date

1821 Oct. 14 Jug Util 2
1821 Oct. 14

Jug Util

2

Plan of Procedure

2

Rule 3. Take Natural Religion for the object of the first attack: leaving Revealed Religion, as carefully as possible unassailed. See Bentham to Jean Baptiste Say, 4 August 1823, Letter 2988, The Correspondence of Jeremy Bentham, Volume 11. Bring to view in every occasion the alliance between the opinion here advocated and those of Revealed Religionists: in particular those of the English Establishment.

On the occasion of the attack on Natural Religion the question as to Usefulness and the question as to Verity will be found considerably entangled: to extricate them from this entanglement considerable care will be necessary.

In regard to Natural Religion, so far as concerns Verity actual want of Verity must not be imputed to it; for in that case the attack would reach supposed Revealed Religion: want of apparent verity is all that must be imputed to it: viz: from the want of sufficient evidence: of the sufficient evidence which Revealed Religion is supposed to have furnished.

So far as regards Usefulness, the first point to prove is the negative point—namely the want of positive usefulness. On this occasion the argument is more at liberty, than when the positive mischievousness is brought to view. For here, as in the case of the question of verity, the deficiency tells in favour of supposed Revealed Religion: whereas when you come to speak of positive mischievousness, it is not without difficulty that you will be able to keep the attack clear of supposed Revealed Religion. In addition to the fears inseparable from it, the positive mischiefs will consist chiefly of the mischiefs produced by all confessed false Religions, and those produced by the misconception and misapplication of the alledged only true one.
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  • Title: [1821 March 2. Jug. Util and True]
    Description: 1821 March 2.

    Jug. Util and True

    9

    Plan of the Work

    Part III. Revealed Verity apart

    9

    III. In Part the third, the question of usefulness in the present life having been examined by arguments that apply at the same time to Natural and to supposed Revealed Religion, the question of verity is now considered: not now apparent, but real verity. But in this Part it is considered in the most general and abstract point of view, abstraction made of all supposed /particular/ revealed religion in general and the supposed revealed religion of Jesus in particular: but at the same time by arguments the tendency of which is to disprove the existence of all such imagined as well as all other imaginable revelation in the [...?]: applying to all of them alike.

    This part is indeed compleatly at issue with the advocates of the religion of Jesus: and by it the whole of the ground they maintain is attacked, and in case of success taken from them. But still nothing is done to produce that peculiar irritation which an attack directed against an individual object of reverence individually and separately considered, can not but excite. The hold he possessed on their affections is by this means more or less weakened, antecedently to the period at which the direct, individual, direct, and in the highest degree irritative, attack is made.

    On this occasion, all other supposed Revealed Religions being comprized in the attack, that which has Religion reprisals to him as false, as well as those which it represents to him as true—the religion of Mahomet and that of Bramah for example, as well as that of Jesus and that of Moses—by this circumstance likewise will the irritation be naturally diminished. As the attack proceeds, he may /to the last continue/ for a greater or less length of time continuing indulging himself in the hope that while all other religions are simultaneously or successively laid prostrate, his own may by its peculiar excellence be preserved to the end of the engagement from the destructive fire. In the mean time the force of reason and the habit /practice/ of applying attention[?] to it has /found entrance into/ gained possession of his mind.
  • Title: [1821 Oct. 14 Jug. Util. Introductory]
    Description: 1821 Oct. 14

    Jug. Util.

    Introductory Sketch

    Part I

    On the usefulness of Natural Relifgion actual Verity not considered

    Part II

    Revelation apart want of useful efficiency on the part of Natural Religion for want of apparent Verity

    Part III

    Deficiency of usefulness on the part of alledged Revealed Religion in general for want of an apparent Verity

    Part IV

    On the worldly usefulness of the religion of Jesus, verity considered (a)

    (a) If verity is wanting then supposing /were/ it useful while it is believed to be true, that usefulness must vanish in proportion as its want of verity is brought to light

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    On the worldly usefulness of the Religion of Jesus, Verity apart

    Part VI On the worldly usefulness of the Religion of Jesus under Political […?]

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    Jesus displayed: or The True History of Jesus as deduced from a critical examination of the documents.
  • Title: [1821 Feb. 27 Jug Util & True]
    Description: 1821 Feb. 27

    Jug Util & True

    5

    Plan of the Work

    Part.I. /Natural—/ Verity apart.

    5

    Plan of a Work to be intituled

    The Usefulness of Religion in the present life examined

    Of the arrangement pursued a principal object is to elude the bar opposed by adverse possessions to the reception of the useful truths.

    In this view the work is divided into eight parts: the eight is as yet only in contemplation; and is not very likely to be undertaken by the author of the others.

    1. In Part the first. Natural Religion is considered, independently of supposed Revealed: and its Utility is considered without reference to its verity; or, as it may be said, its verity is, for the purpose of the argument tacitly admitted and assumed, in so far as verity can be attributed to it consistently with uselessness and mischievousness. The topic[?] from whence its inefficiency to useful purposes is inforced is the utter absence of any directive rule, in connection with those expectations of reward and punishment of which any sanctionative force that can be attributed to it must be composed. The topics[?] from whence its efficiency to pernicious purpose are inferred are the magnitude which must be attributed the expected punishments to make up for that deficiency in the article of propinquity, and that deficiency in the article of certainty or rather probability, which are the necessary result of the utter absence of all direct experience: of all evidence, presented to any man who thinks of them, by explanation: by any experience of his own, or by the reported experience of any other man of whose trustworthiness he is capable of obtaining satisfactory assurance by interrogation or otherwise.

    Of alledged Revealed Religion no mention is as yet made. To its votaries is thus spared the shock of feeling the object of their attachment struck at in the first instance by arguments by which if prevalent, their belief in it must be destroyed without recourse: the hope is even left to them that thereby their supposed Revealed Religion, so far from being shaken, will be /stand/ confirmed: confirmed by the proof given of the utter inefficiency of Natural Religion, as well for the want of evidence of the existence of a future state of rewards and punishments as for the want of all directive rule: deficience for both of which it has been the business of Revealed Religion to provide a supply.

    The attack thus made on Natural Religion, is no other than that which in this way has been made by several of the Advocates of Revealed Religion, it being in their eyes subservient at least if not indispensably necessary to their cause.