1819 Aug. 26

Fallacies 1

Ch | | Logical Highflier

1

| | King can do no wrong

' | | The King can do no wrong.

This aphorism has three meanings: one absurd another salutory /useful/, though but a make-shift, the other, unavoidable and thus necessary.

The absurd one is - Whatever the King does is right, because he does it. Quality declared by it to be possessed by him, impeccability.

The salutory one, though strictly speaking not including in it but an inference drawn from it, the King can not as such do any act, without the concurrence of some person /official/ his own nomination, who is case of its being by the competent authority pronounced wrong may eventually be punished for it. Plain and proper expression - For whatsoever act the King as such performs, some other official person appointed by him is in a penal sense, responsible.

The unavoidable and necessary one is - let that which the King does be ever so wrong, he can not legally be punished for it, or in any other way be made to suffer for it. Another meaning not included in the phrase but onluy inferred /deduced/ from it and added to the first mentioned meaning - the original and absurd one. Plain and proper, expression - for no act which the King has performed /done/ is he /can he be/ in a penal sense be responsible. Quality declared by it to be possessed /appertain/ by him, impunity.

In this case instead of being condensed into the compass of a sinlge word the cloudy /nebulous/ matter if diffused through a whole page. But in regard to the demand for exposure this variation makes no difference.