date

1819 March 10 Jug Util Verity
1819 March 10

Jug Util

Verity

6

Price & Campbel

II. Campbel

(6)

This sense which every Scottish Clergyman not to say every Scotchman has, who finds his account on leaving it, why does he not impart it to Judges and to Juries. Error—and even doubt—here would they fly before it! Questions concerning assaults or a real question concerning boundaries—questions concerning a will—a pedigree: witnesses [...?] in a side: and the result is doubt. Verdicts are given and new trials granted. Why? because neither Jury nor Judge has a believing sense.
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  • Title: [1819 March 10 Jug. Util. Note]
    Description: 1819 March 10

    Jug. Util.

    Note continued

    Verity

    4

    Price & Campbell

    II. Campbell

    4

    What care they for human happiness? What care they for human misery? To ascertain whether by the act /[...?]/ in question more of the one or the other would be produced, would require calculation. But calculation is not only always a troublesome process but oftentimes /[...?] often/ a deceptious one: whereas their instrument—their moral sense—for now it is not a believing sense but a moral sense—is deceptious proof.

    There we have a summary of Scotch philosophy, planted perhaps at the first by /some who in England/ some Englishman but transplanted, cultivated, and reared to a prodigiously greater extent in Scotland. There again from Scotland the seeds of it scattered over England: and in every field a proportion in this strain science expands /spreads/, real science is excluded by it. Mixt up /and compounded with a proportion/ with ingeniously discovered truth and real science, you have this mass of empty verbiage in David Hume: for having taken it from the Scotch Hutchison or the English Earl of Shaftesbury or no matter who else, he too has his moral sense. But since his days in Scotland, the whole field has been covered with this verbiage. Beattie, Reid, Oswald, Reid, /Campbel/ Dugal Stuart—by these men all questions in logic and morals have been and continue to be resolved by this or that sense, a species of currency of which the mint is in their own hands. What is the consequence? that by all they have written, in so far as [...?] is in another name—this is the instrument that has been employed by them, men are /thence/ farther from true science—from clear conceptions—from rational and useful conclusions—/if nothing at all had ever been written by any of them/ than if they had never written anything. And
  • Title: [1819 March 10 Jug Util Verity]
    Description: 1819 March 10

    Jug Util

    Verity

    7

    Price & Campbel

    I. Price & Campbel

    (7)

    Now to apply D r Price's lottery to the case of miracles see the mass of supposition that must /would require to/ be added to it. Let it be the raising a man from the dead. If it be by the odds of a million to one that the improbability is to be represented, then the addition to this case must be this: of every million and one men that have died one has been raised from the dead by a word spoken to him /spoken by somebody—spoken by any body -/: In all past instances this has been the case: and in all future ones, it will be seen to be—This being assumed if so it be that of any such resurrection—a rumour reaches your ears, improbable as in this sense of the word improbability it will be—in the improbability you will see no sufficient cause for disbelieving it.

    As for Dr Campbel, he took Hume for an adversary: the text of Hume in his Essay on Miracles for a subject of reference, to whom we are indebted for other works /another work/ really useful. In Hume's mode of putting the case there was an inappropriateness in the looseness of expression: Campbel laid hold of it, and probably may to some extent, be seen to have had the advantage of time. And why should be not have as good a right to his believing sense as David Hume to Hutchisons or to the Lord Shaftesbury's, or the trumping Lord's, or his own moral sense?

    Note (1)

    (a) Having as well as Hume a moral sense, Beattie found that in writing against /by his Essay on/ miracles, not to speak of other writings Hume had proved himself to be a ‘ murderer of souls’: and for this, the [...?] Priest could have gladly hanged the philosopher, that he might be tormented to all eternity so much the sooner

    and for his hunger and thirst after this righteousness he /the religionist/ got from the King a pension by which he was enabled so much the sooner to drink himself to death.
  • Title: [1819 March 10 Jug Util Note]
    Description: 1819 March 10

    Jug Util

    Note

    Verity

    5

    Price & Campbel

    II. Campbel

    (5)

    Note continued

    And as all professors chairs are filled by this truth and as all books on the /these/ subjects come from professors chairs, and /because/ for all such books a market is made by the population of the /Colleges/ University Schools—thus it is that like dandelion and groundsel, the weed wafts itself all over the civilized world.