第2章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"The Rationale of Reward",免费读到尾

  WemustpossessasetofMediatorsinterestedinmaintainingharmonybetweentheheterogeneousparticlesofourmixedconstitution;aspeciesofDrillSerjeantsisrequiredforthemaintenanceofdisciplineamongtheundulatingandtumultuousmultitude。TheremustbeasetofnoisyOratorsprovidedforthosewhoaremoreeasilycaptivatedbystrengthoflungsthanbystrengthofargument;Declaimersforthosewhoarecontrouledbysentimentalism;

  andimaginative,facetious,orsatiricalOrators,forthosewhoseobjectitistobeamused;Reasonersforthesmallnumber,whoyieldonlytoreason;

  artfulandenterprisingmentoscourthecountrytoobtainandcalculatethenumberofvotes:theremustalsobeaclassofmeningoodreputeatcourt,whomaymaintainagoodunderstandingbetweentheheadandthemembers。

  Andallthis,theysay,mustbepaidfor———whethercorrectlyornot,doesnotbelongtoourpresentdiscussion。

  Itmaybefurthersaid,thatthematterofreward,besidesbeingusedforreward,maybeusedasameansofpower,———andthatinamixedconstitutionlikeours,itisnecessarytomaintainabalanceamongitspowers。Certaincreationsofpeerstherefore,forexample,whichcouldnotbejustified,ifconsideredasrewards,maybejustifiedasdistributionsofpower。Thereisatleastsomethinginthiswhichdeservesexamination;

  butitsexaminationherewouldbeoutofplace。

  Wantofeconomyinthedistributionofrewardsmayalsobeattemptedtobejustified,bycomparingthesumsoexpendedwiththeexpenseincurredinthecarryingonofawar。Iadviseeveryonewhohasprojectsuponthepublicmoney,toemploythisargumentinpreferencetoeveryother:whenonecalculatestheimmensesumexpendedduringasinglecampaign,eitherbylandorsea;whenwereflectonthemillionsthatvanishinsoundandsmoke,allotherprofusionsinksintoinsignificance。Whenwebeholdthetreasuresofanationflowingawayinsuchrapidtorrents,cananygreatindignationbefeltagainstthosewho,byart,orobsequiousness,orcourtfavour,detachfromthemassasingledroporasmallstreamfortheirownbenefit?Ifthepeoplesoreadilylendthemselvestothegratificationofpoliticalpassions———iftheypartsofreelywiththeirgoldandtheirblood,forthemomentarygratificationoftheirvengeanceortheirpassionforglory,———canitbeexpectedthattheywillmurmuratthepomptheycovet,andthefewinsignificantfavourswhichtheirprincebestows?Willtheybesupposedsomeanastobeniggardwithpenceandlavishwithmillions?

  Thismodeofcomparisonisnotnewtocourts:itoughttohavebeenfamiliartoLouisXIV。ifitbetrue,asthereisreasonforbelieving,thatthebuildingofVersaillescosttwothousandmillionsoflivres。Inrespectofexpense,thiswasmorethanequaltoawar:butatleastitwasexpendedwithoutbloodshed,therewasnointerruptionoftrade;onthecontrary,itgavevigourtoindustry,andshedlustreoverthearts。Whatafortunatesourceofcomparisontotheadvocatesofabsolutemonarchy!

  Thereisyetanothermodeofestimatingthejustnessofanypublicexpenditure———anothersourceofcomparisonsomewhatlessagreeabletotheeyesofcourtiers。Comparetheamountoftheproposedexpenditurewithanequalportionoftheproduceofthemostvexatiousandburthensometax。Inthiscountry,forexample,letthecomparisonbemadewiththeproduceofthetaxonlawproceedings,whoseeffectistheplacingofthegreatmajorityofthepeopleinastateofoutlawry。Theoptionliesbetweentheabolitionofthistaxandtheproposedemploymentofitsproduce。Theythusbecometworivalservices。Itisaseveretestforfrivolousexpenses,butitisstrictlyjust。Howdisgracefuldoeswastefulluxuryappearinthebudget,whenthusputincompetitionwiththegoodwhoseplaceitoccupies,ortheevilofwhichitpreventsthecure!

  Fromtheseobservationsthepracticalconclusionis,thatthematterofrewardbeingallofitcostly,noneofitoughttobethrownaway。Thispreciousmatterislikethedew:notadropofitfallsupontheearthwhichhasnotpreviouslybeendrawnupfromit。

  Alluprightsovereignthereforegivesnothing。Hebuysorhesells。Hisbenevolenceconsistsineconomy。Wouldyoupraisehimforgenerosity?Praisealsotheguardianwholavishesamonghisservantsthepropertyofhispupils。

  ThemostliberalamongtheRomanEmperorswerethemostworthless;forexample,Caligula,Claudius,Nero,Otho,Vitellius,Commodus,Heliogabalus,andCaracalla:thebest,asAugustus,Vespasian,Antoninus,MarcusAurelius,andPertinax,werefrugal。(EspritdesLois,liv。v。ch。xviii。)

  Amostimportantlessontosovereigns:itwarnsthemnottovaluethemselvesuponthevirtueofgenerosity———inshort,nottothinkthatintheirstationgenerosityisavirtue。Ifnotastrictlylogicalargument,itis,however,apopularandpersuasiveinduction:———``Esteemnotyourselvestobegoodprincesforaqualityinwhichyouhavebeenoutstrippedbytheworst。’’

  RRBook1Chapter6TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIREMUNERATIONEX—POST—FACTOIntheprecedingchapteritwasstated,thatinaccordancewiththeprincipleofutility,thecostlymatterofrewardoughtonlytobeemployedintheproductionofservice;andthat,inaccordancewiththatprinciple,arewardcanonlyconsistofaportionofthematterofreward,employedasamotivefortheproductionofservice。Thiswouldseemtoexcludeeverythingwhichcanbecalledliberality———everyactbywhicharewardmaybebestoweduponanyservicetowhichithasnotbeenpromisedbeforehand。

  Suchmayappeartheconsequenceatfirstsight。

  Areward,itmaybesaid,oughtonlytobebestowedupontheperformanceoftheservicetowhichithasbeenpromised;sinceitisonlywhereithasbeenforeseen,thatitcanhaveoperatedasamotive。Whythenbestowituponaservice,howusefulandimportantsoever,towhichithasnotbeenpromised?Theserviceyouwouldhavebeenwillingtopurchase,attheexpenseofacertainreward,hasbeenhappilyrenderedwithoutanyengagementonyourparttobeartheexpense。Why,therefore,shouldanyrewardbebestowed?whypretendtoemployrewardintheproductionofaneffectwhichhasbeenproducedwithoutit?Isnotthisauselessemploymentofreward?———isnotthisanexpenditureinpurewaste?

