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and　efforts；　has　discovered　that　a　certain　way　of　living　and　thinking

is　the　only　one　adapted　to　its　situation；　the　most　practical　and　the

most　salutary；　the　system　or　dogma　now　seeming　arbitrary　to　us　being

at　first　a　confirmed　expedient　of　public　safety。　　Frequently　it　is　so

still；　in　any　event；　in　its　leading　features　it　is　indispensable；　it

may　be　stated　with　certainty　that；　if　the　leading　prejudices　of　the

community　should　suddenly　disappear；　Man；　deprived　of　the　precious

legacy　transmitted　to　him　by　the　wisdom　of　ages；　would　at　once　fall

back　into　a　savage　condition　and　again　become　what　he　was　at　first；

namely；　a　restless；　famished；　wandering；　hunted　brute。　　There　was　a

time　when　this　heritage　was　lacking；　there　are　populations　to　day　with

which　it　is　still　utterly　lacking。＇4＇　To　abstain　from　eating　human

flesh；　from　killing　useless　or　burdensome　aged　people；　from　exposing；

selling　or　killing　children　one　does　not　know　what　to　do　with；　to　be

the　one　husband　of　but　one　woman；　to　hold　in　horror　incest　and

unnatural　practices；　to　be　the　sole　and　recognized　owner　of　a　distinct

field；　to　be　mindful　of　the　superior　injunctions　of　modesty；　humanity；

honor　and　conscience；　all　these　observances；　formerly　unknown　and

slowly　established；　compose　the　civilization　of　human　beings。　　Because

we　accept　them　in　full　security　they　are　not　the　less　sacred；　and　they

become　only　the　more　sacred　when；　submitted　to　investigation　and

traced　through　history；　they　are　disclosed　to　us　as　the　secret　force

which　has　converted　a　herd　of　brutes　into　a　society　of　men。　　In

general；　the　older　and　more　universal　a　custom；　the　more　it　is　based

on　profound　motives；　on　physiological　motives　on　those　of　hygiene；　and

on　those　instituted　for　social　protection。　　At　one　time；　as　in　the

separation　of　castes；　a　heroic　or　thoughtful　stock　must　be　preserved

by　preventing　the　mixtures　by　which　inferior　blood　introduces　mental

debility　and　low　instincts。＇5＇　At　another；　as　in　the　prohibition　of

spirituous　liquors；　and　of　animal　food；　it　is　necessary　to　conform　to

the　climate　prescribing　a　vegetable　diet；　or　to　the　race…temperament

for　which　strong　drink　is　pernicious。＇6＇At　another；　as　in　the

institution　of　the　right　of　first…born　to　inherit　title　and　castle；　it

was　important　to　prepare　and　designate　beforehand　the　military

commander　who　the　tribe　would　obey；　or　the　civil　chieftain　that　would

preserve　the　domain；　superintend　its　cultivation；　and　support　the

family。＇7＇　　　If　there　are　valid　reasons　for　legitimizing　custom

there　are　reasons　of　higher　import　for　the　consecration　of　religion

Consider　this　point；　not　in　general　and　according　to　a　vague　notion；

but　at　the　outset；　at　its　birth；　in　the　texts；　taking　for　an　example

one　of　the　faiths　which　now　rule　in　society；　Christianity；　Hinduism；

the　law　of　Mohammed　or　of　Buddha。　　At　certain　critical　moments　in

history；　a　few　men；　emerging　from　their　narrow　and　daily　routine　of

life；　are　seized　by　some　generalized　conception　of　the　infinite

universe；　the　august　face　of　nature　is　suddenly　unveiled　to　them；　in

their　sublime　emotion　they　seem　to　have　detected　its　first　cause；　they

have　at　least　detected　some　of　its　elements。　　Through　a　fortunate

conjunction　of　circumstances　these　elements　are　just　those　which　their

