date

1819 Aug. 16 Fallacies 11
1819 Aug. 16

Fallacies

11

Ch. Logical

5 ยง.2. Exposure

Order

Among the several cloudy appellatives which have been mentioned already as being commonly employed as cloaks one of them presents a claim to special notice, in respect of the peculiar nature of the foul /a special/ spot, to which it is peculiarly adapted /in a peculiar degree/ to serve as a covering.

The cloak in question is /composed/ the word Order: the foul spot it is in so peculiar a degree adapted to the purpose of covering is tyranny

At first sight other words may present themselves as being in an equal degree capable of being employed as claoks for the same foul spot: namely Law, and Government. 1[?] But for the covering of a spot so preeminently foul, the most cloudy appellative that can be found - the appellative of which the import is most loose and indeterminate and lax is manifestly preferrable to every other. Now[?] Order is more extensive than Law or even than Government: for the works of law[?] we have no others than laws: to the extension of such measures or arrangement of government as do not some under that denomination: and if /when[?]. measures or arrangements of government are spoken of, the word government may be apt to present itself as putting an exclusion upon the idea of laws: as meant to bring to view such measures or arrangements of government as are not laws
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    In all these several cases two objects may be distinguished: one which may be termed the foul spot; namely, according to the extent of it, abuse in this or that particular shape, or the whole system of abuse: the other, the cloak: the cloudy appellative employed as a cloak or cover for the abuse.

    As to the foul spot it may be determinate and thence apparent, or indeterminate, and thence unapparent and undistinguishable.

    So accordingly, on the other hand the cloak may be either a general or a special one: a general one, applying to abuse in all its forms; a special one, applying to abuse in this or that particular form, more particularly or even exclusively with reference to all others.

    For example, turn to the above list. For cloaks, you will see, the words Government, Law, Constitution (meaning the English Constitution) English Institutions, Forms, Order, alias Good Order and Social Order, Religion. Among the works of Government are all the good arrangements that can be seen any where established; as /so/ likewise /and along[?] with them/ all the bad ones. By the undiscriminating eulogy bestowed on Government, the word Government is made or endeavoured to be made, to serve as a cloak to the bad ones: and no sooner does a man bring to view any of the badness of any of the bad ones, than he becomes an enemy to Government.

    Among the works of Law in like manner are all the good laws that can be seen any where established, so likewise all the bad ones: here then are laws another cloak for the bad ones: and another of the sacred things to which the reformist is an enemy.
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    1 Corruption Intendate[?] 1 Tyranny Unpre[...?]ed rule

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    The fallacy consists in making use of a name of lax import without applying to it those /such/ limitations as would be necessary to confine what is said /predicated/ of it with the pale of truth: and on that account wherever /on every occasion on which/ the language affords a name by the use of which that which is predicated would be confined within the pale of truth, avoiding the use of this /such/ precisely proper term.

    By this expedient, by lumping under the same more extensive name objects that are indefensible /plainly favourable/, it /which under their precise and appropriate/ presents them to view as innoxious. In this case, what the object for which there is a precise name is a sort of fouls spot, the lax name serves as a sort of cloak to it.

    Examples Foul shot, tyranny; cloak, Order foul spots, Election corruption, and Election terrorism; cloak, influence.

    Thus though you could not praise as useful nor so much as vindicate as innoxious tyranny under its own name: under the name of order, you may not only vindicate but even praise it. Maintenance of order you may say ought on every occasion to be among the objects of government. But by these same practices /arrangements/ by which tyranny is exercised order is maintained. Thus by causing maintenance of order to be indiscriminately and in all cases regarded as a justifiable, and even laudable exercise of the power of government, you cause the exercise of tyranny to be regarded on many occasions as a justifiable and even laudable exercise of the powers of government.
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    Mention has been made of a case in which the cloak may be termed a special one: it is the more special, the more exactly it fits to the foul spot to the abuse. As the looseness of the cloak has its advantages, so has the close-fittingness: the looser the greater in number and extent the foul-spots, the abuses, for which it may be made a cover: but the closer to shape, the less the suspicion excited by the use of it.

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