13 Jan y 1817

1 Theory

§.4 Probity how securable

13

Quere[?] - By[?] his[?] excellent[?] do[?]

Q. < > Your notion then is it that in the situation in question man’s conduct will on the most important occasions, be determined not only by his own /own/ self-regarding interest, but by that part of his self-regarding interest in which the interests respectively created by the political or legal, the popular or moral, and the religious sanctions are not comprized: I mean always - as explained by you by like conception entertained by him respecting those several interests at the time: which conception, as above, ought for the purpose in question ought to be taken for correct; and that there the line of conduct pursued by him is that which at the time is prescribed by his own conception in regard to that part of his own self regarding interest, how opposite so ever to that which would be prescribed by an exclusive regard for the universal interest?

A. To one I must confess - individuals being all along supposed to be unknown - taking in the situation in question man in general, this preponderance of that part /portion/ of self-regarding interest in which as you have been mentioning above the interest created by those tutelary sanctions are not included over the party share in the universal interest is at any rate so far probable, that to ground in any other supposition any political arrangements relative to the disposition to be made of the supreme power would be altogether unreasonable.