the origins of contemporary france-1-第51部分

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instruments　are　carried　to　such　perfection　as　to　warrant　the　belief

that　all　physical　phenomena　may　be　analyzed；　light；　electricity；

sound；　crystallization；　heat；　elasticity；　cohesion　and　other　effects

of　molecular　forces。　　…　　See　〃Whewell's　History　of　the　Inductive

Sciences。　　II。；　III。



＇3＇　The　travels　of　La　Condamine　in　Peru　and　of　Maupertuis　in

Lapland。



＇4＇　Buffon；　〃Théorie　de　la　terre；〃　1749；　〃Epoques　de　la　Nature；〃

1788。　　…　〃Carte　géologique　de　l'Auvergne；〃　by　Desmarets；　1766。



＇5＇　See　a　lecture　by　M。　Lacaze…Duthier　on　Lamarck；　〃Revue

Scientifique；〃　III。　　276…311。



＇6＇　Buffon；　〃Histoire　Naturelle；　II。　　340：　〃All　living　beings

contain　a　vast　quantity　of　living　and　active　molecules。　　Vegetal　and

animal　life　seem　to　be　only　the　result　of　the　actions　of　all　the　small

lives　peculiar　to　each　of　the　active　molecules　whose　life　is

primitive。〃　Cf。　　Diderot；　〃Revue　d'Alembert。〃



＇8＇　〃Philosophie　de　Newton；〃　1738；　and　〃Physique；〃　by　Voltaire。　　…

Cf。　　du　Bois…Raymond；　〃Voltaire　physician；〃　（Revue　des　Cours

Scientifique；　V。　　539）；　and　Saigey；　〃la　Physique　de　Voltaire；〃　　…　　〃Had

Voltaire；〃　writes　Lord　Brougham；　〃continued　to　devote　himself　to

experimental　physics　he　would　undoubtedly　have　inscribed　his　name

among　those　of　the　greatest　discoverers　of　his　age。〃



＇9＇　See　his　〃Langue　des　Calculs；〃　and　his　〃Art　de　Raisonner。〃



＇10＇　For　a　popular　exposition　of　these　ideas　see　Voltaire；　passim；

and　particularly　the　〃Micromégas〃　and　〃Les　Oreilles　du　Comte　de

Chesterfield。〃



＇11＇　Cf。　　Buffon；　ibid。。　　I。　　31：　〃Those　who　imagine　a　reply　with

final　causes　do　not　reflect　that　they　take　the　effect　for　the　cause。

The　relationship　which　things　bear　to　us　having　no　influence　whatever

on　their　origin；　moral　convenience　can　never　become　a　physical

explanation。〃　　…　　Voltaire；　〃Candide〃：　〃When　His　High　Mightiness　sends

a　vessel　to　Egypt　is　he　in　any　respect　embarrassed　about　the　comfort

of　the　mice　that　happen　to　be　aboard　of　it？〃



＇12＇　Buffon；　ibid。　　。　　〃Supplement；〃　II。　　513；　IV。　　（〃Epoques　de　la

Nature〃）；　65；　167。　　According　to　his　experiments　with　the　cooling　of　a

cannon　ball　he　based　the　following　periods：　From　the　glowing　fluid

mass　of　the　planet　to　the　fall　of　rain　35；000　years。　　From　the

beginning　of　life　to　its　actual　condition　40；000　years。　　From　its

actual　condition　to　the　entire　congealing　of　it　and　the　extinction　of

life　93；000　years。　　He　gives　these　figures　simply　as　the　minima。　　We　now

know　that　they　are　much　too　limited。



