date

15 Oct r 1809 + '.2. Continued Parl
15 Oct r 1809 + '.2. Continued

Parl y Reform

{Ch.}1. Explan

{'.}/Ch./2. Influence on understanding

Instruments of fascination

11

1

9

Influence the deceptitious[?] viz. by instruments of fascination is still influences of understanding on understanding ends[?]

through the medium of the imagination

Instruments[?] of fascination[?] chiefly [...?] an indication of peculiar qualities moral or intellectual.

In virtue of the well known principle of association - of the faculty that any two ideas that on former occasions have been present together in the mind, have of introducing each other on subsequent occasions, the imagination is apt to be wrought upon, and frequently with great force, by sensible objects of different classes, and more particularly by visible ones. In so far as the influence thus exerted on it by these objects is regarded as excessive, or as operating in a wrong direction, causing /so as to cause or tend to cause/ the imagination to lead the judgment into wrong conclusions, the objects which act in this manner on the imagination may be termed instruments of fascination.

To this head belong the several sensible material symbols by which in almost all countries the different classes and ranks and classes of men have come to be distinguished: in England the crown and sceptre of the King, the coronet of the Peer the star of the Knight, the uniform of the military officer, the robes and mass of artificial hair of the Judge and the Advocate - and so forth

It is only indeed in so far as the influence they respectively have on the imagination and through the medium of the imagination on the judgment, has the effect of giving to the authority of their several /respective/ [...?] and liveries more weight in the scale of reasoning /argumentation/ than properly belongs to it, than any such appellations /name[?]/ /appellatives/ as fascination, instruments of fascination can, with propriety, be respectively applicable to them.
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    The wig[?] [...?] suffer[?] without their having votes in [...?] had in that assembly which is to pronounce on their pockets[?] and their talents[?]

    Such in a word /at any rate/ is the power /influence/ with which independently of all reasoning those who have at command these instruments of fascination are able and wont through the medium of the imagination to exercise on the understanding of the bulk of men - to exercise without the aid of corruption that is to every purpose of government - and not of good government only /merely/ but in no inconsiderable degree of bad government the corrupt species of influence, the influence of will over will, might well /without much difficulty/ be spared.

    The King makes Lord High Chancellor when he pleases: and whether he be capable or not capable of forming a decision, no sooner is he seen walking with a man before him, or sitting on a particular bench with a gown of a particular cut on his back that men in general are sufficiently /abundantly/ assured /satisfied/ of his fitness for that highest of all high offices. The advantage thus given to inaptitude might therefore one should think be sufficient without giving to this judge not only a vote but a lead in that assembly which is to sit in judgment over his acts.

    The King makes Secretary for the Home Department Secretary for the Foreign Department Secretary for the conduct of the war; First Commissioner of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer when he pleases.
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    Description: 13 Oct r. 1809

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    {'.2. In the understanding /intellectual part of the mental frame/ are two distinguishable faculties the judgment or the imagination to either of which the action of influence is capable of being directed: or perhaps it may be more correct to say that when /whenever/ mind /the understanding/ is acted upon by the influence of mind, it is in both cases on the judgment that the influence is exerted, but that the influence so exerted may have applied itself to the judgment either immediately, or through the medium of the imagination.}

    Whether the instrument applied be of the logical case, or of the rhetorical case, no influence can it have /exert/ on the understanding but through the medium, and as it were by the presentation of some motive. This motive will commonly be either of the nature of hope, i.e eventual expectation of good, or of the nature of fear, i.e. eventual expectation of evil: and forasmuch as, in proportion to /respect of/ the magnitude of the evil indicated as eventually about to have place, the fear exerted or endeavoured to be exerted, how calm and un-impassioned and logical soever may be the cast /complexion/ of the argument employed, may rise to any pitch, so accordingly it is not merely and exclusively by arguments of the rhetorical cast, but sometimes even by arguments of the purely logical cast, that this or that passion may come to be exerted[?], and the strength of the motive indicated /brought to view/ /put in action/ encreased /raised/ in consequence.

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    Description: 13 Oct 1809

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    B.II. Influence

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    Instruments of fascination - employed to work on the imagination

    Authority how far employed by name how far by imagination[?].

    If by prohibition or any other means it were possible to prevent the application of deceptitious information, there would be the same reason for preventing the influence of understanding exercised in this way upon understanding, as for preventing the influence of will upon will by the means of corruption. But forasmuch as /for distinguishing/ the cases in which the effect of argumentation is to convey instructive /truly instructive/ information can not by any general description be separated from those in which the effect of it is to convey deceptitious information, this mode of influence /influence on this score[?]/ must in all cases remain free and open: and the only means of guarding the minds in question from deceptition is to leave it open to argumentation on both sides in such sort that influence in this shape may when the tendency of it is promising[?] possess the best chance of being encountered and with that advantage that truth possesses over falshood and error, by a counter-influence of the same kind.