Principles of literary criticismRichards, I. A. (Ivor Armstrong)
Philosophy
Principles of literary criticism
Richards, I. A. (Ivor Armstrong)
Criticism
3. Constantly proper end of action on the part of every individual
considered as trustee for the community, of which he is considered
as a member, the greatest happiness of that same community, in
so far as it depends upon the interest which forms the bond of
union between its members.[24]
But communities, as is well known, tend to behave in the same
way to people who are better organised as well as to people who
are worse organised than the standard of the group. They deal
with Socrates or Bruno as severely as with Turpin or Bottomley.
Thus mere interference with ordinary activities is not by itself
a sufficient justification for excluding from the group people
who are different and therefore nuisances. The precise nature
of the difference must be considered, and whether and to what
degree it is the group, not the exceptional member, which ought
to be condemned. The extent to which alteration is practicable
is also relevant, and the problem in particular cases becomes
very intricate.
But the final court of appeal concerns itself in such cases with
questions, not of the wishes of majorities, but of the actual
range and degree of satisfaction which different possible systematisations
of impulse yield. Resentment at interference and gratitude for
support and assistance are to be distinguished from disapproval
and approval. The esteem and respect accorded to persons with
the social[25] virtues well developed is only in a small degree
due to the use which we find we can make of them. It is much
more a sense that their lives are rich and full.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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