Rights of the Individual

SCHEMA

OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF GOOD CONSIDERED
AS OBJECTS OF RIGHTS

FACULTIES, SUBJECTS OF RIGHTS		VARIOUS KINDS OF GOOD,OBJECTS OF RIGHT
PERSON,(1) essential, subsistent Right, has four faculties, subjects of rights:	1. Jural freedom	(2)
	2. Intellective faculty	Truth
	3. Moral faculty	Virtue
	4. Eudaimono-logical faculty	Happiness
The subjects of rights whose object is the classified kinds of good are the faculties correspnding to each good and contained in Class 2 of the means, inso far as the subjects depend on the supreme-faculty, PERSON	Class 1	Means of enjoyment different from ourselves - ANY EXTERNAL GOOD A) removable by force (material things) B) removable only by seduction (persons, affections)
	Class 2	Means of enjoyment within us, FACULTIES A) natural activity: life, body, potencies, work in another's employ or other kind of work B) abilities, knowledge, good qualities
	Class 3	Means consisting in the certain or probable, proximate or remote OCCASIONS of our right TO USE A) means different from us(Class 1) or B) means within us (Class 2)
	Class 4	Means consisting in the certain or probable, proximate or remote OCCASIONS of our right ACQUIRE the means in classes 1,2 and 3
	Class 5	Habitual and actual PLEASURES arising from A) means the use of the means in Classes 1-4 B) the possession itself of these pleasures
	Class 6	Good EFFECTS left IN US(3) from A) the use of the means (Classes 1-4) B) the enjoyment of pleasures (Class 5)
	Class 7	SIGNS OF OUR OWN PERFECTION (favourable public opinion, glory, etc.) which produce A) a pleasant, confident feeling(4) B) our good name

Notes for the Schema

(1) Person is the universal subject of all rights; we reserve the word `subject' for it alone. But person can be considered in itself or in these faculties which depend on it. Because the faculties depend on it they are called personal; each of them is a subject of right. But here I consider person only in itself, not as governing and moving the lower faculties. Four personal activities can be distinguished in person considered in itself. Each of these also constitutes a subject of rights directly involving person. They are: 1. jural freedom; 2. the intellective faculty; 3. the moral faculty; 4. the eudaimonological faculty.

(2) Jural freedom in itself has no determined object; it is, as it were, its own object (cf. 588-591).

(3) Cf. SP, bk. 4, c. 6, where these effects are discussed.

(4) We might ask whether injury and harm is experienced when the esteem and good name we falsely enjoy is diminished. False esteem and false credit certainly has its value but it is not ours. Nevertheless, when false esteem is founded on a universal prejudice (for example, the esteem generally paid to tall people, etc.) the prejudice may be lawfully removed from people's minds. But while the prejudice lasts, the esteem we are given individually may not be lawfully denied us, if we truly have the quality on which it is based.

Continue Article 10 Chapter 5

Home