The son of John and Olive Dymond
The brother of Priscilla Ann and Olive.
He married Anna Wilkey at Plymouth 3 July 1822, who survived till 1849, and had by her two children, Mary Anna, married to Henry Barrett, and Charles Jonathan, who died in infancy.
He died of consumption on 6 May 1828, aged 31.
Jonathan Dymond was the fourth of five sons of John Dymond a Quaker linen-draper of Exeter, County Devon in England. He had little formal education but used his time off from working in his father's shop to read and to write essays on religious and moral problems, as well as composing poetry. He determined that he should devote his energies to 'the honour of advocating peace'. In his view war was "an evil before which, in my estimation, slavery sinks into insignificance". In 1825 he attended the annual meeting of the Peace Society in London and went on to help set up a branch of that society in Exeter. He soon had to withdraw from taking an active part due to his failing health.
In his writings Dymond extended the pacifist argument against war beyond the purely Christian insight of earlier generations of Quakers to wider more rationalist arguments, as in this against the notion of a distinction between aggressive and defensive war from the Inquiry:
“When nations are mutually exasperated, and armies are levied, and battles fought, does not every one know that with whatever motives of defence one party may have begun the contest, both in turn become aggressors? In the fury of slaughter soldiers do not attend, they cannot attend, to questions of aggression. Their business is destruction, and their business they will perform. If the army of defence obtains success, it soon becomes an army of aggression. Having repelled the invader, it begins to punish him. If a war has once begun, it is vain to talk of distinctions of aggression and defence. Moralists may talk of distinctions, but soldiers will make none; and none can be made: it is outside the limits of possibility.
Dymond was a fervent antimilitarist. He saw armies as enemies of liberty and physical and moral subjection as a necessary condition of army life. The opinion he voiced prefigures some of the later objections to conscription made by Quakers and other conscientious objectors.
In 1823 he published anonymously ‘An Enquiry into the accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity, and an Examination of the Philosophical Reasoning by which it is defended …’ It passed through four editions, and has been reprinted in America. He founded an auxiliary peace society at Exeter in 1825, and was for four years on the committee of the Peace Society.
In 1825 he published ‘Observations on the Applicability of the Pacific Principles of the New Testament to the Conduct of States, and on the Limitations which those Principles impose on the Rights of Self-defence’ (the 7th tract of the Peace Society's series).
In 1829 was published posthumously his chief book, ‘Essays on the Principles of Morality and on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind.’ This was favourably reviewed by Southey in the ‘Quarterly Review’ for January 1831. It is an exposition of ethical theories in harmony with those generally held by the Friends, attacking Paley's utilitarianism and resolving moral obligation into the ‘immediate communication of the will of God.’ It is, however, more devoted to the application than to the ultimate theory of moral principles, and attacks duelling, war, and the lax morality of professions and trades. It has passed through five editions. In 1872 Joseph Pease of Darlington bore the expense of translating and circulating the book in Spain.
In 1832 appeared ‘The Church and Clergy; showing that Religious Establishments derive no countenance from the nature of Christianity, and that they are not recommended by Public Utility … by the late Jonathan Dymond.’ Various extracts from his works have been separately reprinted.
The brother of Priscilla Ann and Olive.
He married Anna Wilkey at Plymouth 3 July 1822, who survived till 1849, and had by her two children, Mary Anna, married to Henry Barrett, and Charles Jonathan, who died in infancy.
He died of consumption on 6 May 1828, aged 31.
Jonathan Dymond was the fourth of five sons of John Dymond a Quaker linen-draper of Exeter, County Devon in England. He had little formal education but used his time off from working in his father's shop to read and to write essays on religious and moral problems, as well as composing poetry. He determined that he should devote his energies to 'the honour of advocating peace'. In his view war was "an evil before which, in my estimation, slavery sinks into insignificance". In 1825 he attended the annual meeting of the Peace Society in London and went on to help set up a branch of that society in Exeter. He soon had to withdraw from taking an active part due to his failing health.