  Certainlysuchanexpensecannotbejustifiedasameansofproducinganeffect,whichhasbythesuppositionalreadybeenproduced;butitmaybejustifiedasservingtogivebirthtoothereffectsofalikenature,aslikelytocausefutureservicestoberendered,whichwillagreewiththosethatarepast———atleastinthis,thattheyareservices。

  Arewardwhichthusfollowstheservicemaybestyledanexpostfacto,orunpromisedreward。TheSocietyofArtshasrecognisedandemployedthisdistinction。Arewardbestowedinfulfilmentofapromise,upontheperformanceofaspecifiedservice,iscalledapremium。Arewardbestowedwithoutpreviouspromise,iscalledabounty。

  Tomakeitarulenevertograntarewardwhichhasnotbeenpromised,istotieupthehandsoftrueliberality,andtorenounceallchanceofreceivinganynewkindofservice。Thereisonlyonesuppositionwhichcanjustifythisparsimony:itis,thateveryservicehasbeenforeseenandendowedbeforehand。Whetherlegislationwilleverattainthisperfection,Ipretendnottoknow。Ithasnotattaineditasyet;andtillitbeattained,sovereignsmayreckonliberalityamongstthenumberoftheirvirtues。

  Rewardswhichinthismannerarethefruitsofliberality,possessagreatadvantageoverthosewhichareawardedinvirtueofapromise。These,confinedtooneobject,operateonlyupontheindividualservicespecified。Thegenialinfluenceoftheothersextendsoverthewholetheatreofmeritoriousactions。Theseareusefulindeterminingresearchestoaparticularpoint;theotherspresentanirritationtoextendthemtoeverythingwhichthehumanmindcangrasp。Thesearelikethewaterwhichthehandofagardenerdirectstoaparticularflower;theothersarelikethedewwhichisdistilledoverthewholesurfaceoftheearth。

  Apromisedreward,bestowedupononewhohasnotdeservedit,isentirelylost。Anunpromisedretard,thusimproperlybestowed,isnotnecessarilylost。Thehandofliberalityhasbeendeceived,buttheutilityoftherewardisnotaltogetherthrownaway,whilstopportunityisleftforabetterapplicationofitinfuture。HadAlexanderlavisheduponthemanwho,toobtainhisbounty,exhibitedhisskillindartinggrainsofmilletthroughtheeyeofaneedletherewardshebestoweduponAristotle,itwouldhavebeenaproofofprodigalityandfolly,whoseeffectwouldhavebeentomultiplytheraceofmountebanksandjugglers。InrewardingAristotle,he,withoutdoubt,rewardedmuchjargon,ofnogreatervaluethanthisman’ssleightofhandindartingmillet;butsince,inthemidstofthisjargon,acertainquantityofuseful,andatthattimenew,truthwasfound,therewardswhichthiscelebratedphilosopherreceivedmayjustlybeplacedtotheaccountofusefulliberality:theirtendencywastomultiplythepreciousraceofinstructorsofmankind———theraceofphilosophers。

  Infact,certainactsofliberality,whichcouldnotbejustified,ifconsideredaspromisedrewards,maydeservemoreorlessindulgence,maypossessasortofutilityofthesamekindasthatwhichbelongstorewardsnotpromised。Eventheactregardedasservicemaynotstrictlydeservetobeconnectedwithreward;butthedispositiondisplayedbythedistributinghandinawardingarecompense,maygivebirthtotheexpectationofsimilarrewardsforreallymeritoriousservice。

  Rewardsbestowedinpursuanceofapromise,maybeconsideredasconferredaccordingtoalawbelongingtotheclassofwrittenlaws;whilstunpromisedrewards,thoughnotproductiveofsimilarevilsmaybeconsideredasestablishingakindoflaw,orrathertacitrule,analogoustothatestablishedbymeansofpunishment,inwhatiscalledunwrittenlaw。Itwouldbefortunate,indeed,ifthepenallawmightremainunwrittenwithaslittleinconvenienceasremuneratorylaw。Inthepenal,andeventhecommonlycalledcivilbranches,theseunwrittenlawsdevelopethemselvesbyatrainofhardships,nottosayofinjuries;

  whilsttheworstwhichcanhappenintheremuneratorybranchofunwrittenlawisthis,that,byreasonofitsbeingunknown,itmaybecomeatissueofuselessbounty。

  CatherineII。didnotallowtheremuneratorybranchofherlawstobeexposedeventothisdanger,fromwhichthereissolittletobefeared。Hadthehandofliberalitybeenexpanded———wasthedewofrewardpouredoutupontheheadofmerit———immediatelyinsertedintheGazette,thenotificationoftherewardconnectedwiththenameoftheindividual,andtheservicewhichhaddeservedit,wasresoundedthroughoutthemostdistantandunfrequentedpartsofhervastempire。Itwouldhavebeenaltogetherglorious,hadshehastenedtogivethesamecharacterofpublicityandcertaintytothoseotherbranchesofunwrittenlaw,inwhichitisrequiredwithsomuchgreaterurgency,andhadsheneverconferredfavourswhichshewouldhaveblushedtoseegazetted。

  InEngland,anobleexampleofreward,expostfacto,wasexhibitedinconnexionwiththefirstestablishmentofmail—coaches。Themanagerofaprovincialtheatrehaving,proposedtotheministerthisplanforthebetterconveyanceofletters,theplanwasreceived,andhavingbeentriedinonepartofthekingdom,itwasafterwardsextendedtothewhole:andthisservicebeinginconsequenceperformedwithacelerityandeconomyofwhichformerlytherewasnoidea,———asareward,theinventorwasappointedComptroller—Generalofthepost—office,withasalaryof£1500perannum,besidesaproportionofthesavings。Arewardthusjudiciousandequitable。transportsustotheyear2440。Itisequivalenttoaproclamationtothiseffect:``Menofgeniusandindustry,employyourtalentsfortheserviceofyourcountry;

  exertyourselvestotheutmost;produceyourplans;theirreceptionshalldependaloneupontheopinionformedoftheirutility;yourcountrywillnotgrudgethelabournecessaryfortheirexamination。Goodintentionsshallnotbetreatedwithcontempt;youshallnotbenicknamedprojectorsbytheidleandtheincapable。Yourplansshallnotbedisregardedbecauseoftheirauthors;theyshallnotbethrownasidebecausetheyareextraordinary,providedtheybeuseful。Impartialityshallpresideattheirexamination,andtheirutilityshallbethemeasureofyourreward。’’

  Theremayappearatfirstsightadiscrepancybetweenthisandtheimmediatelyprecedingchapter,butitisonlyinappearance。

  Isayhere,nolessthanheretofore,thattheuprightdispenserofpublictreasuresgivesnothing。Hebuysorbesells。Withpromisedrewardshepurchasesbespoken,clearlydefined,andlimitedservices;withunpromisedrewardshepurchasesservicesunbespoken,indeterminate,andinfinite。

  Thedifficultyinbothcasesconsistsinmakingaproperchoiceoftheactiontoberewarded。Thischoicewillformthesubjectofsubsequentconsideration。

  RRBook1Chapter7TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIIPUNITIONANDREMUNERATION———THEIRRELATIONWherefore,throughoutthewholefieldoflegislation,cannotrewardbesubstitutedforpunishment?Ishopealesspowerfulincentivetoactionthanfear?Whenapoliticalpharmacopoeiahasthecommandofbothingredients,whereforeemploythebitterinsteadofthesweet?

