the origins of contemporary france-1-第70部分

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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　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　ca