date

20 July 1810 24 Fallacies Ch | |
20 July 1810 24

Fallacies Ch | | Authority worship

2

. 4 Churchmen Sinister interest

On any subject unconnected with religion, no one would suppose that in the question what ought to be law the bare opinion of a Churchman would is not likely either to be delivered or to be received in the character of an authority any more than that of any other man. If in that character attempted to be employed, it is in the character of a fallacy that it would be employed) but presenting no prospect /probability/ of operating in that character, it applies not in that case in the character of an example of the species of fallacy here held up to view

/It would be in the character of a man of sense /knowledge/ and probity and not in the character of a Churchman as such - that his bare opinion if referred to under any expectation of its influencing the decision would be employed./

To understand how unfit it is that great the probability of deception would be if on the question what in matters of religion ought to be true the opinion delivered by a Churchman ought as such to be were to be regarded as authority and as such were admitted by a man to [...?] an influence on his decision independently of any specific reasons /arguments/ with which it might happen to it to be accompanied it is necessary to understand /have a clear conception of/ the nature and force[?] of the sinister interest to the action of which in the present state of [...?] [...?] [...?] a person in that situation stands exposed.
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    Description: 1810 + '

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    Fallacies Ch. | | Authority worshipper

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    4. Churchmen's Sinister interest

    '. 4 II. Churchmen - Oppositeness of their interest to the universal interest.

    '. 3. Example the 2\T dT\ - Churchmen.

    In the former instance it has been shewn that on the question what on such or such a subject ought to be lawm the considered[?] /[...?]/ opinion of a lawyer as such presented in the character of authority, either /of/ in company with specific reasons /arguments/ on the same side has no claim to notice, if unaccompanied with reasons /specific arguments/ on the same side, and thus opposed to specific arguments on the other side, belongs to the list of fallacies, and in proportion to the regard paid can have no other than a deceptitous tendency.

    On that same occasion The cause of that tendency was moreover pointed out: and that was the sinister interest to the action of which every learned[?] advocate and as the [...?] in which as Judges are paid in so large a proportion at present /under the existing order of things/ the probity /[...?]d/ and sincerity of every Judge taken from the class of Advocates stands exposed.

    The same reason applies to the case of the professional Churchman.

    As, in the case of the man of law, the objection on the score of /viz./ sinister interest applies only to the question what ought to be law (i.e. /viz./ if not as yet law, made so if law /made so/ already, kept to) - not to the question what is lawm so in the case of the Churchman the objection applies only to the question what in the subject religionought to be law, not to the question what on the subject /in relation to this or that point/ of religion it is reasonable to look upon as right or to believe to be true.
  • Title: [18 July 1810 1810 July 18 A + + ' 1 44 48]
    Description: 18 July 1810 1810 July 18 A + + ' 1 44 48

    Fallacies Ins or Eitherside

    Ch | | Authority worshipper

    1

    . 8 Where fallacies, where not!

    1. Relation between this and Ancestor worshippers

    /1 It supposes those addressed in [...?] to form their own judgement: good though[?] where there is the cast[?]./

    [2. Good in 1. Medium and other branches of science]

    3. Good under Unwritten law and[?] the question what is law

    [4. Good in legisaltion in so far as appropriate physical science is] [...?] bad in d\T oT\ so far as the opinion of a lawyer is the opinion referred in this character.

    5. Good even in legislation so far as the opinion [...?] against the interest of the profession: viz. as a personality, /an argument and [...?]/ and in answer to [...?] authority [...?] against discussion - oppose it to the opposition to Romelly's cap. punishment Bill.

    6. Bad in religion: inconsistent in all Anglican mouth.

    [7. Reference /[...?]/ is good and is fallacy where[?] given not as authority giving instead of argument, but as to a place where argument may be found at large and in order.]

    [Ch. | | Authority-worshippers /quoters/ device.]

     What follows in these two sections having been written a year before the matter of the preceeding sections, see how far it is capable of combining with it

    '. 1.[?] / 8/ Exposition - In what cases this argument is fallacious, in what not.

    To quote an authority or authorities to refer to the opinion of this or thar person (this or that writer he must have been if any adequately /sufficient/ /adequate/ /sufficiently/ grounded dependence be placed upon the words stated as being /his/ expressive of his opinion /sentiments/ unless being on the occasion a spectre[?] his words have been taken down in short hand)

    It is only after certian distinctions made /considerable limitations and exceptions made that/

    To refer to the opinion of this or that person as constituting an authority upon the subject as an opinion which independently of any argument contained in it is fit to be taken for a guide /as a ground of decision/ or a practice to which any such dysolistic appellative as fallacy or device can with reason be attributed. According to the nature of the subject-matter and some other circumstance, it constitutes a reasonable /serves or helps to constitute a rational/ ground of decision, or belongs to the list of fallacies.
  • Title: [10 Aug 1811 Fallacies Ch | | Lawyer]
    Description: 10 Aug 1811

    Fallacies Ch | | Lawyer & Churchmen

    Lawyer has no such hopes or fears to operate upon him, in [...?] weight and authority as the Churchman has

    Impossible that it should be to [...?] the lawyer the[?] of the incognisibility &c [...?] proportion[?] as factitious the work

    But Churchmen by their fear /in cases in which sincerity is out of the reach of dispute/ have been forced into a belong[?] of the pit[?] of proportion[?] which has long ago made the highest[?] point[?] on the scale of absurdity & extravagance viz the point ranked[?] by a contradiction of [...?]

    There has already been occasion to bring to view the case of a middle or rather mixt state between that of evil consciousness and that of temerity - between that of improbity and that of weakness on the part of an /the/ utterer of these instruments of deception which may be characterized by the denomination /come under the denomination/ of political fallacies.

    As between the lawyer and the Churchman /priest/ it may be matter of curiosity at least to observe /consider/ in what relative proportions those ingredients may naturally be expected to be found mixt in these respective bosoms.

    The more thoroughly /closely/ the nature of their respective occupations and situations is considered, the more closely it will appear that as between the one state and the other in regard to any fallacy the disceptiveness of which is in its remaining unperceived by the utterer supposing then both pure on the probability of evil /the scale of probability/ consciousness is in the part of the man of laws at the highest, on the part of the churchman at the lowest pitch: or supposing as above, the acceptance and utterance of the fallacy in question to have for its cause a mixture of improbity and weakness, it is in the lawyers case that the rules of the improbity to the weakness will be at the highest point in the case of the Churchman at the lowest point of the scale,