The Book of Fallacies

able to do little more than arrange the papers, and strike out what was redundant.— In preparing the work for the press, Mr. Bentham has had no share ; — for whatever therefore may be esteemed defective in the matter, or objectionable in the manner, the Editor is solely responsible. Still, he thought it better that the work should appear, even in its present shape, than not appear at all; and having devoted to it such portion of his time as could EDITORS PREFACE. V be spared from the intervals of a life of labour, he hopes he shall not be without acknowledgement, from those who are competent to appreciate the value of whatsoever comes from the great founder of the science of morals and legislation. M. Dumont's work contains an examination of the declaration of the Rights of Man, as proclaimed by the French Constituent Assembly. This forms no part of the present volume, to the subject of which, indeed,— Fallacies employed in debate, — it is not strictly pertinent. But, in fact, the original papers have been mislaid, and they seemed to lose so much of their spirit in a translation from the French, that the contents of the additional chapter would not compensate for the additional bulk and expense of the book. CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION. Page. Sect. 1 . A Fallacy, what 1 As to the impression and disposition the production of which might happen to be desired, whether the impression were correct or deceptions, whether the disposition were with a view to the individual or community in question, salutary, indifferent, or pernicious, was a question that seemed not in any of these instances to have come across the author's mind.…