CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE NATURE OF AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF OPINION.

SECTION

1. Distinction between matters of fact and matters of opinion

2. Subject of the Essay: authority in matters of opinion ex-

plained

3. Relation between this subject and logical science

CHAPTER II.

ON THE EXTENT OF OPINIONS FOUNDED UPON AUTHORITY.

PAGE

1

3

7

1. Children derive their opinions from the authority of their

parents

10

12

14

2. Extent to which these opinions are modified in after-life

3. Disposition to follow the crowd in matters of opinion

4. Disposition to defer to the authority of others, arising from

the habit of holding opinions without remembering their

grounds.

15

5. Derivation of opinions from authority in matters of practice. 18

CHAPTER III.

ON THE MARKS OF TRUSTWORTHY AUTHORITY.

1. Elements of credibility in a witness to a fact. Distinction

between testimony and argument as to moral character . 21

2. How far anonymous testimony may have weight.

23

3. Cases in which testimony is strengthened by special training 25

4. Distinction between testimony, argument, and authority

25

SECTION

5. Comparative frequency of qualities which render a man a

credible witness, or an authority in matters of opinion

PAGE

225

26

27

6. Qualifications of an authority in matters of opinion.

7. First qualification: that a person must have studied the subject

carefully in theory, or have had experience of it in practice 27

8. Second qualification : that his mental powers must be

adequate to the subject.

9. Third qualification: that his moral feelings must be in a

proper state.

10. Process by which the existence of these qualifications in any

person is determined.

11. Additional indications of trustworthy authority:

(1.) Agreement or consensus of competent judges.

12. (2.) Marks of imposture in professors of science.

(3.) The countries whose opinion is to be considered

13.

30

333

40

:-

41

50

59

62

63

14. The guides to opinion are chosen voluntarily.
15. Supposed opposition between reason and authority

CHAPTER IV.

ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY

TO QUESTIONS OF RELIGION.

1. Gradual progress to agreement in scientific matters .

2. All nations agree in recognising the existence of a God

3. All civilized nations agree in recognising some form of Chris-

tianity.

4. But they differ as to the form or mode of Christianity

5. Causes of the existence of numerous Christian churches and

sects

6. The various Christian sects remain distinct, and do not tend

to an agreement

7. Attempts which have been made to bring about an agreement

in Christian belief.

9. Differences of opinion as to the marks of the true church .

10. Differences of opinion as to the organs of the true church

77

. 85

8. One portion of the Christian world makes the teaching of the
true church the standard of religious truth

SECTION

11. Differences of opinion as to the tradition of true doctrines

12. Differences of opinion as to Fundamentals and Non-funda-

mentals, in matters of faith

13. Differences of opinion between Roman Catholics and Pro-

testants as to the Regula Fidei

14. No Christian church or sect can lay claim to a paramount

authority in matters of truth

15. In the absence of a general agreement, the authority of each
church or sect is limited to its own members

PAGE

90

22

92

16. General results as to church authority and private judgment 103

NOTES to Chapter IV.

. 105

CHAPTER V.

ON THE UTILITY AND PROPER PROVINCE OF AUTHORITY.

1. Extent to which an independent opinion can be formed by

each person on scientific subjects

2. Deference due to the opinions of competent and experienced

3. Expediency of being guided by the opinions of others in prac-
tical questions . .

4. Advantage of professional advice

5. Rules for the selection of professional advisers

6. Origin of the prejudices against professional advice.

7. Voluntary advice of friends upon domestic and private con-

cerns. Auricular confession

9. Advice in joint deliberation

8. Mode of obtaining advice in the purchase of goods

10. Deliberation relates to the future. Extent of our powers of

11. The advice of competent judges assists in determining the

future, and guiding action

142

12. The superstitious reject such advice, and seek to determine

the future by means of divination

CHAPTER VI.

ON THE NUMBER OF THE PERSONS COMPETENT TO GUIDE OPINION

ON ANY SUBJECT, AS COMPARED WITH THE NUMBER OF THE

REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

SECTION

1. The competent judges on each subject are comparatively few

2. The opinion of the body of the people on each subject is

devoid of authority

3. The authority of each competent judge is limited to his own

class of subjects

PAGE

159

160

164

166

167

171

4. Everybody is a competent judge on some subject

5. No set of persons are competent judges on all subjects

6. The prevalence of an opinion is not a proof of its soundness. 167

7. Circumstances which give weight to a prevalent opinion

8. A high degree of knowledge and virtue cannot be formed

by the aggregation of numerous individuals of ordinary

qualities

176

9. The value of proverbs as the expression of popular opinion. 178

10. Importance of numerical preponderance as a fact

11. Its importance in political affairs

12. In language

13. In style of composition and eloquence

14. But the popular taste is not the criterion of excellence in the

. 180

. 181

182

184

15. The control of public opinion over individuals in matters of

taste ought to be exercised leniently

ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY TO THE

DECISIONS OF POLITICAL BODIES.

1. In the decisions of political bodies opinions must be counted,

and not weighed

191

2. Sketch of the origin and nature of political bodies

3. Advantages and disadvantages of plurality of members in ad-

SECTION

4. And in legislative bodies

PAGE

. 202

5. Manner in which the decision of a political body is made. . 204

6 In administrative and judicial bodies unanimity is sometimes

required, but they generally decide by a majority.

7. Legislative bodies always decide by a majority

8. The modes in which the majority of votes in a political body

is determined

9. Reason for decision by a majority in political bodies

10. Defects of this mode of decision.

. 204

206

207

. 210

. 213

214

215

11. Circumstances which tend to counteract these defects-first,
in judicial and administrative bodies

13. It is expedient that a decision by a majority, when made,
should be acquiesced in.

14. And that a political body, having adopted a measure, should
not throw the responsibility upon its advisers
15. Securities for right decision in the case of an election of a re-
presentative by the majority of a constituent body

16. Contrivances adopted to modify the simple numerical prin-
ciple in the summation of votes:-

17. (2.) Plurality of votes to certain members.

221

222

18. The excesses of a sound principle ought to be counteracted . 235

NOTES to Chapter VII.

241

CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE RELATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY ΤΟ THE

DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE, AND TO THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM

OF GOVERNMENT.

1. The theory of aristocratic government is founded on the prin-

ciple of Special Fitness .

249

2. Objections to this theory as applied to government

3. The numerical principle of government is controlled in various

ways by the principle of Special Fitness

4. Especially through the system of political representation. 267