the origins of contemporary france-1-第87章

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readily　recognize　in　others　a　superiority　in　courage；　physical

strength；　experience；　agility；　or　beauty。　　But　a　superior　judgment　we

concede　to　nobody。　　And　we　think　that　we　could　ourselves　have

discovered　the　reasons　which　occur　naturally　to　others；　if　only　we　had

looked　in　the　same　direction。'）　（SR。）



＇16＇　My　father's　cousin；　a　black…smith　issue　from　a　long　line　of

country　black…smiths；　born　in　1896；　used　to　say　that　the　basic

principle　elevating　children　was　to　ensure　〃that　the　child　never

should　be　able　to　exclude　the　possibility　of　good　thrashing。〃　（SR）。



＇17＇　Rousseau；　〃Contrat　social；〃　I；　ch。　　7；　III。　　ch。　　13；　14；　15；　18；

IV。　　ch。　　1。　　…　Cf。　　Condorcet；　ninth　epoch。



＇18＇　Rousseau；　〃Contrat　social；〃　III；　1；　18；　IV；　3。



＇19＇　De　Tocqueville；　〃L'Ancien　régime；〃　book　II。　　entire；　and　book

III。　　ch。　　3。



＇20＇　Rousseau；　〃Contrat　social。〃　I。6。



＇21＇　Ibidem　I。　　9。　　〃The　State　in　relation　to　its　members　is　master

of　all　their　possessions　according　to　the　social　compact　。　　。　　。

possessors　are　considered　as　depositaries　of　the　public　wealth。〃



＇22＇　Rousseau；　〃Discours　sur　l'Economie　politique；〃　308。



＇23＇　Ibid。　　〃Emile；〃　book　V。　　175。



＇24＇　Rousseau；　〃Discours　sur　l'Economie　politique；〃　302



＇25＇　Rousseau；　on　the　〃Government　de　Pologne；〃　277；　283；　287。



＇26＇　Ibid。　　〃Emile；〃　book　I。



＇27＇　Morelly；　〃Code　de　la　nature。〃　〃At　the　age　of　five　all　children

should　be　removed　their　families　and　brought　up　in　common；　at　the

charge　of　the　State；　in　a　uniform　manner。〃　A　similar　project；

perfectly　Spartan；　was　found　among　the　papers　of　St。…Just。



＇28＇　Rousseau；　〃Contrat　social；〃　II。　　3；　IV。8。



＇29＇　Cf。　　Mercier；　〃L'an　2240；〃　I。　　ch。　　17　and　18。　　From　1770　on；　he

traces　the　programme　of　a　system　of　worship　similar　to　that　of　the

Théophilanthropists；　the　chapter　being　entitled：　〃Pas　si　éloigné　qu'on

pense。〃









BOOK　FOURTH。　　　THE　PROPAGATION　OF　THE　DOCTRINE。



CHAPTER　I。



SUCCESS　OF　THIS　PHILOSOPHY　IN　FRANCE。　　　…　FAILURE　OF　THE　SAME

PHILOSOPHY　IN　ENGLAND。



　　　Several　similar　theories　have　in　the　past　traversed　the

imagination　of　men；　and　similar　theories　are　likely　do　so　again。　　In

all　ages　and　in　all　countries；　it　sufficed　that　man's　concept　of　his

own　nature　changed　for；　as　an　indirect　consequence；　new　utopias　and

discoveries　would　sprout　in　the　fields　of　politics　and　religion。＇1＇　　…

But　this　does　not　suffice　for　the　propagation　of　the　new　doctrine　nor；

more　important；　for　theory　to　be　put　into　practice。　　Although　born　in

England；　the　philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century　could　not　develop