  Tothesenaturalbutunreflectinginquiries,I

  replybyamaximthatatfirstviewmayappearparadoxical:———``Rewardoughtnevertobeemployed,whenthesameeffectcanbeproducedbypunishment。’’

  And,insupportofthisparadox,Iemployanother:———``Letthemeansbepenal,andthedesiredeffectmaybeattainedwithoutgivingbirthtosuffering:

  letthemeansberemuneratory,andsufferingisinevitable。’’

  Theoracularstyle,however,beingnolongerinfashion,Ishallinplainlanguagegivethesolutionofthisenigma。

  Whenapunishmentisdenouncedagainstthebreachofalaw,ifthe1awbenotbroken,nooneneedbepunished。Whenarewardispromisedtoobedience,ifeverybodyobeythelaw,everybodyoughttoberewarded。Ademandforrewardsisthuscreated:andtheserewardscanonlybederivedfromthelabourofthepeople,andcontributionsleviedupontheirproperty。

  Incomparingintheirrespectivepropertiesofpunishmentandreward,weshallfindthatthefirstisinfiniteinquantity,powerfulinitsoperation,andcertaininitseffect,sothatitcannotberesisted:thatthesecondisextremelylimitedinquantity,oftentimesweakinitsoperation,andatalltimesuncertaininitseffect:thedesireafteritvaryingexceedingly,accordingtothecharacterandcircumstancesofindividuals。Wemayremarkagain,thattheprospectofpunishmentsaddens,whilstthatofrewardanimatesthemind;thatpunishmentblunts,whilerewardsharpenstheactivity;thatpunishmentdiminishesenergy,whilerewardaugmentsit。

  Itisrewardalone,andnotpunishment,whichamanoughttoemploy,whenhisobjectistoprocureservices,theperformanceofwhichmayormaynotbeinthepowerofthosewithwhomhehastodo。

  Thisconsidered,wereitnecessarytodrawaroughlinebetweentheprovincesofrewardandpunishmentinafewwords,wemightsay,thatpunishmentwaspeculiarlysuitedtotheproductionofactsofthenegativestamp———rewardtotheproductionofactsofthepositivestamp。Tositstillanddonothing,isinthepowerofeverymanatalltimes:toperformagivenserviceisinmanyinstancesinthepowerofoneindividualalone,andthatonlyupononeindividualoccasion。Thisarrangementofnaturesuitsverywellwiththeunlimitedplenitudeofthefundofpunishmentontheonehand,andthelimitedamplitudeofthefundofrewardontheother。Thenegativeacts,ofwhichthepeaceandwelfareofmankindrequiretheperformance,areincessantandinnumerable,andmustbeexactedatthehandsofeveryman:thepositiveacts,ofwhichtheperformanceisrequired,arecomparativelyfew,performableonlybycertainpersons,andbythemoncertainoccasionsonly。Nottosteal,nottomurder,nottorob,mustberequiredatalltimesatthehandsofeveryman:totakethefieldforthepurposeofnationaldefence———tooccupyaplaceinthesuperiordepartmentsofexecutiveorlegislativegovernment———areactswhichitisneithernecessarynorpropertoexactatthehandsofmorethanafew,orofthemexceptonparticularoccasions。Todiscoveraspecificremedyfordisease,toanalyzeamineral,toinventamethodofascertainingaship’slongitudewithinagivendistance,todeterminethequadratureofsuchorsuchacurve,———areworkswhich,ifdonebyoneman,needneverbedoneagain。

  Itisthusalsowithregardtosuchextraordinaryservicesasdependuponaccident;suchasthegivingofinformationwhenrequired,eitherinthejudicialoranyotherbranchofadministration。

  Areyouignorantwhetheranindividualisinpossessionoftheinformationinquestion,orifinpossessionofit,whetherhebedisposedtocommunicateit?Punishmentwouldmostprobablybebothinefficaciousandunjustasameansofacquiringthisknowledge:resort,then,toreward。

  Inregardtoextraordinaryservicesdependinguponpersonalqualification,theimproprietyofpunishmentandtheproprietyofrewardarethegreater,whentheutilityoftheserviceissusceptibleofanindeterminatedegreeofexcellenceasisthecasewithworksofliterature,ofscience,andthefinearts。Inthesecases,rewardnotonlycallsforthintoexercisetalentsalreadyexisting,butevencreatesthemwheretheydidnotexist。Itisthepropertyofhope,oneofthemodificationsofjoy,toputaman,asthephraseis,intospirits;thatis,toincreasetherapiditywithwhichtheideasbeisconversantaboutsucceedeachother,andthustostrengthenhispowersofcombinationandinvention,bypresentingtohimagreatervarietyofobjects。Thestrongerthehope,sothatithavenottheeffectofdrawingthethoughtsoutoftheproperchannel,themorerapidthesuccessionofideas;themoreextensiveandvariedthetrainsformedbytheprincipleofassociation,thehetterfed,asitwere,andmorevigorous,willbethepowersofinvention。Inthisstate,theattentionismoresteady,theimaginationmorealert,andtheindividual,elevatedbyhissuccess,beholdsthecareerofinventiondisplayedbeforehim,anddiscoverswithinhimselfresourcesofwhichhehadhithertobeenignorant。

  Ontheonehand,letfearbetheonlymotivethatpromptsamantoexerthimself,hewillexerthimselfjustsomuchashethinksnecessarytoexempthimfromthatfear,andnomorebutlethopebethemotive,hewillexerthimselftotheutmost,especiallyifhehavereasontothinkthatthemagnitudeofthereward(orwhatcomestothesamething,theprobabilityofattainingit)willriseinproportiontothesuccessofhisexertions。

  Suchisthenatureofextraordinaryservices,thatitisneitherpracticablenordesirableforthemtobeperformedbyalargemultitudeofpersons。Ifpunishment,then,werethemeansemployedtoinducementoperformthem,itwouldbenecessarytopitchuponsomeselectpersonsasthoseonwhomtoimposetheobligation。Butofthepersonalqualificationsofindividuals,thelegislator,assuch,canhavenoknowledge。Thecasewillalsobenearlythesame,evenwiththeexecutivemagistrate,ifthenumberofthepersonsunderhisdepartmentbeconsiderable:forantecedentlytospecificexperienceintheverylineinquestion,aman’spersonalqualificationsforanysuchextraordinarytaskarenottobeconjecturedapriori,butfromanintimateacquaintance———suchanacquaintanceasitisimpossibleamanshouldhavewithsolargenumber。Theconsequenceis,thatamonganymultitudeofpersonsthustakenatrandom,thegreaternumberwouldnotperformthetask,becausetheywouldnotbeabletoperformit。Butinthiscase,bythesupposition,theymustallbepunished:heretherewouldbeavastmassofpunishmentlaidoninwaste,andperhapstheendnotcompassedafterall———amassofpunishmentimpartingbeyondcomparisonmorepainthanitwouldcosttoprovideasufficientquantityofreward。

  Ontheotherhand,letrewardbeemployedandnotanatomneedbespentinwaste;foritmaybeeasilysoapplied,anditiscommonsotoapplyit,asthatitshallbebestowedinthoseinstancesonlyinwhichtheendiscompassed———inthoseinstancesinwhichnotonlyabenefitisattained,butabenefitmorethanequivalenttotheexpense。

  Bypunishment,agreatexpensewouldheincurred,andthatforthesakeofafaintchanceofsuccess;byreward,asmallexpenseisincurred,andthatnotwithoutacertaintyofsuccess。

