date

1821 Nov r 18 Jug Util 7
1821 Nov r 18

Jug Util

7

§ All comprehensive sketch

7

In the course of the inquiry it will be seen

1. Whether Natural Religion is of itself, and independently of alledged Revealed Religion, capable of furnishing any directive rule.

2. /If any/ Whether if it operates at all, it can operate otherwise than by supplying and in so far as it supplies sanctions—its own superhuman sanctions, in such sort as to contribute to the giving effect to directive rules issuing from other sources: i.e. from human ones.

3. Whether in so far as it operates by furnishing /[...?] [...?]/ sanctions and applying [...?] to the giving effect to directive rules issuing from human sources, it is in its nature to be contributing to human happiness upon the whole: whether it is not in its nature to be detrimental to human happiness upon the whole.

4. Whether it be in the higher degree contributing or detrimental to human happiness (understood all along in the present life) it may be so either by its immediate operation independently of alledged Revealed Religion, or by giving or contributing to give rise to alledged Revealed Religion in its various shapes.

Note, that if, either by directive rules furnished by it, or by sanctions held out by it, Revealed Religion in its most beneficial or least pernicious shape is necessarily detrimental to human happiness by /an amount/ degree greater than that in which it is contributing to human happiness in the life in question, a fortiori so it is in all others, and by a greater amount.

Note moreover that by contributing to give rise to such most beneficial or least pernicious of alledged Revealed Religion it has contributed to the several Establishments that have had their rise in that same Religion to the Establishments, and thereby to all the effects good and bad of which they have been and are predictions.
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    Description: 1821 Nov r 18

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    § All comprehensive sketch

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    Of the mention made of the above supposition the chief purpose has been to shew that in the view taken of the subject no part of it has been passed over: and that therefore the view thus taken wants not any thing of MS orig. ‘any of thing of’. being what it undertakes to be an all-comprehensive one.

    Proceed we now to those suppositions and persuasions the prevalence of which is beyond comparison so much more extensive.

    If the cause in question—namely Natural Religion is contributory to human happiness by being contributory to the giving determination or say direction to human conduct, it must be either by contributing /furnishing in whole or in part/ /furnishing or contributing to the furnishing/ to the formation of a directive rule, or by furnishing or contributing to the furnishing inducements for the observance of a directive rule, whether of its own furnishing or furnished from some other quarter—say furnished by some other hand.

    N.B. /In this case/ The directive rule will be a rule pointing out [to] human conduct a path, by keeping to which throughout, happiness will be enjoyed in greater quantity than by proceeding either constantly or occasionally on any other path.
  • Title: [1821 Oct. 14 Jug Util 3]
    Description: 1821 Oct. 14

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    Plan of Procedure

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    Useful a system of Religion can not be, except in virtue of a directive rule, or a sanction, or both: a directive rule for the direction of conduct, or a sanction to furnish inducement for the observance of a directive rule. To be incapable of furnishing either the one or the other will be shewn to be the effectual property of Natural Religion considered apart from Revealed.

    On this occasion it is that the question of verity will be seen not to be capable of compleat separation from the question of usefulness: since from non-apparency of verity even actual verity supposed would come non-usefulness. For effecting the separation, which the question of usefulness is on the carpet, the non-apparency of Verity may be provisionally assumed: thereupon under a separate subject of the non-apparency may be treated of, viz. by indication given of the causes.

    On the occasion of the non-usefulness of Natural Religion the natural debility of the superhuman Sanction will be brought to view and contrasted with the natural efficiency of the six human sanctions: all of which operate already in a preponderate degree, in favour of human happiness, and as morality and sound judgment improve will do so with more compleat accordance. On this occasion it may perhaps be found neither /[...?]/ practicable, nor advantageous, in bringing to view the debility of the superhuman sanction, to omitt the number of the instances in which its utter impotence will be brought to view in the cases where Natural Religion has the support of supposed Revealed, and supposed Revealed the support of Establishments. For it is in the present state of things in this country that its impotence thence its non-usefulness will be to be brought to view, and in this country at the present time it can not be seen except in a state of connection with supposed Revealed Religion, and the Establishments kept on foot for the support of it.
  • Title: [A few editorial pencil marks, perhaps Grote]
    Description: A few editorial pencil marks, perhaps Grote.

    1821 Novr 18

    Jug Util

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    § All comprehensive sketch

    5

    Thus it is that if by contributing to give determination to human conduct Natural Religion be in any way contributory to human happiness, it must be by means of a directive rule or rules or by means of a sanction or sanctions, furnished by it.

    By a temptation is meant any pleasure or exemption from pain the present enjoyment or eventual expectation of which is considered as operating with or without success in the character of an inducement, inducing man to proceed in what is regarded as a wrong path, /to the dereliction of/ in preference to what is regarded as the right one.

    Any step which by the force of the temptation a man has been led to take in such wrong path, /may be termed and/ is commonly termed a

    misdeed.

    The tendency of a temptation is to produce misdeeds, the tendency of a sanction is to prevent them /misdeeds/.

    Temptation then there are as many and as various as the occasions on which by the eventual expectation of pleasure or exemption from pain in any shape a man may be led into the commission of a misdeed in any shape. Temptations are inducements regarded as detrimental to human happiness—in a word as pernicious—say mischievous upon the whole. Sanctions are inducements regarded as contributory to human happiness, in a word as beneficial upon the whole.

    Of Sanctions the aggregate mass may be derided, and in this occasion requires to be divided by means of two different sources of division: One source is the nature of the inducement itself, the other the nature of the source from which it flows.

    From the consideration of the nature of the inducement itself sanctions may be and commonly are divided or distinguished into remuneratory: and punitory: remuneratory when the inducement is composed of pleasure or exemption of pain, held out to view or regarded as consequent upon the proceeding on the course prescribed by the correspondent directive rule: punitory where it is composed of pain or loss of pleasure held out to view or regarded as consequent upon the proceeding in a course opposite to that prescribed by the correspondent directive rule: in other words, as consequent upon the yielding to the correspondent temptation, transgressing the correspondent directive rule, and committing in the correspondent shape a misdeed.