues are have been known under the name of
cardinal virtues: cardo being latin for a hinge, virtues in which
as doors on hinges all other virtues were said to turn. On
the two abovementioned ones, to wit prudence and benevolence
yes: on the four in question, no. This will in its order be
shewn at large. Note mean time that in among Aristotles list virtues, no
such virtue as benevolence or beneficence is to be found: nothing
nearer to it than justice, which is but a portion of benevolence in
disguise.
In this way and this way alone — namely by indication
of the relation borne to happiness that is to pleasure and pain
can any clear conception be attached to the words virtue
and virtues vice and vices. But for Were it not for this principle of
order, not one of these names familiar as they are, the meaning
of what is not dark confused unsettled and indeterminate.
Identifier: | JB/014/227/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 14. |
|||
---|---|---|---|
1819-04-26 |
|||
014 |
deontology |
||
227 |
deontology |
||
001 |
|||
text sheet |
1 |
||
recto |
c1 / e1 |
||
jeremy bentham |
|||
4990 |
|||