1821 July 10

Constitut l. Code? Codification Offer

'9. Factitious dignity

IV. Factitious dignity

2. Irresistible force

Analogous case Ghosts

Practical inference Break the association - This J.B. is doing

The curious circumstance is the irresistible force with which in this instance the cause operates in the production of the effect. Here are a set of men whom taken in the aggregate I do not /can not upon reflection/ look upon as fit objects of a greater portion of esteem and respect and affection /love/ than nor even of so great a portion as an equal number of men taken at random. At the same time spite of myself by the idea of any one a greater degree of those social affections is excited than is excited by the idea of any one not possessed of any one of those symbols. Whence comes this? /this inconsistency?/. By a continually reiterated /renewed/ train of association commencing at the earliest dawn of reason this opinion of the constant connection between the possession of the sensible /external/ symbol in question and the mental quality in question has been created and confirmed: for the reproduction /revival/ of the false /erroneous/ opinion a single instant suffices at all times: for the expulsion of it nothing less than a train of reflection can suffice.

For /To/ This case I feel a very conformable parallel may be seen in the case of Ghosts and other fabulous maleficent beings which the absence of light presents to my mind's eye. To no man's judgment can the /could a stronger/ persuasion of the non-existence of these causes /sources/ of terror have place than in mine. Yet no sooner do I in a dark room lay myself down to sleep, than if no other person is in the room and my eyes keep open than these instruments of terror obtrude themselves, and to free myself from the annoyance I feel myself under the necessity of substituting to a degree /an extent/ more or less considerable, to those more or less pleasing ideas with which my mind would otherwise have been occupied, those reflections which are necessary to keep in my view the judgment by which the non-existence of these creatures of the imagination has so often been pronounced. Cause the stories told by servants. The tale of the apparition of Ghosts and Vampires is not more fabulous than is in general the tale of worth, moral or intellectual, as applied to those creatures of a Monarch who form the class of State dignitaries.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1822 Aug. 12. or 1. Power]
    Description: 1822 Aug. 12.

    or 1.

    Power is mischievous

    in so far as needless.

    Of factitious dignity, the

    whole.

    or 2.

    1. At the expence of all

    it is conferred.

    or 3.

    Its produce is - not obedience

    indeed but obsequiousness;

    i.e conformaty

    to another's will.

    or 4.

    Persons to whom it

    produces obsequiousness

    are

    1. The patron.

    2. The dignitary

    Towards the patron

    most.

    or 5.

    Opinions it produces

    1. That to the dignitary

    belong power, opulence

    and the good will of

    the patron. This is commonly

    more or less

    true.

    2 them, endowments

    tending to render him

    contributory to greatest

    happiness, this is

    always false.

    or 6.

    Factitious dignity is

    the factitious cause

    of factitious respect.

    or 7.

    Its product a confused

    and indeterminate

    mass of opinions

    and conceptions

    Principal ingredients

    are —

    1. In the dignitary, power

    preeminent.

    2. In d. o opulence d. o

    3. D. o in habits with

    men equal and even

    superior in dignity,

    and thence, or otherwise,

    in power and

    opulence.

    or 7 contin. d

    4. In d. o place in the

    patron's esteem or affection

    or both: thence

    chance of obtaining

    for others benefits such

    as the patron can bestow.

    5. In d. o qualities giving

    him means and will

    to contribute to greatest

    happiness. True,

    the first four false,

    the 5th true, the reverse.

    or 8.

    curious and lamentable

    its efficiency in the

    production of the false

    opinion, mischievous as

    it is.

    or 9.

    In every case, the dignity

    has for evidence of

    its existence the instrument

    or act by which

    it is conferred: accompanied

    commonly with

    some symbol visible

    and conspicuous, ex.

    , ribbon, star, medal,

    etc.

    or 10.

    Efficient cause of this

    power in symbols or

    signs, the associations

    of ideas.

    or 11.

    Curious the irresistible

    force with which they

    operate in the production

    of this effect.