＇13＇　Buffon；　Histoire　Naturelle；　ib。　　I。　　12：　〃The　first　truth

derived　from　this　patient　investigation　of　nature　is；　perhaps；　a

humiliating　truth　for　man；　that　of　taking　his　place　in　the　order　of

animals。〃



＇14＇　Voltaire；　〃Philosophie；　Du　principe　d'action：〃　〃All　beings；

without　exception；　are　subject　to　invariable　laws。〃



＇15＇　Voltaire　〃Essay　sur　les　M？urs；〃；　chap。　　CXLVII。；　the　summary；

〃The　intelligent　reader　readily　perceives　that　he　must　believe　only　in

those　great　events　which　appear　plausible；　and　view　with　pity　the

fables　with　which　fanaticism；　romantic　taste　and　credulity　have　at　all

times　filled　the　world。〃



＇16＇　　Note　this　expression；〃　exegetical　methods〃。　　（Chambers　defines

an　exegetist　as　one　who　interprets　or　expounds。）　Taine　refers　to

methods　which　should　allow　the　Jacobins；　socialists；　communists；　and

other　ideologists　to；　from　an　irrefutable　idea　or　expression；　to

deduct；　infer；　conclude　and　draw　firm　and；　to　them；　irrefutable

conclusions。　　（SR。）



＇17＇　〃Traité　de　Metaphysique；〃　chap。　　I。　　〃Having　fallen　on　this

little　heap　of　mud；　and　with　no　more　idea　of　man　than　man　has　of　the

inhabitants　of　Mars　and　Jupiter；　I　set　foot　on　the　shore　of　the　ocean

of　the　country　of　Caffraria　and　at　once　began　to　search　for　a　man。　　I

encounter　monkeys；　elephants　and　Negroes；　with　gleams　of　imperfect

intelligence；　etc〃　…　The　new　method　is　here　clearly　apparent。



＇18＇　〃Introduction　à　l'Essay　sur　les　M？urs：　Des　Sauvages。〃　…

Buffon；　in　〃Epoques　de　la　nature；〃　the　seventh　epoch；　precedes　Darwin

in　his　ideas　on　the　modifications　of　the　useful　species　of　animals。



＇19＇　Voltaire；　〃Remarques　de　l'essay　sur　les　M？urs。〃　〃We　may　speak

of　this　people　in　connection　with　theology　but　they　are　not　entitled

to　a　prominent　place　in　history。〃　…　〃Entretien　entre　A；　B；　C；〃　the

seventh。



＇20＇　Franklin　defined　man　as　a　maker　of　tools。



＇21＇　Condorcet；　〃Esquisse　d'un　tableau　historique　des　progrès　de

l'esprit　humain。〃



＇22＇　Montesquieu：　〃Esprit　des　Lois；〃　preface。　　〃I；　at　first；

examined　men；　thinking　that；　in　this　infinite　diversity　of　laws　and

customs；　they　were　not　wholly　governed　by　their　fancies。　　I　brought

principles　to　bear　and　I　found　special　cases　yielding　to　them　as　if

naturally；　the　histories　of　all　nations　being　simply　the　result　of

these；　each　special　law　being　connected　with　another　law　or　depending

on　some　general　law。〃



＇23＇　Pinel；　（1791）；　Esquirol　（1838）；　on　mental　diseases。　　…

Prochaska；　Legallois　（1812）　and　then　Flourens　for　vivisection。　　…

Hartley　and　James　Mill　at　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century　follow

