JB_126_019.xml

Title: [1 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform B.'s Necessity]

Description: 1 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform B.'s Necessity

'.{3.} King's interest 2. power

Tests - their use to despotism

{10}

1

1

'. Tests [?] - their use in the propagation of immoral dependence. /to despotism./

The political instrument which, by a metaphor taken from chemical science /chemistry/ /the science of chemistry/ has been called /designated by the name of/ a test , is an instrument which having been invented for the purpose of propagating the two fold demon corruption has in a most felicitous and compleat degree fulfilled that /such/ its intended purpose.

It consists in pitching upon some opinion, the more absurd the better, and causing a man to declare /assert/, by /in/ some solemn and permanent /and effectually published/ form of words, as a matter of fact, that that opinion is in his mind among the objects of his persuasion and belief: that he believes such or such a thing to be true.

The more absurd it is, the fitter it is for this purpose: because the more absurd the more difficult ore in one word the more clearly impossible that it should really be believed to be true.

A proposition /A physical absurdity or impossibility/ for example that stands in contradiction to uniform experience, especially if to such a sort and degree repugnant to it /experience/ as to be not only incapable of being believed to have been in any instance exemplified, but such as /that/ the exemplification of it can not so much as be conceived: such that no picture can be painted of it in the human mind. That for example the same individual body exists at the same time in more places, all distant from one another, than one.

A proposition of that sort might at first sight appear as if well adapted, beyond any other that can be imagined, to assume[?] the purpose of such a test. But there is yet one that goes beyond it. This is that sort of no[?] grammatical or verbal or absurdity , which is called a contradiction in terms : and of /among/ all contradictions in terms that which may be called an arithmetical or numerical one, seems to occupy in the scale of absurdity the highest place. /most conspicuous and elevated place./

That two and two are not equal to four : that one and one and one do not make three , and so forth.

JB_126_034.xml

Title: [25 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform]

Description: 25 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

B.I. Necessity

'. Soil[?] how prepared

Tests

11

So far then as he succeeds in any such endeavour so to debilitate and deprave his own understanding, in so far is his understanding at the command of his will - in so far has he it in his power to believe any thing that he pleases. And that to no inconsiderable degree the exertions made in this lure of self-deception and self-depravation are successful is a point on which unfortunately there can be no room for doubt.

But, be the opinion what it may /if/, if it be not of the number of those which are self-evident to all mankind, a result, producible with much more certainty as well as with much more care than the /a man's/ really entertaining it, is: the /his/ professing to entertain it: the professing to entertain /declaration made of his entertaining/ /a declaration made that he entertains/ it made, for example, by the repetition /pronuntiation/ or signature of a formulary drawn up for that purpose.

JB_126_033.xml

Title: [24 Sep. 1809 Parl y Reform]

Description: 24 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

B.I. Necessity

'. Soil[?] how prepared

Tests

10

Whatever may have been the design of it, the effect of this declaration in its /the/ professed character of a test, may be set down as next to nothing.

{{two /Certain/ other shapes may be mentioned in which the effect of it is but too incontestable.}

1. As a security for an conclusive evidence of his really entertaining the opinion in question it amounts to next to nothing.

What is made his interest is to profess to entertain it.

What is or is not made his interest is - really to entertain it.}

As to the entertainment of this or that opinion, if it could /can/ be made, and really were made, his interest to entertain it /such opinion/, in what respect would he be the nearer to the entertaining it? Would it be in his power? Has a man, any man, has he it in his power to believe any thing he pleases? The understanding is it thus completely and instantaneously at the command of the will?

Yes and No: - two things, and two only can he do towards bringing to the purpose /with reference to the great[?] opinion/ in question his understanding into the state desired by his will. One is, to glue /rivet/ /point and fix/ his attention to /upon/ every consideration tending to represent the alledged fact in question as true: the other is, to keep the door of his conception shut - inexorably shut - against every consideration the tendency of which is seen to be to represent the fact as improbable or not true.

But in proportion as he habituates /succeeds in habituating/ himself to such a mode of dealing, in that same proportion he succeeds in debilitating and depraving that part of his mental frame: he habituates himself to the operation of partial judgment, of wilful error, or habit which so far as a man's conduct towards himself is influenced by it is folly; in so far as conduct towards others is influenced by it is injustice.