In his writings Dymond extended the pacifist argument against war beyond the purely Christian insight of earlier generations of Quakers to wider more rationalist arguments, as in this against the notion of a distinction between aggressive and defensive war from the Inquiry:
“When nations are mutually exasperated, and armies are levied, and battles fought, does not every one know that with whatever motives of defence one party may have begun the contest, both in turn become aggressors? In the fury of slaughter soldiers do not attend, they cannot attend, to questions of aggression. Their business is destruction, and their business they will perform. If the army of defence obtains success, it soon becomes an army of aggression. Having repelled the invader, it begins to punish him. If a war has once begun, it is vain to talk of distinctions of aggression and defence. Moralists may talk of distinctions, but soldiers will make none; and none can be made: it is outside the limits of possibility.
Dymond was a fervent antimilitarist. He saw armies as enemies of liberty and physical and moral subjection as a necessary condition of army life. The opinion he voiced prefigures some of the later objections to conscription made by Quakers and other conscientious objectors.
In 1823 he published anonymously ‘An Enquiry into the accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity, and an Examination of the Philosophical Reasoning by which it is defended …’ It passed through four editions, and has been reprinted in America. He founded an auxiliary peace society at Exeter in 1825, and was for four years on the committee of the Peace Society.
In 1825 he published ‘Observations on the Applicability of the Pacific Principles of the New Testament to the Conduct of States, and on the Limitations which those Principles impose on the Rights of Self-defence’ (the 7th tract of the Peace Society's series).
In 1829 was published posthumously his chief book, ‘Essays on the Principles of Morality and on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind.’ This was favourably reviewed by Southey in the ‘Quarterly Review’ for January 1831. It is an exposition of ethical theories in harmony with those generally held by the Friends, attacking Paley's utilitarianism and resolving moral obligation into the ‘immediate communication of the will of God.’ It is, however, more devoted to the application than to the ultimate theory of moral principles, and attacks duelling, war, and the lax morality of professions and trades. It has passed through five editions. In 1872 Joseph Pease of Darlington bore the expense of translating and circulating the book in Spain.
In 1832 appeared ‘The Church and Clergy; showing that Religious Establishments derive no countenance from the nature of Christianity, and that they are not recommended by Public Utility … by the late Jonathan Dymond.’ Various extracts from his works have been separately reprinted.
The son of John and Olive Dymond
The brother of Priscilla Ann and Olive.
He married Anna Wilkey at Plymouth 3 July 1822, who survived till 1849, and had by her two children, Mary Anna, married to Henry Barrett, and Charles Jonathan, who died in infancy.
He died of consumption on 6 May 1828, aged 31.
Jonathan Dymond was the fourth of five sons of John Dymond a Quaker linen-draper of Exeter, County Devon in England. He had little formal education but used his time off from working in his father's shop to read and to write essays on religious and moral problems, as well as composing poetry. He determined that he should devote his energies to 'the honour of advocating peace'. In his view war was "an evil before which, in my estimation, slavery sinks into insignificance". In 1825 he attended the annual meeting of the Peace Society in London and went on to help set up a branch of that society in Exeter. He soon had to withdraw from taking an active part due to his failing health.
In his writings Dymond extended the pacifist argument against war beyond the purely Christian insight of earlier generations of Quakers to wider more rationalist arguments, as in this against the notion of a distinction between aggressive and defensive war from the Inquiry:
“When nations are mutually exasperated, and armies are levied, and battles fought, does not every one know that with whatever motives of defence one party may have begun the contest, both in turn become aggressors? In the fury of slaughter soldiers do not attend, they cannot attend, to questions of aggression. Their business is destruction, and their business they will perform. If the army of defence obtains success, it soon becomes an army of aggression. Having repelled the invader, it begins to punish him. If a war has once begun, it is vain to talk of distinctions of aggression and defence. Moralists may talk of distinctions, but soldiers will make none; and none can be made: it is outside the limits of possibility.
Dymond was a fervent antimilitarist. He saw armies as enemies of liberty and physical and moral subjection as a necessary condition of army life. The opinion he voiced prefigures some of the later objections to conscription made by Quakers and other conscientious objectors.
In 1823 he published anonymously ‘An Enquiry into the accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity, and an Examination of the Philosophical Reasoning by which it is defended …’ It passed through four editions, and has been reprinted in America. He founded an auxiliary peace society at Exeter in 1825, and was for four years on the committee of the Peace Society.
