date

1823 Feb. 10 Greek Constitution Observation
1823 Feb. 10 Greek Constitution Observation Principles ?.1 Self©regard

predominant Contrary assurance universal ?.2 Self sacrifice how far exemplified

In every political community new as well as old, old as well as new this danger

is not merely a danger impending, but an evil constantly operating and

constantely extending, or at least striving to extend itself.

From the ruling few the subject many are continually receiving the assurance

that in the breast of /by/ each the felicity of all the others has constantly

the preference over his own is an object pursued to the exclusion of, or at the

least in preference to his own.

In this assurance if in any instance there has been a particle of truth, the

instances are so rare that for the purposes of any practical conclusion and

practical arrangement to be taken in consequence, they may be laid out of the

account altogether and without any evil consequence

On /In/ the part /breasts/ of ruling functionaries in general the proportion

between the strength self©regarding affection and that social affection which

has for its object the aggregate body of the community in question is naturally

subjected to variation by divers circumstances

No new State has ever yet been formed but at a time of general danger and

proportionate excitation. The time during which this danger is at the highest is

the time at which the felicity of each individual member whether in the

situation of ruling functionary or only in that of subject citizen is in the

highest degree dependent on that of the whole: his property, his power, his

personal liberty, his very life he beholds /he feels] to be/ is a state of

constant and immediate dependence upon the existence and power of the whole.
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    Greek Constitution Observations

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    ?.1. Self©regard predominant

    In mankind in general, desire of acquiring fresh and fresh addition to the stock a man has of the external instruments of felicity grows stronger and stronger as the quantity of those that appear to him within his reach is greater and greater.

    Of the aggregrate stock of the external instruments of felicity in the possession of the political community in question the quantity which its ruling functionaries take in the aggregate have within their reach is in a manner unlimited: to the ardency of their, desire to make the utmost possible addition to that portion of the stock which they respectively possess as their own property for /to/ their own use is in like manner unlimited.

    At the time and on the occasion of its formation every Constitution taken in the sense here in question has two great difficulties to contend with extrinsic and intrinsic: self©regarding affection on the part of other political communities, and self©regarding affection /the like affection/ on the part of its own functionaries.

    To the existence and force Of the danger resulting /threatening/ /impending/ from without the members of the new[?] Community never fail to be in an adequately degree sensible: they are accordingly [...?] and constantly upon their guard against it

    But of the danger impending from within never in any instance have they yet, nor till at the end of a long course of sad experience are ever like to be in any thing approaching to an adequate degree sensible.
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    If to this rule there be any exceptions, the extent to which they have place /proportion in which they have place/ is by much too small to furnish any adequate ground for practical conclusions, and legislative arrangements

    This propensity in human nature may be stiled the universal predominance of self regarding over social affection.

    Note b

    Upon this predominance, the species depends - not only for its well-being, but for its very being. Suppose social affection to be as extensively predominant as self-regarding affection is, the species it will /would/ be found upon enquiry would vanish from the earth in the space of a twelvemonth not to mention any shorter space /length/ of time.

    The patriot - the man whose benevolence embraces the whole community of the political state of which he is a Member is not the man who is constantly preferring the interest of every other member of it to his own for there is no such persons but he who in addition to his care for his own individual interest has more or less solicitude for the interest of that whole, and acts /in/ according to such solicitude.

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  • Title: [1823 Feb. 9. 1¼o Not employed but employable]
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    Greek Constitution

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    1. Self regard predominant

    J.B.'s Observations

    Introductory Remarks

    To find the provisional Greek Constitution in so high a degree conformable to the principle of the greatest happiness of the greatest number has been matter of considerable and no less agreable surprize to me

    In the examination of it a matter /truth/ which should never for a single moment be lost sight of is the universal prevalence and predominance of the propensity to self preference in human nature

    So far from this propensity /universality/ being matter of doubt, it will on consideration be found that the existence of it is indispensably essential to the existence of the species: and that supposing it taken away the species would within a few months not to say weeks vanish from the face of the earth

    If this be correct So far then from being a subject of well grounded denial, it is not so much as the subject of well©grounded regret, unless the existence of the species were itself a subject of well©grounded regret.

    It is by its excess therefore and not by its existence that by this self©preference harm is done

    Included in this self©preference is a propensity and this a constant one on the part of each individual to sacrifice to his own self©regarding interests all other interests put together.

    In the case of a public functionary this sacrifice may without impropriety receive for shortness the denomination of the sinister sacrifice

    Sinister propensity likely to be less strong in Greece than in Spain etc: [...?...?] being still greater: [...?...?] of [...?] still stronger