  Again,punishmentinthesecaseswouldnotonlybelesslikelytoproducetherequisiteeffect,butwouldhaveatendencytopreventit。Howlittlesoeverthemagistratemightbequalifiedtocollectandtojudgeofappearancesofrapacity,forsuchappearanceshewould,however,naturallykeepsomesortoflook—out。Toexhibitthoseappearanceswouldthereforebetorunachanceofincurringtheobligationandthepunishmentannexedtoit。Theconsequenceisobvious:tomakesureofnotappearingqualified,menwouldtakecarenottobeso。Wearetold,thatinSiam,whenamanhasatreeofextraordinarygoodfruit,itisseizedfortheking’suse。Ifthisbetrue,wemaywellimaginethatgardeningdoesnotmakeanyveryextraordinaryprogressintheneighbourhoodofthecourtofSiam。Naturemustdomuch,forart,wemaybecertain,willdonothing。Wearetolduponbetterauthority,ofatimewhenitwasthecustomtogivecommissionstoofficerstolookoutforthebestsingers,andpressthemintotheking’sservice:unlesstheywerewellpaidatthesametime,whichwouldhaverenderedthealarmoccasionedbypressingneedless,onewouldnotgivemuchtohearthemusicofthatday。

  Thatselection,whichincasesliketheseistoimpracticableinpublic,isnotequallysoindomesticlife。Toparentsandotherpreceptors,itisbynomeansimpracticabletomakeuseofpunishmentasamotive。Theyareenabledtouseit,becausetheintimacyoftheiracquaintancewiththeirpupilsingeneralenablesthemtogiveaprettygoodguessatwhattheyareabletoperform。Itmay,perhaps,evenbenecessarytohaverecoursetothisincentive———beforethenaturalloveofeasehasbeengotunderbyhabit,andespeciallybeforetheauxiliarymotiveoftheloveofreputationhastakenroot,andwhilethetenderintellecthasnotasyetacquiredsufficientexpansionandfirmnesstoreceiveandretaintheimpressionsofdistantpleasures。

  Isayperhaps———foritcertainlymightbepracticabletodowithmuchlessofthisbitterrecipe,thaninthepresentstateofeducationiscommonlyapplied。Allapparatuscontrivedonpurposemightatleastbespared。Towardsprovidingasufficientstockofincentivesforallpurposes,agreatdealmoremightbedonethaniscommonlydone,inthewayofrewardalone:byalittleingenuityintheinvention,andalittlefrugalityintheapplication;byestablishingaconstantconnexionbetweenenjoymentanddesert;grantinglittleornothingbutwhatispurchased;andthustransformingintorewardsthewholestockofgratification,oratleastsomuchofitasisrequisite。Ifpunishmentshouldstillbenecessary,mereprivationsseemtoaffordinallcasesasufficientstore。Acompletestockofincentivesmightthusbeformedoutofenjoymentsalone:punishment,bythesuspensionofsuchasarehabitual:

  reward,bytheapplicationofsuchaoccasionallyarise。[1]

  Butevenwhenappliedbyparentsandpreceptors,punishment,howwellsoeveritmaysucceedinraisingskilltoitsordinarylevel,willneverraiseithigher:oneoftheimperfectionsofpunishmentremainsstillinsuperable。Accordingly,inthetrainingofyoungmindstoqualifythemfortheachievementofextraordinaryworksofgenius,thebusinessisbestmanaged,andindeedinacertaindegreeiscommonlymanaged,bypunishmentandrewardstogether;insuchsort,thatintheearlierpartofman’scareer,andintheearlierstagesoftheprogressoftalent,amixtureofpunishmentsandrewardsbothshallbeemployed:andthat,bydegrees,punishmentshallbedroptaltogether,andtheforceemployedconsistofrewardalone。

  Thereremainsthecaseinwhichrewardisproper,becausepunishment———atleastpunishmentalone———wouldbeunprofitable。

  Byunprofitable,Imeannotinefficacious,butuneconomical,unfrugal———theinterestofthewholecommunitytogetherbeingtakenintotheaccount,notforgettingthatoftheparticularmemberonwhomtheburthenwouldbetobeimposed,andconsequentlythepunishment,incaseofnon—performance,tobeinflicted。

  Thisseemstobethecasewithallthoseofficeswhich,standingalone,areofficesofmereburthen,whetherthepartyfavouredbethepublicatlargeoranyindividualorclassofindividuals:

  inallcasesthelabourerisworthyofhishire;andunlessitbewheneverymanmustlabour,nomanoughttobemadetolabourwithouthishire———thecommonsoldiernomorethanthegeneral,thecommonseamannomorethantheadmiral,theconstablenomorethanthejudge。

  Trueitis,thattakeanymanforexample,itmaywithproprietybesaid,thatthepublichasarighttohisservices,hasarighttocommandhisservices,forthattheinterestofanyonemanoughttogivewaytotheinterestofall。Butifthisbetrueastoanyonemanwhohappenstobefirsttaken,equallytrueisitofanyother,andsoinsuccessionofeveryman。Ontheonehand,then,eachmanisunderanobligationtosubmittoanyburthenthatshallbeproposed;ontheotherhand,eachmanhasanequalrighttoseetheburthenimposed,notuponhimself,butuponsomeother。Ifeitherofthesepropositionsbetakenintheirfullextent,asmuchmaybesaidinfavouroftheoneofthemasoftheother。Inthiscase,iftherewerenomiddlecoursetotake,thingsmustrestinstatuquo,thescaleofutilitymustremaininequilibrium,oneman’sinterestweighingneithermorenorlessthananother’s;theburthenwouldbebornebynobody,andtheimmunityofeachwouldbethedestructionofall。Butthereisamiddlecoursetotake,whichis,todividetheburthen,andlayitinequalproportionuponeveryman。

  Theprincipleisindisputable:

  theapplicationofitisnotfreefromdifficulties。Therearemanycasesinwhichtheindividualburthencannotbedivided:anoffice,thedutiesofwhichitrequiresbutonemantoperform,cannotbedividedamongstathousand。Butamassofprofitmaybeformedsufficienttocounterbalancetheinconveniencewhichamanwouldsustainbybearingtheoffice。Lettherequisitemassofprofitbetakenfromthegeneralfund,andtheburthenisdistributedproportionablyamongstthedifferentmembersofthecommunity。

  Anexpedientsometimespractisedinthesecases,is,insteadofdistributingtheburthenoftheoffice,tolayitonentireuponsomeoneperson,accordingtolot。Thispreventstheinjusticetherewouldbeinlayingituponanyonebydesign:butitdoesnotcorrecttheinequality。Themischiefofpartialityandinjusticeareobviated;butnotsothesufferingsofhimuponwhomtheunfortunatelotfalls。Theprincipleofutilityisinthiscaseonlypartiallyfollowed。

  Itisoneofthoseinstancesinwhichtheprincipleofutilitywouldseemtohavegivenoccasiontoawrongconclusion。Accordingtothisprinciple,itissaidthattheinterestoftheminorityoughttobesacrificedtothatofthemajority。Theconclusionisjust,ifitwereimpossibletoavoidasacrifice;palpablyfalse,ifitis。Buttochargethisasadefectupontheprincipleitself,isasreasonableasitwouldbetomaintainthattheartofbookkeepingisamischievousart,becauseentriesmaybeomitted。