    Behold a set of men

    whom taken in the aggregate

    my judgment

    pronounces below the

    average in the scale of

    worth, moral and intellectual.

    yet by the sight of

    any one is produced

    the conception of the opposite

    superiority.

    or 12.

    Cause of the inconsistency

    train of associations

    produced by authority in

    all shapes and from all

    sources from the earliest

    dawn of reason. For

    the introduction of the

    false conception a amount the

    of turn of a moment suffices: for

    the expulsion, if at all nothing

    less than a train of reflections.

    can suffice

    or 13.

    So in case of Ghosts &

    At the first moment of

    Darkness opens the door

    Imagination renders them present.

    To bunch their

    with the of judgment

    judgment can it

    great can through

    during long life

    existence in Ghosts is the

    not more fabulous

    than worth, moral or intellectual,

    in those creatures

    of Monarchy, State

    Dignitaries.

    or 14.

    Source or corroboration

    of the error, adulation adulation,

    chief instrument of dissemination,

    books; first

    the pen, now the press.

    In dignitaries, writers have

    beholden possessors of power

    and opulence to which,

    in return for eulogy, they

    have looked for benefit

    to themselves.

    Of the receipt of those benefits

    the probability (they

    say) would be not as the

    moral or intellectual

    worth of the dignitary:

    such as his kindness towards

    them, which again

    would be as the intensity

    of their eulogy on him.

    or 15.

    Factitious dignity, has it

    in any stage of society

    been contributory to greatest

    happiness?

    or 16.

    Evil this institution has

    been proved above. Needless,

    by experience: viz of

    : original number 13.

    Ch. Factitious Dignity

    G.

    §. I. Factitious Dignity what

    § Cause of the

    upon it. G

    § by it

    , 4. 5

    Magnitude of and

    and un

    conquerable of

    . 11. 12. 13

    cause of the

    influence associate

    . 8. 9. 10. 11.

    Its effect in the conduct

    and mind of parties interested.

    3. 4. 5

    Its mischievousness

    1. 2. 19. 1 8

    present & 24.

    of the elements of effective

    power this one

    excluded; the

    government not impaired,

    but improved:

    all benefits greater

    without than with

    it.
  • Title: [1821 July 10 Codif '.9 Factitious]
    Description: 1821 July 10

    Codif

    '.9 Factitious dignity

    IV. Factitious Dignity

    1. Association of ideas

    1. Mediating instrument power of the association of ideas

    2. irresistible force

    3. Cause of the erroneous opinion of worth moral and intellectual

    In the case of The last mentioned of these opinions - that by which preeminence in the scale of general worth and usefulness is ascribed to the dignitary - the irresistible force with which the cause operates in the production of the aggregate effect - in the production of a cluster of opinions, and amongst them in company with four which are true a fifth which is not true /has no truth in it/ is altogether curious; deplorable considering how mischievous it is.

    The dignity has in every instance the dignity has for its immediate efficient cause, or rather productive instrument, some symbol perceptible to sense, to the sense of hearing at the least an appellation; most commonly in addition to it some symbol perceptible to the sense of sense of sight: an embroidered imitation of a star - a ribbon of a particular shape and colour - a medal.

    Of this power of symbols or signs over opinions the cause lies in the association of ideas - in the principle of association between idea and idea.
  • Title: [[clx. 437] 1822 July 22 Constitut]
    Description: [clx. 437]

    1822 July 22

    Constitut Code Exposition

    In a word, in all its forms the matter of corruption in all its forms, that is to say the matter of wealth, and in a word the matter of prosperity in all its forms in so far as it presents itself to the sense of mankind: for the association the so deplorably delusive association of a connection between wealth, power and factitious dignity on the one part, and general worth and official aptitude, moral, intellectual and active on the other part being so generally and firmly established the consequence is that in proportion as prosperity /wealth prosperity or splendour/ is seen, worth moral and intellectual are regarded as having place.

    Rationale

    To the purpose of divesting the elements of prosperity of their delusive influence what does the nature of the case admitt of?