1819 Aug. 25

Fallacies 1 Ch | | Cause & Obstacle confounders

1.1 Exposition

All circumstances that with reference to the effect in question, operate neither as causes nor as obstacles, are uninfluencing circumstances. Of these it would be absurf to attempt giving a catalogue, and not of much use to look out for examples: since for this purpose any one other concomitant circumstance that could be named would /might/ answer well as any other.

If with reference to the effect in question any circumstance /altogther uninfluencing/ could be found there by any person of note had ever mentioned in the character of a cause, some little light might perhaps by the bringing it to view be thrown /cast/ upon the subject. Probably enough however no such example might be to formed. Why? because in the conciliating /attracting/ /directing/ the ublic favour in /towards/ behalf of a circumstance of this description /sort/, nobody has any interest: the circumstance, in reagrd to which a man would be capable of finding an adequate interest in bringing forward in this character would be a circumstance the tendency of which is /were/ to operate in favour of his own particular interest though to the prejudice of the universal interest but in favour of the one particular share in it: and, /admitting/ if this be its character than by the supposition it is with reference to the effect in question, not an uninfluencing circumstance, but an obstacle.