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117
Fortitude
To what conduct action does the praise of fortitude commonly attach? To
that by which a man voluntarily exposes himself to a danger he might
have avoided, – to danger – to bodily pain – to death.
In proportion to the magnitude of the danger – to the intensity & duration
of the pain – or the probability of death, – is he considered to possess
the virtue of fortitude.
Is it desirable for the ultimate good of society that he should so
expose himself? In this is the measure of all merit. Will he advance
his own well being – or the well being of others? If the two interests his own & that of others are
incompatible, to which is it desirable the preference should be given. This
may be difficult – but too difficult to know – but yet this is something to
be known, & if it can be known it is well worth knowing.
The thing to be obtained purchased is benefit to a man himself or to others.
The danger to which he is exposed is the price he would pay for the benefit.
Is the benefit worth the cost? This is the question, – the only question worth
an word inquiry or a thought. Whether his exposing himself to the supposed danger in question
is an act of fortitude or not, is a query not worth the words employed expended
in the proposing it.
And the question is not merely useless – it is positively pernicious
the for such questions only throwing men's ideas into confusion, – and entangle entangle their minds in irrelevant discussions
virtue by & vice by and lead them away from the proper – the only proper
topic of inquiry – the namely the union between interests & duties.
Now suppose an act injurious to those interests, that this
act is supposed understood to merit the appellation of an act of fortitude. [What
is the practical consequence? That fortitude, being a virtue, the injurious
act is that which ought to be done.
And suppose the line of conduct most conducive to the general happiness not to deserve the appellation of fortitude What then Why if fortitude be a virtue the act which most promotes the general happiness must be an act of folly or of vice.
Wonderful is the absurdity – dense the blindness, – palpable the self contradiction of
the Oxford Instructor on the subject of Fortitude. According to him on what does it depend?
On the magnitude of the pain which a man continues to endure? No such thing.
On the magnitude of the danger, that, is the eventual [Prima suffering to which he
voluntarily exposes himself? No, not that. Upon what then? Upon the nature
of the occasion on which the suffering is endured or the danger incurred. That the
nature of the occasion being a subject is approved by the Instructor, there shall
be fortitude - if the occasion have the ill fortune not to have his sanction, – no fortitude shall there be.
In battle or otherwise, a man risks – or sacrifices even loses his life. Was
he a brave man? Was his act an act of fortitude? Go & ask the Instructor – & he will
not tell you till he knows on which side he fought. Inform me, he will say – of the
occasion of his death. If I approve of the occasion – then it is an act of fortitude; if not, not.
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Identifier: | JB/015/267/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15. |
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deontology |
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267 |
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fortitude |
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sir john bowring |
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