Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation

Jeremy Bentham

Chapter 10, Footnote #04
In esse


Under the term esse must be included as well past existence, with reference to a given period as present. They are equally real, in comparison with what is as yet but future. Language is materially deficient, in not enabling us to distinguish with precision between existence as opposed to unreality and present existence as opposed to past. The word existence in English, and esse, adopted by lawyers from the Latin, have the inconvenience of appearing to confine the existence in question to some single period considered as being present.


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IPML Chapter 10 Section 1: Different senses of the word motive