25 Sept. 1814

Logic

2

Ch. Ontology

57

An obligation understand here that sort of obligation which, through the medium of the will, operates on the active faculty, - takes its nature from some act to which it applies itself; it is an obligation to perform or to abstain from performing a certain act.

An /A legal/ obligation to do /to perform/ the act in question is said to attach upon a man, to be incumbent upon him, in so far as in the event of his performing the act (understand both at the time and place in question) he will not suffer any pain, but in the event of his not performing it he will suffer a certain pain, viz. the pain that corresponds to it, and by the virtue of which applying itself eventually as above, the obligation is created.

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