the origins of contemporary france-1-第88章

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books；　living　amongst　themselves　and　appearing　in　society　only　on

condition　of　〃doing　some　political　drudgery；〃　that　of　journalist　or

pamphleteer　in　the　service　of　a　party；　in　France　they　dine　out　every

evening；　and　constitute　the　ornaments　and　amusement　of　the　drawing…

rooms　to　which　they　resort　to　converse＇9＇。　　There　is　not　a　house　in

which　dinners　are　given　that　has　not　its　titular　philosopher；　and；

later　on；　its　economist　and　man　of　science。　　In　the　various　memoirs；

and　in　the　collections　of　correspondence；　we　track　them　from　one

drawing　room　to　another；　from　one　chateau　to　another；　Voltaire　to

Cirey　at　Madame　du　Chatelet's；　and　then　home；　at　Ferney　where　he　has　a

theater　and　entertains　all　Europe；　Rousseau　to　Madame　d'Epinay's；　and

M。　de　Luxembourg's；　the　Abbé　Barthelemy　to　the　Duchesse　de　Choiseul's；

Thomas；　Marmontel　and　Gibbon　to　Madame　Necker's；　the　encyclopedists　to

d'Holbach's　ample　dinners；　to　the　plain　and　discreet　table　of　Madame

Geoffrin；　and　to　the　little　drawing　room　of　Mademoiselle　de

L'Espinasse；　all　belonging　to　the　great　central　state　drawing…room；

that　is　to　say；　to　the　French　Academy；　where　each　newly　elected　member

appears　to　parade　his　style　and　obtain　from　a　polished　body　his

commission　of　master　in　the　art　of　discourse。　　Such　a　public　imposes

on　an　author　the　obligation　of　being　more　a　writer　than　a　philosopher。

The　thinker　is　expected　to　concern　himself　with　his　sentences　as　much

as　with　his　ideas。　　He　is　not　allowed　to　be　a　mere　scholar　in　his

closet；　a　simple　erudite；　diving　into　folios　in　German　fashion；　a

metaphysician　absorbed　with　his　own　meditations；　having　an　audience　of

pupils　who　take　notes；　and；　as　readers；　men　devoted　to　study　and

willing　to　give　themselves　trouble；　a　Kant；　who　forms　for　himself　a

special　language；　who　waits　for　a　public　to　comprehend　him　and　who

leaves　the　room　in　which　he　labors　only　for　the　lecture…room　in　which

he　delivers　his　lectures。　　Here；　on　the　contrary；　in　the　matter　of

expression；　all　are　experts　and　even　professional。　　The　mathematician

d'Alembert　publishes　a　small　treatise　on　elocution；　Buffon；　the

naturalist　pronounces　a　discourse　on　Style；　the　legist　Montesquieu

composes　an　essay　on　Taste；　the　psychologist　Condillac　writes　a　volume

on　the　art　of　writing。　　In　this　consists　their　greatest　glory；

philosophy　owes　its　entry　into　society　to　them。　　They　withdrew　it　from

the　study；　the　closed…society　and　the　school；　to　introduce　it　into

company　and　into　conversation。



II。　　ITS　METHOD。



Owing　to　this　method　it　becomes　popular。



〃Madame　la　Maréchale；〃　says　one　of　Diderot's　personages；＇10＇。　　〃I

must　consider　things　from　a　somewhat　higher　point　of　view。〃　　…　　〃　As

high　as　you　please　so　long　as　I　understand　you。〃　　…　　〃If　you　do　not

understand　me　it　will　be　my　fault。〃　　…　　〃　You　are　very　polite；　but　you

must　know　that　I　have　studied　nothing　but　my　prayer。　　book。〃　　…　　　That

makes　no　difference；　the　pretty　woman；　ably　led　on；　begins　to

philosophize　without　knowing　it；　arriving　without　effort　at　the

distinction　between　good　and　evil；　comprehending　and　deciding　on　the

highest　doctrines　of　morality　and　religion。　　　　…　　Such　is　the　art　of

the　eighteenth　century；　and　the　art　of　writing。　　People　are　addressed

who　are　perfectly　familiar　with　life；　but　who　are　commonly　ignorant　of

orthography；　who　are　curious　in　all　directions；　but　ill　prepared　for

any；　the　object　is　to　bring　truth　down　to　their　level＇11＇。　　Scientific

or　too　abstract　terms　are　inadmissible；　they　tolerate　only　those　used

to　ordinary　conversation。　　And　this　is　no　obstacle；　it　is　easier　to

talk　philosophy　in　this　language　than　to　use　it　for　discussing

precedence　and　clothes。　　For；　in　every　abstract　question　there　is　some

leading　and　simple　conception　on　which　the　rest　depends；　those　of

unity；　proportion；　mass　and　motion　in　mathematics；　those　of　organ；

function　and　being　in　physiology；　those　of　sensation；　pain；　pleasure

