JB/014/450/001

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37

In the later years of Mr Bentham's life the
phrase "greatest happiness of the greatest number" appeared
on a closer scrutiny to be wanting in that clearness & correctness
which had originally recommended it to his notice & adoption
And these are the reasons for his change of opinion given in his
own words:

"Be the community in question what it may," Lay out of
out of the account the feelings of the m
"divide it into two unequal parts, lay call one of them the majority,
the other the minority, lay out of the account the
feelings of the minority, include in the account no feelings
but those of the majority, you will find that of thisthe result you will find in
operation that to the aggregate stock of the, happiness of the community,
prof loss not profit is the result of the operation. Of
this proposition the truth will be the more palpable, the
greater the ratio of the number of the minority to
that of the majority; in other words, the less the difference
between the two unequal parts ; and suppose the undivided
parts equal, the quantity of the error will then be at
its maximum.

55
Suppose 4001 equally
happy, give to 2001 the
shares of the remaining 2000.

Number of the majority suppose 2001 number
of the minority, 2000. Suppose in the first place the stock
of happiness in such sort divided that by every one of the
4001 an equal portion of happiness shall be possessed
Take now from every one of the 2000 his share of happiness and
divide it any how among the 2001; instead of augmentation
vast is the diminution you will find to be
the result. The feelings of the minority being by the supposition
laid entirely out of the account (for such
in its enlarged form is the import of the proposition) the
vacuum thus left may instead of remaining a vacuum
be filled with unhappiness positive suffering, or great magnitude
intensity and duration taken together a great the greatest
which it is in the power of human nature to endure.

Identifier: | JB/014/450/001"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	450a"a" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 450.	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f37
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	1831
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1831
Notes public		ID Number	5213
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