[xxxvi. 4]

1821 April 26

Constitut Code

First Lines

First Principles

Appropriate Aptitude

Aptitude is inversely as altitude

Sympathy of affection (1.) and of conception

[...?] per copies

\PS\ With relation to political function, aptitude is not directly but inversely, as altitude in the conjunct scale of power, opulence and factitious dignity - of political prosperity - of political influence.

Factitious dignity, opulence, - of these will external instruments of human felicity, in themselves /their nature/ separate, but in various proportions naturally intermixed, is composed a sort of medium or atmosphere in which the favorites of fortune live, move, and have their being. Each having the faculty /property/ of introducing its possessor into the possession of the two others, they will on some occasions and to some persons, require to be considered and combined while on other occasions & to other purposes, they will require to be considered as separate. The quantities of these sweets, absorbed by different individuals rise one above another in a scale, the highest point or degree of which is occupied by the position absorbed by a despot of ancient or modern time - an Emperor of China, an Emperor of Rome an Emperor of Russia: the lowest point or Degree by the portion absorbed by an individual of the labouring class, whose labour affords him nothing beyond /above/ the means of bare subsistence, but that subsistence assured.

When degrees of appropriate aptitude are considered with relation to the possession and exercise of the powers of government, a conception commonly entertained appears to be, is that the height of a man's place in the scale of such appropriate aptitude, is as the height of his place in that scale of external felicity - in other words as the quantity possessed by him of that compound of the external elements of felicity - directly,

Upon a nearer inspection /closer scrutiny/ it will be found that how natural soever this conception is erroneous and that the reverse of it is the true one: that the proportions may in the main hold good, but that the ratio is not the direct but the reverse.

First let it be seen, that the appropriate aptitusde in question is not directly but inversely as the heighth of the place occupied by the individual in gorgeous scale: next where it is that the opposite corruption has come to be so generally entertained: in the influence exercised by the matter of wealth operating as an instrument of delusion, the cause it will be seen is to be found.
Similar Items
  • Title: [[xxxvi. 14] 1821. April 9.]
    Description: [xxxvi. 14]

    1821. April 9.

    First Lines

    First Principles

    Appropriate aptitude

    aptitude is inversely as altitude

    \PS\ Moral aptitude is inversely as altitude in the scale of political property, political influence - compound scale of power, opulence and factitious dignity

    Education being supposed not deficient, nor subsistence wanting,

    Aptitude, with relation to the exercise of political power, is inversely as the height /altitude/ of a man's place in the composite scale of political influence. This composite scale is composed of three elementary scales,the scale of opulence, the scale of power, and the scale of factitious dignity (a)

    In the scale of opulence, language has not yet afforded, as in the scale of temperature, denominations designative here and there of the different degrees. No precise station, therefore, can here be designated by the terms opulent and unopulent. All that can be expressed is - their relative stations: viz. that in the station marked by the term opulent, the quantity of the matter of opulence is greater than in the station marked unopulent.

    With relation to useful qualities in general, and in particular with relation to those of which appropriate aptitude with relation to political functions in general is composed, the following are the considerations by which, on the part of the opulent, appropriate aptitude considered in all its branches, inferiority stands indicated.

    1. As to moral aptitude -

    1. The greater the quantity in value of the services which, at the hands of those on whom his comforts depend, a man has at command, without rendering any correspondent services in return - sevices positive and negative together - positive consisting in the exercise of positive beneficence, negative consisting in the exercise of negative beneficence, that is to say forbearance from injury and annoyance in all their shapes, the less the need he feels for the exercise of such beneficence on his part.

    (a)The scale of factitious dignity - for shortness instead of saying the scale of factitious causes of respect
  • Title: [[xxxvi. 169] 1822 July 22 Supreme]
    Description: [xxxvi. 169]

    1822 July 22

    Supreme Operative

    Concluding Aphorisms

    Aphorisms, at the commencement or at the conclusion

    1. In the scale of appropriate moral aptitude (a) - Note aptitude with relation to the functions of a functionary of government in a government having for its ground the greatest happiness principle a mans altitude is, naturally speaking, inversely as his altitude in the scale of prosperity, meaning that which is composed of the contiguous and conjunct scales of power, opulence and factitious honor

    2 So, in the scale of appropriate intellectual aptitude: necessary external means of information being supposed equal

    3 So in the scale of appropriate active aptitude.

    4. On all three accounts taken together, the place of the absolute Monarch will in the aggregate of the three scales of appropriate aptitude, be naturally be at the lowest degree /point/

    5. The place of the limited Monarch will naturally be at a point above that of the absolute Monarch but below that of a member of a purely Aristocratical government

    6. Among Limited Monarchs the place of each one in the aggregate scale of appropriate aptitude will be inversely as his altitude in the scale of prosperity, and in particular as his altitude in the scale of power: directly as the quantity substracted from his power by the aggregate of the limitations annext /applying/ to it

    7. The place of a Member of a purely Aristocratical government will naturally be above that of a Limited Monarch but below that of an average individual belonging to the class of supremely ruling /those/ functionaries among whom supreme rule is shared.
  • Title: [1821. April 9. First Lines]
    Description: 1821. April 9.

    First Lines

    Moral aptitude is inversely as aptitude on the scale of political prosperity, political influence — composed scale of power, opulence and factitious dignity

    Education being supposed not deficient, nor subsistence wanting.

    Aptitude, with relation to the exercise of political power, is inversely as the height of a man's place in the composite scale of political influence. This composite scale is composed of three elementary scales, the scale of opulence the scale of power, and the scale of factitious dignity.

    In the scale of opulence, language has not yet afforded, as in the scale of temperature, denominations designative here and there of the different degrees. No precise station, therefore, can here be designated by the terms opulent and unopulent. All that can be expressed is their relative stations: viz. that in the station marked by the term opulent, the quantity of the matter of opulence is greater than in the station marked unopulent

    With relation to useful qualities in general, and in particular with relation to those of which appropriate aptitude with relation to political functions in general is composed, the following are the considerations by which, on the part of the opulent; appropriate aptitude considered in all its branches, inferiority stands indicated.

    1. As to moral aptitude

    1. The greater the quantity in value of the services which, at the hands of those on whom his comforts depend, a man has at command, without rendering any correspondent services in return — services positive and negative together — positive consisting in the exercise of positive beneficence, negative consisting in the exercise of negative beneficence, that is to say forbearance from injury and annoyance in all their shapes, the less the need he feels for the exercise of such beneficence on his part.

    Note (a.)

    (a) The scale of factitious dignity — for shortness instead of saying the scale of factitious causes of respect. 2. The