[36] Previous to 1750 we find something about these in “Gil-Blas,” and in “Marianne,” (Mme. Dufour the sempstress and her shop). — Unfortunately the Spanish travesty prevents the novels of Lesage from being as instructive as they might be.

[37] Interesting details are found in the little stories by Diderot as, for instance, “Les deux amis de Bourbonne.”  But elsewhere he is a partisan, especially in the “Religieuse,” and conveys a false impression of things.

[38] “To attain to the truth we have only to fix our attention on the ideas which each one finds within his own mind.” (Malebranche, “Recherche de la Vérité,” book I. ch. 1.) — “Those long chains of reasoning, all simple and easy, which geometers use to arrive at their most difficult demonstrations, suggested to me that all things which come within human knowledge must follow each other in a similar chain.” (Descartes, “Discours de la Methode,” I. 142). — In the seventeenth century In the 17th century constructions a priori were based on ideas, in the 18th century on sensations, but always following the same mathematical method fully displayed in the “Ethics” of Spinoza.

[39] See especially his memoir:  “De l’influence du climat sur les habitudes morales,” vague, and wholly barren of illustrations excepting one citation from Hippocrates.

[40] These are Sieyès own words. — He adds elsewhere, “There is no more reality in assumed historical truths than in assumed religious truths.” ("Papiers de Sieyès,” the year 1772, according to Sainte-Beuve, “Causeries du lundi,” V. 194). — Descartes and Malebranche already expressed this contempt for history.

[41] Today, in 1998, we know that Taine was right.  The research on animal and human behavior, on animal and human brain circuitry, and the behavior of the cruel human animal during the 20th century, confirmed his views.  Still mankind persists in preferring simple solutions and ideas to complex ones.  This is the way our brains and our nature as gregarious animals make us think and feel.  This our basic human nature make ambitious men able to appeal to and dominate the crowd. (Sr.)

[42] Condorcet, “Esquisse d’un tableau historique de l’esprit humain,” ninth epoch.

[43] See the “Tableau historique,” presented to the Institute by Chénier in 1808, showing by its statements that the classic spirit still prevails in all branches of literature. — Cabanis died in 1818, Volney in 1820, de Tracy and Sieyès in 1836, Daunou in 1840.  In May, 1845, Saphary and Valette are still professors of Condillac’s philosophy in the two lycées in Paris.

[44] The world did not heed Taine’s warnings.  The leaders and the masses of the Western world were to be seduced by the terrible new ideologies of the 20th century.  The ideology of socialism persists making good use of the revised 20th century editions of the Rights of Man, enlarged to cover the physical well-being and standard of living of man, woman, child and animal and in this manner allowing the state to replace all individual responsibility and authority, thus, as Taine saw, dealing a death blow to the family, to individual responsibility and enterprise and to effective local government. (Sr.).