126 JOSEPH PRIESTLEY. 



As Priestley's philosophy is mainly a clear statement 

 of the views of the deeper thinkers of his day, so are 

 his political conceptions based upon those of Locke. 

 Locke's aphorism that u the end of government is the 

 good of mankind," is thus expanded by Priestley : 



" It must necessarily be understood, therefore, whether it be 

 expressed or not, that all people live in society for their mutual 

 advantage ; so that the good and happiness of the members, that 

 is, of the majority of the members, of any state, is the great 

 standard by which everything relating to that state must finally be 

 determined." * 



The little sentence here interpolated, " that is, of the 

 majority of the members of any state," appears to be 

 that passage which suggested to Bentham, according to 

 his own acknowledgment, the famous "greatest happi- 

 ness" formula, which by substituting "happiness" for 

 " good," has converted a noble into an ignoble princi- 

 ple. But I do not call to mind that there is any utter- 

 ance in Locke quite so outspoken as the following pas- 

 sage in the " Essay on the First Principles of Govern- 

 ment." After laying down as "a fundamental maxim 

 in all governments," the proposition that " kings, sena- 

 tors, and nobles " are " the servants of the public," 

 Priestley goes on to eay: 



"But in the largest states, if the abuses of the government 

 should at any time be great and manifest ; if the servants of the 

 people, forgetting their masters and their masters' interest, should 

 pursue a separate one of their own ; if, instead of considering that 



* " Essay on the First Principles of Government." Second edition, 

 1771, p. 13. 