  Wearenowpreparedforestablishingacomparisonbetweenpunishmentandreward。

  1。Punishmentisbestadaptedforrestraintorprevention———rewardforexcitementandproduction:theoneisabridle,theother,aspur。

  2。Ineverycasewhereeveryextensivemischiefmaybeproducedbyasingleact,andparticularlyinthecaseofsuchactsasmaybeperformedatanytime,punishmentistheonlyrestrainttobedependedon:suchisthecaseofcrimesingeneral。Whentheactendeavouredtobeproducedisinaneminentdegreebeneficial,itispropertoemployrewardalone,ortocombinepunishmentwithreward,thatthepowerofthegoverningmotivemaybedoubled。

  3。Consideringtheabundanceoftheone,andscarcityoftheother,punishmentistheonlyeligiblemeansofregulatingtheconductofpeopleingeneral:rewardoughttobereservedfordirectingtheactionsofparticularindividuals。Bypunishment,mischievouspropensitiesaresubdued;byreward,valuablequalificationsareimproved。Punishmentisaninstrumentfortheextirpationofnoxiousweeds:rewardisahotbedforraisingfruit,whichwouldnototherwisebeproduced。

  4。Necessitycompelstheemploymentofpunishment:

  rewardisaluxury。Discardthefirst,andsocietyisdissolved:discardtheother,anditstillcontinuestosubsist,thoughdeprivedofaportionofitsamenityandelegance。

  5。Ineverycasewheretheserviceisofsuchanatureasthatnoindividualpossessedofthequalificationsrequisiteforitsperformancecanwithcertaintybeselected,thedenunciationofpunishmentwouldonlyproduceapprehensionandmisery,anditsapplicationbebutsomuchinjuryinflictedinwantonwaste。

  Ineverysuchcase,offerareward,andittravelsforthinquestofhiddenorunknowntalents:evenifitfailinitssearch,itproducesnoevil———notanatomofitislost:itisgivenonlywhentheserviceisperformed,whentheadvantageobtainedeitherequalsorsurpassestheexpense。

  Bythehelpoftheseobservations,weshallbeenabledtoappreciatetheopinionofthosepoliticianswho,afterasuperficialexaminationofthissubject,condemnlegislatorsingeneralforthesparingusemadeofthematterofreward。

  TheauthorofTheWealthofNations,whohasdisplayedsuchextraordinarysagacityinallhisresearches,hasuponthispointbeenledawaybymistakennotionsofhumanity。``Fear’’,sayshe,``isinalmostallcasesamiserableinstrumentofgovernment。’’

  (WealthofNations,B。V。ch。16。)Itisaninstrumentwhichhasoftentimesbeenmuchpervertedfromitsproperuse;butitisanecessaryinstrument,andtheonlyoneapplicabletotheordinarypurposesofsociety。

  Ayoungking,inthefirstardourforimprovement,havingresolvedtopurgehiskingdomfromallcrimes,wasnotsatisfiedwiththisalone。Hisnaturalgentlenesswasshockedattheideaofemployingpunishment。Hedeterminedtoabolishitaltogether,andtoeffecteverythingbyreward。Hebeganwiththecrimeoftheft:butinashorttime,allhissubjectswereentitledtoreward;allofthemwerehonest。Everydaytheywereentitledtonewrewards;theirhonestyremainedinviolate。Aschemeforpreventingsmugglingwasproposedtohim。``Wiseking’’,itwassaid,``foreverypennythatoughttobepaidintoyourtreasury,givetwo,andthehydraisvanquished。’’Thevictorywascertain;butheperceivedthat,likethatofPyrrhus,itwouldbesomewhatcostly。

  Adistinctionwhichexistsbetweendomesticandpoliticalgovernmentmaybebereworthnoticing。Nosovereignissorichastobeabletoeffecteverythingbyreward。Thereisnoparentwhomaynot。AtSparta,abitofblackbreadwastherewardofskill。Thestockofpleasuresandofwantsisaninexhaustiblefundofrewardinthehandsofthoseparentswhoknowhowtoemployit。

  RRBook1Chapter8TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterVIIIREMUNERATION———WHEREHURTFUL。Arewardismischievouswhenitstendencyistoproduceoffences,ortogivebirthtonoxiousdispositions。

  Toofferarewardtoanindividualasaninducementtohimtocommitanactprohibitedbylaw,istoattempttosubornhim:

  theoffencemaybecalledsubornation。Uponthepresentoccasion,thisillegalsubornationisnotthesubjectofconsideration。therewardsofwhichweareabouttospeak,haveacorruptivetendency,butdonotpossessthecharacterofcrimes;theyareauthorizedbycustom,sanctionedbythelaw,andgivenandreceivedwithoutdisguise,withoutcriminalintention:

  theevilisdonewithapureconscience,andoftenwiththepublicapprobation。

  Theyaretheresultoferroneousconceptions,theeffectsofuniversalprejudice,orlong—establishedhabit,which,asMontaignesays,bluntstheacutenessofthejudgment。

  Thepresentisoneofthoseextremelydelicatetopics,inrespectofwhichitmaybemoreprudenttoputthereaderinthepathoftruth,andleavehimtotravelbyhimselfinquestofdiscoveries,thangoingthroughthesubjectindetail,towoundestablishedopinions,orinterferewithindividualinterests。Withoutrestrictingmyselftoanypreciseorder,Ishallthereforeexhibitsomefewexamplesinwhichthemischievoustendencyistoopalpabletoadmitofdenial,andIshallbeingwithanincontrovertiblemaxim,whichwillfurnishthecriterionofwhichweareuponthepresentoccasioninsearchfordistinguishinggoodfromevil:———

  ``Uponalloccasionsavoidbestowinganythingintheshapeofreward,whichmaytendtointerferewiththeperformanceofduty。’’

  Accordingtothisrule,ajudgeoughtnottofindhimselfinterestedintheprolongationoflawproceedings———theministerofstateinthepromotionofwars———thesuperintendentinpromotingexpense———themoralpreceptorinsettinganexampleofinsincerity———themanoflettersinmaintainingmischievousprejudicesattheexpenseoftruth。Themorenarrowlywescrutinizeintothesourcesofpublicevils,themorethoroughlyshallwebeconvincedthattheyoughttobeattributedtotheneglectofthisfundamentalrule。

