date

1821. April 16. First Lines.
1821. April 16.

First Lines.

Means

Distributive

4 Equality

In the instance /case/ of each individual, a particular period /point of time/ there

is at which, without defalcation made from security in his instance, or in the

instance of any other individual, a distribution may be made his properly may be

subjected to a distribution or other disposition, whereby, according to the amount of

it, equality will be promoted, advance towards absolute equality may be made.

This time is the time of a man's death. In his instnce, no such evil is produced,

for he is no more. In the instance of no other individual if, in this instance,

sufficient and effective care has been taken to exclude expectation, no evil will

/evil/ be produced: for the only evil incident to the case is disappointment, and, by

the exclusion of expectation has been excluded.

Whatsoever be the amount of a man's property, if, within a certain distance from him

in the line of natural relationship, relation of his, knowing themselves to be such,

and known by him to be such, are in existence, the /an/ expectation of possessing, at

the time of his death, the whole, or a portion more or less considerable, of that

property, (with the exception of such part, if any, as it is known will terminate at

his death,) will, in proportion to their several degrees of propinquity and

correspondent amity, be /entertained: that is/ in the instance of such of them as, in

respect of age and other circumstances, are capable of entertaining expectations of

this nature, be entertained
Similar Items
  • Title: [1821[?]. April 16. First Lines]
    Description: 1821[?]. April 16.

    First Lines

    Means

    Distributive

    In the instance of some of these persons, this habit of expectation has had, for its

    cause and support, a correspondent habit of co-enjoyment.

    In this case are constantly a man's wife and children: a woman's husband and

    children: incidentally, any other such near relatives, especially blood-relations,

    whose circumstances, in conjunction with his own, have happened to produce, on their

    part, such habit of co-enjoyment.

    On the occasion of a man's death, by the distribution which, by /according to/ the

    natural course of things takes place, (abstraction made of dispositions made

    /arrangements established/ by positive law, for the best express purpose of

    controuling it), equality, and that without defalcation from security, is promoted.

    So various are the circumstances in which, on the occasion of any such decease, a

    family is capable of being left, that, in the way of detail, it is impossible to

    pronounce, by any general rule, what course or plan of distribution is most natural:

    what course or plan is, in the highest degree, conducive to the greatest happiness of

    the greatest number.

    In general terms, thus much, however, may be said - that, among those by which equal

    regard is paid to the habit of coenjoyment, that other causes /grounds/ of

    expectation and demand, being on the same footing, that course will be most

    beneficial which, in its nature, and in the conception entertained of it, and the

    description given of it, is most simple.

    Say, for example, children or no children, on the death of the husband, the whole of

    his property to the widow: on the death of the wife, the whole of her property to the

    widower.

    To /on/ the children, the state of dependence in which they are thus left imposes no

    new hardship: this dependence is but a continuation of existing dependence.

    As
  • Title: [1821 April 16 First Lines Means]
    Description: 1821 April 16

    First Lines

    Means

    Distributive

    4 Equality

    Of these four modes of defalcation from happiness by the defalcation from property,

    the two first mentioned apply exclusively /are confined to/ to the individual thus

    damnified and his individual circle - and the individual the circle of his

    connections in the way of interest and sympathy: from the two last, by the

    observation of his suffering may be propogated as it were by contagion a cluster of

    similar evils in the breasts of other persons, the number of which will be determined

    by the number of other persons the number of whom will be determined by the number of

    those, by whom intimation having been received by them of his loss, apprehension

    comes to be entertained of loss to themselves or their connections from the operation

    of the same cause or similar ones.

    This pain to the extent of which, that is to say to the number of persons

    participating in it, no exact limits can commonly be assigned, has been denominated,

    the pain of insecurity by contagion.

    When a mass of property not as yet in the man's possession has /having/ been an

    object of expectation to him - has been his in expectancy, it fails at the expected

    time to come into his possession, disappointment on his part takes place:- a

    correspondent pain is experienced by him - a pain of disappointment.

    Correspondent to the pain of privation in case of expectation is the pain of

    disappointment in case of expectancy.
  • Title: [1821 April 16. First Lines]
    Description: 1821 April 16.

    First Lines

    Means

    Distributive

    4 Equality

    Remains to be considered how far and in what way advance is capable of being made

    towards absolute equality - equality is capable of being promoted - advance made

    towards absolute equality - and addition thus made to the greatest happiness of the

    greatest number - without prejudice to security.

    For this purpose, it will be necessary to observe in what way it is that by

    defalcations made from security, happiness is diminished.

    1. When and inproportion as by any cause defalcation to any amount is made from the

    mass of a man's property whether in possession or in contingency, a correspondent

    defalcation, - there is always sufficient reason for believing - is thereby made from

    the sum of his happiness.

    The defalcation thus made for /from/ happiness, may have place, without his being

    apprised of the defalcation made from his property.

    Such is the case for example where a man having in his possession a mass of property

    the exact amount of which is not known to him, a defalcation not known or suspected

    by him is made from it whether by design or accident.

    So again in case of contingency. A gift or legacy being without his knowledge

    intended for him, a third person intervenes and without his knowledge or suspicion

    prevents the intention from being executed.

    In this case happiness is diminished viz. by diminution of pleasure. But in this

    case no positive pain is produced.