Condillac　on　the　same　psychological　road；　all　contemporary

psychologists　have　entered　upon　it。　　（Wundt；　Helmholz；　Fechner；　in

Germany；　Bain；　Stuart　Mill；　Herbert　Spencer　and　Carpenter；　in

England）。



＇24＇　Condillac；　passim；　and　especially　in　his　last　two　works　the

〃Logique；〃　and　the　〃Langue　des　Calculs。〃











CHAPTER　II。　　THE　CLASSIC　SPIRIT；　THE　SECOND　ELEMENT。



　　This　grand　and　magnificent　system　of　new　truths　resembles　a　tower

of　which　the　first　story；　quickly　finished；　at　once　becomes　accessible

to　the　public。　　The　public　ascends　the　structure　and　is　requested　by

its　constructors　to　look　about；　not　at　the　sky　and　at　surrounding

space；　but　right　before　it；　towards　the　ground；　so　that　it　may　at　last

become　familiar　with　the　country　in　which　it　lives。　　Certainly；　the

point　of　view　is　good；　and　the　advice　is　well　thought…out。　　The

conclusion　that　the　public　will　have　an　accurate　view　is　not

warranted；　for　the　state　of　its　eyes　must　be　examined；　to　ascertain

whether　it　is　near　or　far…sighted；　or　if　the　retina　naturally；　or

through　habit；　is　sensitive　to　certain　colors。　　In　the　same　way　the

French　of　the　eighteenth　century　must　be　considered；　the　structure　of

their　inward　vision；　that　is　to　say；　the　fixed　form　of　their

intelligence　which　they　are　bringing　with　them；　unknowingly　and

unwillingly；　up　upon　their　new　tower。



I。　　THROUGH　COLORED　GLASSES。



Its　signs；　duration　and　power。　　…　Its　origin　and　public　supporters。

…　Its　vocabulary；　grammar　and　style。　　…　Its　method；　merits　and　defects。



　　This　fixed　intelligence　consists　of　the　classic　spirit；　which

applied　to　the　scientific　acquisitions　of　the　period；　produces　the

philosophy　of　the　century　and　the　doctrines　of　the　Revolution。　　Various

signs　denote　its　presence；　and　notably　its　oratorical；　regular　and

correct　style；　wholly　consisting　of　ready…made　phrases　and　contiguous

ideas。　　It　lasts　two　centuries；　from　Malherbe　and　Balzac　to　Delille　and

de　Fontanes；　and　during　this　long　period；　no　man　of　intellect；　save

two　or　three；　and　then　only　in　private　memoirs；　as　in　the　case　of

Saint…Simon；　also　in　familiar　letters　like　those　of　the　marquis　and

bailly　de　Mirabeau；　either　dares　or　can　withdraw　himself　from　its

empire。　　Far　from　disappearing　with　the　ancient　regime　it　forms　the

matrix　out　of　which　every　discourse　and　document　issues；　even　the

phrases　and　vocabulary　of　the　Revolution。　　Now；　what　is　more　effective

than　a　ready…made　mold；　enforced；　accepted；　in　which　by　virtue　of

natural　tendency；　of　tradition　and　of　education；　everyone　can　enclose

their　thinking？　This　one；　accordingly；　is　a　historic　force；　and　of　the

highest　order；　to　understand　it　let　us　consider　how　it　came　into

being。　　　It　appeared　together　with　the　regular　monarchy　and　polite

conversation；　and　it　accompanies　these；　not　accidentally；　but

naturally　and　automatically。　　For　it　is　product　of　the　new　society；　of

the　new　regime　and　its　customs：　I　mean　of　an　aristocracy　left　idle　due

the　encroaching　monarchy；　of　people　well　born　and　well　educated　who；

withdrawn　from　public　activity；　fall　back　on　conversation　and　pass

their　leisure　sampling　the　different　serious　or　refined　pleasures　of

the　intellect。＇1＇　Eventually；　they　have　no　other　role　nor　interest

than　to　talk；　to　listen；　to　entertain　themselves　agreeably　and　with

ease；　on　all　subjects；　grave　or　gay；　which　may　interest　men　or　even

women　of　society；　that's　their　great　affair。　　In　the　seventeenth

century　they　are　called　〃les　honnêtes　gens〃＇2＇　and　from　now　on　a

writer；　even　the　most　abstract；　addresses　himself　to　them。　　〃A

gentleman；〃　says　Descartes；　〃need　not　have　read　all　books　nor　have

studiously　acquired　all　that　is　taught　in　the　schools；〃　and　he

entitles　his　last　treatise；　〃A　search　for　Truth　according　to　natural

light；　which　alone；　without　aid　of　Religion　or　Philosophy；　determines

the　truths　a　gentleman　should　possess　on　all　matters　forming　the

subjects　of　his　thoughts。〃＇3＇　In　short；　from　one　end　of　his　philosophy

to　the　other；　the　only　qualification　he　demands　of　his　readers　is

〃natural　good　sense〃　added　to　the　common　stock　of　experience　acquired

by　contact　with　the　world。　　…　As　these　make　up　the　audience　they　are

likewise　the　judges。　　〃One　must　study　the　taste　of　the　court；〃　says

Molière；＇4＇　〃for　in　no　place　are　verdicts　more　just　。　　。　　。　　With　simple

common　sense　and　intercourse　with　people　of　refinement；　a　habit　of

mind　is　there　obtained　which；　without　comparison；　forms　a　more

accurate；　judgment　of　things　than　the　rusty　attainments　of　the

pedants。〃　From　this　time　forth；　it　may　be　said　that　the　arbiter　of

truth　and　of　taste　is　not；　as　before；　an　erudite　Scaliger；　but　a　man

of　the　world；　a　La　Rochefoucauld；　or　a　Tréville。＇5＇　The　pedant　and；

after　him；　the　savant；　the　specialist；　is　set　aside。　　〃True　honest

people；〃　says　Ni