  Insupportofthismaxim,itisnotnecessarytoascribetomeningeneralallextraordinaryproclivitytowardscorruption:

  ordinaryprudenceandprobityaresufficienttoenableamuntoresisttemptationstocrimes,ortolendhimtoabstainfromwhateverisreputeddishonourable;butitrequiressomewhatmorethanordinaryhonestyandprudencetobeproofagainsttheseductionsofaninterestthatactswithcontinualenergy,andwhosetemptationsarenotopposedeitherbythefearoflegalpunishment,orthecondemnationofpublicopinion:toyieldtosuchtemptations,itisonlynecessaryforhimtofollowinthebeatentrack,inwhichbewillbecheeredbythepresenceofamultitudeoffellow—travellers,andencouragedbytheexampleofhissuperiors。Toresisttheseseductions,hemustexposehimselftotheimputationofsingularity———hemustproclaimthatheisbetterthanothers———hemustcondemnhiscolleaguesandpredecessors,andbeboldenoughtomakeanexhibitionofhisprobity。Suchmagnanimityisnotaltogetherunexampled,butwemustnotreckonuponprodigies。Thereareevensomecasesinwhich,byitssecresy,thisseductiveinterestissomuchthemoremischievous:itoperateslikeaconcealedmagnet,andproduceserrorsinthemoralconductagainstwhichtherehasbeennopreviouswarning。Wehavesaidthatthelegislatoroughttoendeavourtocombineinterestwithduty;forastillstrongerreasonoughthetoavoidasmuchaspossibleeverythingthatyieldstothepublicfunctionaryacertainoracasual,aknownoranunknownprofit,resultingfromtheomissionorviolationofhisduties:wenowproceedtogiveafewexamples。

  InEngland,thesuperiorjudges,besidetheiramplesalaries,whichitwouldbeimpropertogrudgethem,receivecertainfeeswhichitisimpossiblenottogrudgethem;sinceitisfromthissourcealonethattheycangenerallybeconsideredliabletocorruption,andthatsomuchthemoreeasily,sincetheymaybesubjecttoitsinfluencewithoutthemselvesperceivingit。Thesefeesaremultipliedinproportiontotheincidentsofprocedure,themultiplicationofwhichincidentsproportionablyincreasestheexpenseanddelayofobtainingjustice。Inonecase,ajudgereceivesnearly£4fortying,forsixmonthsorayear,thehandsofjustice;andthisinoneofthosecasesinwhichindolenceaddsherseductionstothoseofavarice,andthewholeiseffectedinthepresenceofnootherwitnessesthansuchasareurgedonwardbyastillstrongerinteresttoaggravatetheabuse。

  Anotherexamplefromamongathousand。UndertheLordChancellor,therearetwelvesubordinatejudgescalledMastersinChancery。Whenanaccountistobetakenbeforethem,thefollowingisthemodeofprocedure:Theattorneysontheonesideandtheotheroughttoappearbeforethemaster,eitheralone,orincompanywithcounsel,asmaybeconvenient。Firstsummons;nobodyappears:secondsummons;nobodyappears:atlength,thirdsummons;thepartiesappear,andthematterisputintotrain。Care,however,hasbeentakentoallowonlyhalfanhouroranhourtoeachsetofsuitors。Thepartiesarenotalwayspunctual:

  thematterisbegun,theclockstrikes,andthenthematterisdismissed。

  Atthefollowinghearingitisnecessarytobeginagain。Allthisismatterofetiquette。Ateachsummons,thefeestothejudgesandthecounselarerenewed。Alltheworldmustlive。Extortion,itissaid,istobebanishedfromthedwellingsoffinance。Atsomefutureday,perhaps,itwillnotbefoundafittingguestfortheTempleofJustice———itwillbedeemedadvisabletochaseitthence。

  InEnglandaselsewhere,itisasked,whylawsuitsareeternal?Thelawyerssayitisowingtothenatureofthings。Otherpeoplesayitisthefaultofthelawyers。Theabovetwolittletraits,whichareastwograinsofsandpickedupinthedesertsofArabia,mayassistthejudgmentastothecausesofdelayinsuchprocedures。

  3。Previouslytotheyear1782,theemolumentsofthepaymasterofthearmy,whosedutyassuchconsistedinsigning,orknowinghowtosign,hisname,wereconsiderablyhigherintimeofwarthanintimeofpeace,beingprincipallyconstitutedofapercentageonthemoneyexpendedinhisdepartment。Thisgreatofficer,however,alwaysfoundhimselfamemberofparliament;anditisbelievedhewasthuspaid,notforsigning,orknowinghowtosign,hisname,butfortalking,andknowinghowtotalk。Uponaquestionofpeaceorwar,theprobityofthisoratormusthavefounditselfinsomewhatanawkwardpredicament,continuallybesiegedasitmusthavebeenbyBellonawiththeofferofanenormousrevenue,whichwastoceaseimmediatelyhesufferedhimselftobecorruptedbyPeace。Whenthequestionofeconomicalreformwasuponthecarpet,thisplacewasnotforgotten。Itwasgenerallyfeltatthattime,thatsodecidedanoppositionbetweeninterestanddutywascalculatedtoproducethemostperniciousconsequences。Theemolumentsofpeaceandwarwere,therefore,equalizedbyattachingafixedsalarytotheoffice,andthesameplanwasadoptedwithrespecttovariousotheroffices。

  Inrunningoverthelistoffunctionaries,fromthehighesttothelowest,onecannotbutbealarmedatthevastproportionofthemwhowatchforwarasforaprey。Itisimpossibletosaytowhatadegree,bythispersonalinterest,themostimportantmeasuresofgovernmentaredetermined。Itcannotbesupposedthatministersofstate,generals,admirals,ormembersofparliament,areinfluencedintheslightestdegreebyavilepecuniaryinterest。Allthesehonourablepersonspossessprobityaswellaswisdom,sothatatrifleofmoneynevercanproducetheslightestinfluenceupontheirconduct,noteventheeffectofanatomupontheimmovablemassoftheirprobity。Themischiefis,thatevil—mindedpersonsarenotconvincedbytheirassertion,butcontinuetorepeat,that———``Thehonestywhichresiststemptationismostnoble,butthatwhichfliesfromitismostsecure。’’[1]

  4。Inpublicandprivateworksofalldescriptions,itiscustomarytopaythearchitectapercentageupontheaggregateamountexpended。Thisarrangementisagoodone,whenthesumtobeexpendedisfixed:thereisdangerinthecontrarycase,sincethegreatertheexpense,thegreateristhearchitect’specuniaryprofit。

  5。Veracityisoneofthemostimportantbasesofhumansociety。Thedueadministrationofjusticeabsolutelydependsuponit;whatevertendstoweakenit,sapsthefoundationsofmorality,security,andhappiness。Themorewereflectonitsimportance,themoreweshallbeastonishedthatlegislatorshavesoindiscreetlymultipliedtheoperationswhichtendtoweakenitsinfluence。

  Whenthepossessionoftherevenues,orotherprivilegesattachedtoacertainconditionoflife,dependsuponthepreviousperformanceofcertainactswhicharerequiredatenteringuponthatcondition,theseprivilegescannotfailtooperateuponindividualsasincentivestotheperformanceofthoseacts:theeffectproducedisthesameasiftheywereattachedtosuchperformanceunderthetitleofreward。

  If,amongthenumberoftheseacts,promiseswhichareneverperformedarerequiredunderthesanctionofanoath,theseprivilegesorotheradvantagescanonlyberegardedasrewardsofferedforthecommissionofperjury。Ifamongthenumberoftheseacts,itberequiredthatcertainopinionswhicharenotbelievedshouldbepretendedtobebelieved,theseadvantagesareneithermorenorlessthanrewardsofferedforinsincerity。