itself　in　England；　the　fever　for　demolition　and　reconstruction

remained　but　briefly　and　superficial　there。　　Deism；　atheism；

materialism；　skepticism；　ideology；　the　theory　of　the　return　to　nature；

the　proclamations　of　the　rights　of　man；　all　the　temerities　of

Bolingbroke；　Collins；　Toland；　Tindal　and　Mandeville；　the　bold　ideas　of

Hume；　Hartley；　James　Mill　and　Bentham；　all　the　revolutionary

doctrines；　were　so　many　hotbed　plants　produced　here　and　there；　in　the

isolated　studies　of　a　few　thinkers：　out　in　the　open；　after　blooming

for　a　while；　subject　to　a　vigorous　competition　with　the　old　vegetation

to　which　the　soil　belonged；　they　failed＇2＇。　　　…　　On　the　contrary；　in

France；　the　seed　imported　from　England；　takes　root　and　spreads　with

extraordinary　vigor。　　After　the　Regency　it　is　in　full　bloom＇3＇。　　Like

any　species　favored　by　soil　and　climate；　it　invades　all　the　fields；

appropriating　light　and　air　to　itself；　scarcely　allowing　in　its　shade

a　few　puny　specimens　of　a　hostile　species；　a　survivor　of　an　antique

flora　like　Rollin；　or　a　specimen　of　an　eccentric　flora　like　Saint…

Martin。　　With　large　trees　and　dense　thickets；　through　masses　of

brushwood　and　low　plants；　such　as　Voltaire；　Montesquieu；　Rousseau；

Diderot；　d'Alembert　and　Buffon；　or　Duclos；　Mably；　Condillac；　Turgot；

Beaumarchais；　Bernadin　de　Saint…Pierre；　Barthélemy　and　Thomas；　such　as

a　crowd　of　journalists；　compilers　and　conversationalists；　or　the　elite

of　the　philosophical；　scientific　and　literary　multitude；　it　occupies

the　Academy；　the　stage；　the　drawing　room　and　the　debate。　　All　the

important　persons　of　the　century　are　its　offshoots；　and　among　these

are　some　of　the　grandest　ever　produced　by　humanity。　　　…　　This　was

possible　because　the　seed　had　fallen　on　suitable　ground；　that　is　to

say；　on　the　soil　in　the　homeland　of　the　classic　spirit。　　In　this　land

of　the　raison　raisonnante＇4＇　it　no　longer　encounters　the　antagonists

who　impeded　its　growth　on　the　other　side　of　the　Channel；　and　it　not

only　immediately　acquires　vigor　of　sap　but　the　propagating　organ　which

it　required　as　well。



I。　　　THE　PROPAGATING　ORGAN；　ELOQUENCE。



Causes　of　this　difference。　　…　This　art　of　writing　in　France。　　…　Its

superiority　at　this　epoch。　　…　It　serves　as　the　vehicle　of　new　ideas。

…　Books　are　written　for　people　of　the　world。　　…　This　accounts　for

philosophy　descending　to　the　drawing　room。



This　organ　is　the　〃talent　of　speech；　eloquence　applied　to　the

gravest　subjects；　the　talent　for　making　things　clear。〃　＇5＇〃The　great

writers　of　this　nation；〃　says　their　adversary；　〃express　themselves

better　than　those　of　any　other　nation。　　Their　books　give　but　little

information　to　true　savants；〃　but　〃through　the　art　of　expression　they

influence　men〃　and　〃the　mass　of　men；　constantly　repelled　from　the

sanctuary　of　the　sciences　by　the　dry　style　and　bad　taste　of　（other）

scientific　writers；　cannot　resist　the　seductions　of　the　French　style

and　method。〃　Thus　the　classic　spirit　that　furnishes　the　ideas　likewise

furnishes　the　means　of　conveying　them；　the　theories　of　the　eighteenth

century　being　like　those　seeds　provided　with　wings　which　float　and

distribute　themselves　on　all　soils。　　There　is　no　book　of　that　day　not

written　for　people　of　the　high　society；　and　even　for　women　of　this

class。　　In　Fontenelle's　dialogues　on　the　Plurality　of　worlds　the

principal　person　age　is　a　marchioness。　　Voltaire　composes　his

〃Métaphysique〃　and　his　〃Essai　sur　les　Moeurs〃　for　Madame　du　Chatelet；

and　Rousseau　his　〃Emile〃　for　Madame　d'Epinay。　　Condillac　wrote　the

〃Traité　des　Sensations〃　from　suggestions　of　Mademoiselle　Ferrand；　and

he　sets　forth　instructions　to　young　ladies　how　to　read　his　〃Logique。〃

Baudeau　dedicates　and　explains　to　a　lady　his　〃Tableau　Economique。〃

Diderot's　most　profound　work　is　a　conversation　between　Mademoiselle　de

l'Espinasse　and　d'Alembert　and　Bordeu＇6＇。　　Montesquieu　had　placed　an

invocation　to　the　muses　in　the　middle　of　the　〃Esprit　des　Lois。〃　Almost

every　work　is　a　product　of　the　drawing…room；　and　it　is　always　one

that；　before　the　public；　has　been　presented　with　its　beginnings。　　In

this　respect　the　habit　is　so　strong　as　to　last　up　to　the　end　of　1789；

the　harangues　about　to　be　made　in　the　National　Assembly　are　also

passages　of　bravura　previously　rehearsed　before　ladies　at　an　evening

entertainment。　　The　American　Ambassador；　a　practical　man；　explains　to

Washington　with　sober　irony　the　fine　academic　and　literary　parade

preceding　the　political　tournament　in　public＇7＇。



〃The　speeches　are　made　beforehand　in　a　small　society　of　young　men

and　women；　among　them　generally　the　fair　friend　of　the　speaker　is　one；

or　else　the　fair　whom　he　means　to　make　his　friend；；　and　the　society

very　politely　give　their　approbation；　unless　the　lady　who　gives　the

tone　to　that　circle　chances　to　reprehend　something；　which　is　of　course

altered；　if　not　amended。〃



It　is　not　surprising；　with　customs　of　this　kind；　that　professional

philosophers　should　become　men　of　society。　　At　no　time　or　in　any　place

have　they　been　so　to　the　same　extent；　nor　so　habitually。　　The　great

delight　of　a　man　of　genius　or　of　learning　here；　says　an　English

traveler；　is　to　reign　over　a　brilliant　assembly　of　people　of

fashion＇8＇。　　　Whilst　in　England　they　bury　themselves　morosely　in　their

books；　living　amongst　themselves　and　appearing　in　society　only　on

condition　of　〃doing　some　political　drudger