In 1825 he published ‘Observations on the Applicability of the Pacific Principles of the New Testament to the Conduct of States, and on the Limitations which those Principles impose on the Rights of Self-defence’ (the 7th tract of the Peace Society's series).
In 1829 was published posthumously his chief book, ‘Essays on the Principles of Morality and on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind.’ This was favourably reviewed by Southey in the ‘Quarterly Review’ for January 1831. It is an exposition of ethical theories in harmony with those generally held by the Friends, attacking Paley's utilitarianism and resolving moral obligation into the ‘immediate communication of the will of God.’ It is, however, more devoted to the application than to the ultimate theory of moral principles, and attacks duelling, war, and the lax morality of professions and trades. It has passed through five editions. In 1872 Joseph Pease of Darlington bore the expense of translating and circulating the book in Spain.
In 1832 appeared ‘The Church and Clergy; showing that Religious Establishments derive no countenance from the nature of Christianity, and that they are not recommended by Public Utility … by the late Jonathan Dymond.’ Various extracts from his works have been separately reprinted.
The brother of Priscilla Ann and Olive.
He married Anna Wilkey at Plymouth 3 July 1822, who survived till 1849, and had by her two children, Mary Anna, married to Henry Barrett, and Charles Jonathan, who died in infancy.
He died of consumption on 6 May 1828, aged 31.
Jonathan Dymond was the fourth of five sons of John Dymond a Quaker linen-draper of Exeter, County Devon in England. He had little formal education but used his time off from working in his father's shop to read and to write essays on religious and moral problems, as well as composing poetry. He determined that he should devote his energies to 'the honour of advocating peace'. In his view war was "an evil before which, in my estimation, slavery sinks into insignificance". In 1825 he attended the annual meeting of the Peace Society in London and went on to help set up a branch of that society in Exeter. He soon had to withdraw from taking an active part due to his failing health.
In his writings Dymond extended the pacifist argument against war beyond the purely Christian insight of earlier generations of Quakers to wider more rationalist arguments, as in this against the notion of a distinction between aggressive and defensive war from the Inquiry:
“When nations are mutually exasperated, and armies are levied, and battles fought, does not every one know that with whatever motives of defence one party may have begun the contest, both in turn become aggressors? In the fury of slaughter soldiers do not attend, they cannot attend, to questions of aggression. Their business is destruction, and their business they will perform. If the army of defence obtains success, it soon becomes an army of aggression. Having repelled the invader, it begins to punish him. If a war has once begun, it is vain to talk of distinctions of aggression and defence. Moralists may talk of distinctions, but soldiers will make none; and none can be made: it is outside the limits of possibility.
Dymond was a fervent antimilitarist. He saw armies as enemies of liberty and physical and moral subjection as a necessary condition of army life. The opinion he voiced prefigures some of the later objections to conscription made by Quakers and other conscientious objectors.
In 1823 he published anonymously ‘An Enquiry into the accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity, and an Examination of the Philosophical Reasoning by which it is defended …’ It passed through four editions, and has been reprinted in America. He founded an auxiliary peace society at Exeter in 1825, and was for four years on the committee of the Peace Society.
In 1825 he published ‘Observations on the Applicability of the Pacific Principles of the New Testament to the Conduct of States, and on the Limitations which those Principles impose on the Rights of Self-defence’ (the 7th tract of the Peace Society's series).
In 1829 was published posthumously his chief book, ‘Essays on the Principles of Morality and on the Private and Political Rights and Obligations of Mankind.’ This was favourably reviewed by Southey in the ‘Quarterly Review’ for January 1831. It is an exposition of ethical theories in harmony with those generally held by the Friends, attacking Paley's utilitarianism and resolving moral obligation into the ‘immediate communication of the will of God.’ It is, however, more devoted to the application than to the ultimate theory of moral principles, and attacks duelling, war, and the lax morality of professions and trades. It has passed through five editions. In 1872 Joseph Pease of Darlington bore the expense of translating and circulating the book in Spain.
In 1832 appeared ‘The Church and Clergy; showing that Religious Establishments derive no countenance from the nature of Christianity, and that they are not recommended by Public Utility … by the late Jonathan Dymond.’ Various extracts from his works have been separately reprinted.
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