and　desire　in　psychology；　those　of　utility；　contract　and　law　in

politics　and　morality；　those　of　capital；　production；　value；　exchange

in　political　economy；　and　the；　same　in　the　other　sciences；　all　of

these　being　conceptions　derived　from　passing　experience；　from　which　it

follows　that；　in　appealing　to　common　experience　by　means　of　a　few

familiar　circumstances；　such　as　short　stories；　anecdotes；　agreeable

tales；　and　the　like；　these　conceptions　are　fashioned　anew　and　rendered

precise。　　This　being　accomplished；　almost　everything　is　accomplished；

for　nothing　then　remains　but　to　lead　the　listener　along　step　by　step；

flight　by　flight；　to　the　remotest　consequences。



　〃Will　Madame　la　Maréchale　have　the　kindness　to　recall　my

definition？　〃　　…　　〃I　remember　it　well…do　you　call　that　a　definition？〃

…　　〃Yes。〃　…〃That；　then；　is　philosophy！　〃　　…　　〃Admirable　！　〃　　…　　〃And　I

have　been　philosophical？　〃　　…　　〃　As　you　read　prose；　without　being

aware　of　it。〃



The　rest　is　simply　a　matter　of　reasoning；　that　is　to　say；　of

leading　on；　of　putting　questions　in　the　right　order；　and　of　analysis。

With　the　conception　thus　renewed　and　rectified　the　truth　nearest　at

hand　is　brought　out；　then　out　of　this；　a　second　truth　related　to　the

first　one；　and　so　on　to　the　end；　no　other　obligation　being　involved　in

this　method　but　that　of　carefully　advancing　step　by　step；　and　of

omitting　no　intermediary　step。　　　…　　With　this　method　one　is　able　to

explain　all；　to　make　everything　understood；　even　by　women；　and　even　by

women　of　society。　　In　the　eighteenth　century　it　forms　the　substance　of

all　talents；　the　warp　of　all　masterpieces；　the　lucidity；　popularity

and　authority　of　philosophy。　　The　〃Eloges〃　of　Fontenelle；　the

〃Philosophe　ignorant　et　le　principe　d'action〃　by　Voltaire；　the　〃

Lettre　à　M。　de　Beaumont；〃　and　the　〃Vicaire　Savoyard〃　by　Rousseau；　the

〃Traité　de　l'homme〃　and　the　〃époques　de　la　Nature〃　by　Buffon；　the　〃

Dialogues　sur　les　blés〃　by　Galiani；　the　〃　Considérations〃　by

d'Alembert；　on　mathematics；　the　〃　Langue　des　Calculs〃　and　the

〃Logique〃　by　Condillac；　and；　a　little　later；　the　〃Exposition　du

système　du　Monde〃　by　Laplace；　and　〃Discours　généraux〃　by　Bichat　and

Cuvier；　all　are　based　on　this　method＇12＇。　　Finally；　this　is　the　method

which　Condillac　erects　into　a　theory　under　the　name　of　ideology；　soon

acquiring　the　ascendancy　of　a　dogma；　and　which　then　seems　to　sum　up

all　methods。　　At　the　very　least　it　sums　up　the　process　by　which　the

philosophers　of　the　century　obtained　their　audience；　propagated　their

doctrine　and　achieved　their　success。



III。　　ITS　POPULARITY。



Owing　to　style　it　becomes　pleasing。　　…　Two　stimulants　peculiar　to

the　18th　century；　coarse　humor　and　irony。



Thanks　to　this　method　one　can　be　understood；　but；　to　be　read；

something　more　is　necessary。　　I　compare　the　eighteenth　century　to　a

company　of　people　around　a　table；　it　is　not　sufficient　that　the　food

before　them　be　well　prepared；　well　served；　within　reach　and　easy　to

digest；　but　it　is　important　that　it　should　be　some　choice　dish　or；

better　still；　some　dainty。　　The　intellect　is　Epicurean；　let　us　supply

it　with　savory；　delicate　viands　adapted　to　its　taste；　it　will　eat　so

much　the　more　owing　to　its　appetite　being　sharpened　by　sensuality。

Two　special　condiments　enter　into　the　cuisine　of　this　century；　and；

according　to　the　hand　that　makes　use　of　them；　they　furnish　all

literary　dishes　with　a　coarse　or　delicate　seasoning。　　In　an　Epicurean

society；　to　which　a　return　to　nature　and　the　rights　of　instinct　are

preached；　voluptuous　images　and　ideas　present　themselves

involuntarily；　this　is　the　appetizing；　exciting　spice…box。　　Each　guest

at　the　table　uses　or　abuses　it；　many　empty　its　entire　contents　on

their　plate。　　And　I　do　not　allude　merely　to　the　literature　read　in

secret；　to　the　extraordinary　books　Madame　d'Audlan；　governess　to　the

French　royal　children；　peruses；　and　which　stray　off　into　the　hands　of

the　daughters　of　Louis　XV；＇13＇　nor　to　other　books；　still　more

extraordinary；＇14＇　in　which　philosophical　arguments　appear　as