  Butthesanctionofanoathoncecontemned,iscontemnedatalltimes。

  Oathsmayafterwardsbeobserved,buttheywillnotbeobservedbecausetheyareoaths。

  IntheuniversityofOxford,amongwhosemembersthegreaternumberofecclesiasticalbeneficesarebestowed,andwhichevenforlaymenisthemostfashionableplaceofeducation,———whenayoungmanpresentshimselfforadmission,histutor,whoisgenerallyaclergyman,andthevice—chancellor,whoisalsoaclergyman,putintohishandsabookofstatutes,ofwhichtheycausehimtosweartoobserveeveryone。Atthesametime,itisperfectlywellknowntothisvice—chancellorandtothistutor,thatthereneverhasbeenanypersonwhowasabletoobserveallthesestatutes。Itisthusthatthefirstlessonthisyoungmanlearns,andtheonlylessonheissuretolearn,isalessonofperjury。[3]

  Noristhisall:hisnextstepistosubscribe,intestimonyofhisbelief,toadogmaticalformularycomposedabouttwocenturiesago,assertedbytheChurchofEnglandtobeinfalliblytrue,andbymostotherchurchesbelievedtobeasinfalliblyfalse。Bythisexpedient,oneclassofmenisexcluded,whilethreeclassesareadmitted。

  Theclassexcludediscomposedofmenwho,eitherfromasenseofhonour,orfromconscientiousmotives,cannotprevailuponthemselvespubliclyanddeliberatelytoutteralie。Theclassesadmittedconsist———1。Ofthosewholiterallybelievethesedogmas;2。Ofthosewhodisbelievethem;3。

  OfthosewhosignthemastheywouldsigntheAlcoran,withoutknowingwhattheysign,orwhattheythinkaboutit。AnearlysimilarpracticeispursuedatCambridge;andfromthesetwosourcestheclergyoftheChurchofEnglandaresupplied。

  Socrateswasaccusedasacorruptorofyouth。Whatwasmeantbythisaccusation,Iknownot。ButthisIknow,thattoinstructtheyounginfalsehoodandperjury,istocorruptthem;andthatthebenefitofalltheotherlessonstheycanlearncanneverequalthemischiefofthisinstruction。{SeeAppendix(A。)}

  6。Itmaybeinquired,whetherrewardsorotheradvantagesoughttobeofferedforthedefenceofanyopinioninmattersoftheoryorscience,oranyothersubjectuponwhichopinionsaredivided?

  {SeeAppendix(B。)}Ifthequestionbeoneofpurecuriosity,theworstthatcanhappenwillbethattherewardwillbeexpendedinwaste。Butiftheopinionthusfavouredhappentobeafalseone,andatthesametimemischievous,therewardwillbeproductiveofunmixedevil。Butwhetheritbeaquestionofcuriosityoruse,iftruthbetheobjectdesired,thechanceofobtainingitisnotsogreataswhenthecandidatesforrewardareallowedtoseekitwheresoeveritmaybetobefound。Iferrorbetobedefended,toofferarewardforitsdefencewouldbeone,ifnottheonly,methodtobeadopted。Whoistherethatdoesnotperceive,thattoobtaintruetestimony,itisinexpedienttoofferarewardtothewitnesswhoshalldeposeuponagivenside?———whodoesnotknowthattheconstanteffectofsuchanofferistodiscreditthecauseofhimwhomakesit?

  Ifthen,anythingbetobegainedbysuchpartiality,itcanonlybebyerror:truthcanonlybealoserbysuchpartialreward。

  Thispracticeisattendedwithanotherandmoremanifestinconvenience:itisthatofcausingopinionstobeprofessedwhicharenotbelieved———ofinducingatruculentexchange,notonlyoftruth,butofsincerity,formoney。Idonotknowifgovernmentsoughteventopermitindividualstoofferrewardsupontheseconditions。Toestablisherror,torepudiatetruth,tosubornfalsehood;———these,inafewwords,aretheeffectsofallrewardsestablishedinfavourofonesystemtotheexclusionofallothers。

  7。Charityiseveranamiablevirtue;butifinjudiciouslyemployed,itisliabletoproducemoreevilthangood。Hospitalsinconsideratelymultiplied,regulardistributionsofprovisions,suchaswereformerlymadeatthedoorsofmanyconventsinSpainandItaly,tendtohabituatealargeproportionofthepeopletoidlenessandbeggary。Arewardthusofferedtoindolence,impoverishesthestateandcorruptsthepeople。Luxury(andIannextothiswordwhatevermeaning,exceptthatofprodigality,peoplechoosetogivetoit)luxury,thatpretendedvicesomuchreprobatedbytheenviousandmelancholic,isthesteadyandnaturalbenefactorofthehumanspecies;itisamasterwhoisalwaysdoinggood,evenwhenheaimsnotatit;herewardsonlytheindustrious。Charityisalsoabenefactor,butgreatcircumspectionisrequiredthatitmayproveso。

  8。Thereisanothermannerinwhichrewardmaybemischievous:byactinginoppositiontotheservicerequired———when,forexample,theemolumentsattachedtoanofficearesuchastoaffordthemeansandtemptationnottofulfilthedutiesofit。Insuchacase,whatmayappearaparadoxisnotthelessagreattruth:thewholedoeslessthanapart;bypayingtoomuch,thesovereignislesseffectuallyserved。Butthissubjectbelongsnaturallytotheheadofsalaries。

  9。Whateverweakenstheconnexionbetweenpunishmentsandoffences,operatesinproportionasanencouragementtothecommissionofoffences。Ithastheeffectofarewardofferedfortheirperpetration,forwhethertheinducementtocommitoffencesbeaugmented,ortherestrainingmotivesdebilitated,theresultinbothcasesisthesame。

  Thus,ataxonjusticeisanindirectrewardofferedforinjustice。Thesameisthecasewithrespecttoalltechnicalrulesbywhich,independentlyofthemerits,nullitiesareintroducedintocontractsandintoprocedure———ofeveryrulethatexcludestheevidenceofawitness,theonlydepositoryofthefactuponwhichdependsthedueadministrationofjustice。Inaword,itisthesamewitheverythingthattendstoloosentheconnexionbetweeninjuryandcompensation,betweentheviolationofthelawandpunishment。

  Ifweopenoureyes,weshallbeholdthesamelegislatorsestablishingrewardsforinformers,andtaxesandfeesuponlawproceedings:

  theydesirethatthefirstshouldinducementorenderthemservicesofwhichtheystandinneed,whilstthelattertendtoweakenthenaturaldispositionwhichisfelttorenderthesesameservices。Atthethresholdofthetribunalofjusticeareplacedabaitandabugbear:thebaitoperatesuponthefew———thebugbearuponthemultitude。

  10。Therearecasesinwhich,toavoidgreaterinconvenience,ithasbeenfoundnecessarytodisposeofthematterofrewardinsuchmannerasthatitshalloperateasarewardforthemostatrociouscrime;yet,inspiteoftheforceofthetemptation,thiscrimeisalmostunexampled。Ialludetotheruleestablishedwithrespecttosuccessions。Happily,whatevermaybetheforceoftheseductivemotivesinthiscase,thetutelarymotivesactinfullconcertwithalltheirenergy。

