1821. Aug. 18.

Codification Offer

'.6./'.8/ Singleness known.

'.8. The greatest happiness of the greatest number requires, that the work, being

the work of a single hand, be known to be so.

Only in so far as the individual or individuals, actually engaged in the work in

question, are, by their respective names, known to be so, can public opinion

have any determinate object, on which to direct its force. Whether the hands

thus occupied are those of one man or those of divers men, it is therefore

essential that all that are thus employed, be known to be so.

For the same reason, it is in both cases essential, that no hand that is not so

employed, be supposed to be so. If, in addition to this or that hand actually

employed, a supposition has place, that some other has been thus employed,

either that supposition is true, or it is not: if true, then so it is, that

prevalent, that the avowed operator has a secret colleague acting in conjunction

with him, - here, though by the supposition he has no such secret support as is

supposed, still he has a sort of screen, though not so effectual an one as in

the other case.

In proportion as public opinion appears to have marked any portion of the work

with its disapprobation, the course taken will in this case be, to shift off the

blame as effectually as possible upon the invisible shoulders of the imaginary

colleague.

As, to the purpose of ultimate and effective security, it is material to the

greatest happiness of the greatest number that, in the breast of him, on whose

handy-work its dependence is so strict and so extensive, sensibility -

sensibility to the good or bad opinion of the greatest number, be as intense as

possible, - so, to the purpose of their present satisfaction, is it material,

that their minds be furnished with the persuasion, that this best, or rather

only visible, security, for his due attention to their interest, namely

undivided responsibility, is not either absent or incompleat: and to this

persuasion it is necessary, not only that he - the declared workman - actually

have not, but that he be not believed to have, any one else that works with him:

any one other, to share with him, in whatever honour or dishonour may come to be

reflected upon him by his work.