  Therearemanymenwhoforatriflingpersonalbenefit,foranadvanceinrank,oreventogratifytheirspleen,wouldwithoutscrupleusetheirutmostexertionstoproduceawarthatwouldcostthelivesoftwoorthreehundredthousandoftheirfellowcreatures;whileamongthesementherewouldnotbefoundperhapsone,who,thoughheweresetfreefromthedreadoflegalpunishment,couldbeinduced,foramuchgreateradvantage,toattemptthelifeofasingleindividual,andstilllessthelifeofparentwhosedeathwouldputhiminpossessionofafortuneoratitle。

  Butthoughlawscannotbeframedforitscompleteremoval,nothingwhichcanbedonewithoutinconvenienceoughttobeleftundone,towardsthediminutionofthisdanger。Thepersonsmostexposedtobecomeitsvictims,arethosewhoarenecessarilyplacedunderthecontroulofothers,suchasinfantsandwomen。Itisundertheguidanceofthisprinciple,thatourlawsinsomecaseshaveselectedasguardiansthosepersonsuponwhomnointerestcandevolveinthewayofsuccession。UnderthelawsofSweden,precautionsofthesamedescriptionareobserved;andithasbeenelsewhereshownthatthisconsiderationfurnishesoneoftheargumentsinfavourofthelibertyofdivorce。

  Contractsrelatingtoinsurancefurnishanotherinstanceofthesamedanger。Thesecontracts,inotherrespectssobeneficial,havegivenbirthtoanewspeciesofcrime。Amaninsuresashiporahouseatapricegreatlybeyonditsvalue,withtheintentionofsettingfiretothehouseorcausingtheshiptobelost,andthen,underpretenceofcompensationforthelossofwhichheistheauthor,claimsthemoneyforwhichtheinsuranceismade。Thusoneofthemostbeneficialinventionsofcivilizedsocietyisconvertedintoapremiumfordishonesty,andapunishmenttovirtuousindustry。Hadthecommissionofthiscrimebeenattendedwithlessrisk,orbeenlessdifficulttoconceal,thismostadmirablecontrivanceforsofteninginevitablecalamitiesmusthavebeenabandoned。

  RRBook1Chapter9TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterIXREMUNERATION———WHERENEEDLESS。Factitiousrewardissuperfluous,whenevernaturalrewardisadequatetoproducethedesiredeffect。

  Underthisheadmaybeclassedallinventionsinthearts,whichareusefultoindividuals,andwhoseproductsmaybecomearticlesofcommerce。Intheordinarycourseofcommerce,theinventorwillmeetwithanaturalrewardexactlyproportionatetotheutilityofhisdiscovery,andwhichwillunitewithinitselfallthequalitieswhichcanbedesiredinafactitiousreward。Afterthemostmatureconsideration,nosovereigncanfindanothermeasuresoexactasisthusaffordedbythefreeoperationsoftrade。Allthatthegovernmenthastodoistosecureforatime,totheinventor,whateverbenefithisdiscoverymayyield。

  Thisisgenerallydonebythegrantofanexclusiveprivilegeorpatent。

  Ofthisweshallelsewherespeakmoreindetail。

  Notmanyyearsagoagrantof£3000wasmadebyparliamenttoaphysicianforthediscoveryofayellowdye。Thatmoneymight,withoutdoubt,havebeenworseemployed。

  Buttherewardwasunnecessary:forthisdiscovery,asforallothersinthearts,thepropertestofitsutilitywouldhavebeenitsuseinmanufacturesandcommerce。Thegrantofadeterminatesumwasalosseithertotheinventorortothepublic:totheinventor,ifitwerelessthanhewouldhavegainedunderapatent:tothepublic,ifitweremore。Inaword,whereverpatentsforinventionsareinuse,factitiousrewardiseithergroundlessorsuperfluous。

  Ishallelsewheretreatoftheencouragementstobegiventotheartsandsciences。Uponthepresentoccasion,allthatIshallobserveis,thatthegreatertheprogresstheyhavemade,thelessnecessaryisittotaxthepublicfortheirsupport。Inthiscountry,forexample,iftheexclusivepropertyinhisworkbesecuredtoanauthor,arewardisatthesametimesecuredtohimproportionatetotheservicehehasperformed———atleastineverybranchofamusementorinstructionthatyieldsasufficientclassofreaders。Thereisnopatrontobecomparedwiththepublic;andbythehonourwithwhichitaccompaniestheotherrewardsitbestows,thispatronagehasadecidedadvantageoveranythatcanbereceivedfromsnyothersource。

  WithrespecttotherewardsthatinsomeEuropeanstateshavebeenbestoweduponpoets,theamountofthemissoinsignificantastosavethemfromtheseverescrutinytowhichtheymight,underothercircumstances,havefoundthemselvesexposed。Therearesomecountriesinwhichtherelishforliteratureisconfinedtosuchsmallnumbers,thatitmay,uponthewhole,bebeneficialtoencourageitbyfactitiousrewards。

  Butifweconsiderhowintensearetheenjoymentsofthemanbornwithpoetictalents,thesuddenreputationwhichtheyproduce,andtheampleprofittheyoftenyield,especiallyinthedramaticline,itwillbefoundthatthenaturalrewardsattachedtothemarefarfrombeinginconsiderable;

  andthat,atleast,ourattentionought,inthefirstplace,tobedirectedtothedepartmentofthesciences,theapproachestowhicharerepulsive,andtheutilityofwhichisindisputable。Happinessdependsuponthecorrectnessofthefactswithwhichourmindisfurnished,andtherectitudeofourjudgment;butpoetryhasnoverydirecttendencytoproduceeithercorrectnessofknowledgeorrectitudeofjudgment。Foroneinstanceinwhichithasbeenemployedtocombatmischievousprejudices,athousandmightbecitedinwhichtheyhavebeenfosteredandpropagatedbyit。Homeristhegreatestofpoets:whereshallweplacehimamongmoralists?Cananygreatadvantagebederivedfromtheimitationofhisgodsandheroes?Idonotcondemnprizesforpoetrywheretheobjectistoexciteyouthfulemulation:Ionlydesirethatseriousandtrulyusefulpursuitsmayreceiveaproportionateencouragement。

  RRBook1Chapter10TheRationaleofRewardBookIOfRewardsinGeneralChapterXPROPORTIONASTOREWARDS。Conferringreward,theobservanceofexactrulesofproportionisnotnearlyofthesameimportance,asintheinflictionofpunishment。Theserulescannot,however,beneglectedwithimpunity。Iftoogreatarewardbeheldoutforagivenservice,competitorswillbeattractedfrommoreusefulpursuits。Iftoolittle,thedesiredservicewilleithernotberendered,orwillnotberenderedinperfection。

  RuleI。Theaggregatevalueofthenaturalandfactitiousrewardoughtnottobelessthansufficienttooutweightheburthenoftheservice。

  RuleII。Factitiousrewardsmaybediminished,inproportionasnaturalrewardsareincreased。

  Thesetworulespresentthreesubjectstoourobservation:———1。

  Thenaturalburthensattachedtotheservice;———2。Thenaturalrewardswhicheitherdoordonotrequirefactitiousrewardtosupplytheirdeficiency;———3。

  Thedrawback,moreorlesshidden,whichinavarietyofcasesalterstheapparentvalueofthereward。

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