century；　their　people；　a　group　of　peoples；　a　fragment　of　humanity　is

in　a　state　to　comprehend。　　Their　point　of　view　is　the　only　one　at　which

the　graduated　multitudes　below　them　are　able　to　accept。　　For　millions

of　men；　for　hundreds　of　generations；　only　through　them　is　any　access

to　divine　things　to　be　obtained。　　Theirs　is　the　unique　utterance；

heroic　or　affecting；　enthusiastic　or　tranquilizing；　the　only　one　which

the　hearts　and　minds　around　them　and　after　them　will　heed；　the　only

one　adapted　to　profound　cravings；　to　accumulated　aspirations；　to

hereditary　faculties；　to　a　complete　intellectual　and　moral　organism；

Yonder　that　of　Hindostan　or　of　the　Mongolian；　here　that　of　the　Semite

or　the　European；　in　our　Europe　that　of　the　German；　the　Latin　or　the

Slave；　in　such　a　way　that　its　contradictions；　instead　of　condemning

it；　justify　it；　its　diversity　producing　its　adaptation　and　its

adaptation　producing　benefits。　　　　This　is　no　barren　formula。　　A

sentiment　of　such　grandeur；　of　such　comprehensive　and　penetrating

insight；　an　idea　by　which　Man；　compassing　the　vastness　and　depth　of

things；　so　greatly　oversteps　the　ordinary　limits　of　his　mortal

condition；　resembles　an　illumination；　it　is　easily　transformed　into　a

vision；　it　is　never　remote　from　ecstasy；　it　can　express　itself　only

through　symbols；　it　evokes　divine　figures。＇8＇Religion　in　its　nature　is

a　metaphysical　poem　accompanied　by　faith。　　Under　this　title　it　is

popular　and　efficacious；　for；　apart　from　an　invisible　select　few；　a

pure　abstract　idea　is　only　an　empty　term；　and　truth；　to　be　apparent；

must　be　clothed　with　a　body。　　It　requires　a　form　of　worship；　a　legend；

and　ceremonies　in　order　to　address　the　people；　women；　children；　the

credulous；　every　one　absorbed　by　daily　cares；　any　understanding　in

which　ideas　involuntarily　translate　themselves　through　imagery。　　Owing

to　this　palpable　form　it　is　able　to　give　its　weighty　support　to　the

conscience；　to　counterbalance　natural　egoism；　to　curb　the　mad　onset　of

brutal　passions；　to　lead　the　will　to　abnegation　and　devotion；　to　tear

Man　away　from　himself　and　place　him　wholly　in　the　service　of　truth；　or

of　his　kind；　to　form　ascetics；　martyrs；　sisters　of　charity　and

missionaries。　　Thus；　throughout　society；　religion　becomes　at　once　a

natural　and　precious　instrumentality。　　On　the　one　hand　men　require　it

for　the　contemplation　of　infinity　and　to　live　properly　；　if　it　were

suddenly　to　be　taken　away　from　them　their　souls　would　be　a　mournful

void；　and　they　would　do　greater　injury　to　their　neighbors。　　Besides；　it

would　be　vain　to　attempt　to　take　it　away　from　them；　the　hand　raised

against　it　would　encounter　only　its　envelope；　it　would　be　repelled

after　a　sanguinary　struggle；　its　germ　lying　too　deep　to　be　extirpated。



And　when；　at　length；　after　religion　and　custom；　we　regard　the

State；　that　is　to　say；　the　armed　power　possessing　both　physical　force

and　moral　authority；　we　find　for　it　an　almost　equally　noble　origin。　　It

has；　in　Europe　at　least；　from　Russia　to　Portugal　and　from　Norway　to

the　two　Sicilies；　in　its　origin　and　essence；　a　military　foundation　in

which　heroism　constitutes　itself　the　champion　of　right。　　Here　and　there

in　the　chaos　of　tribes　and　crumbling　societies；　some　man　has　arisen

who；　through　his　ascendancy；　rallies　around　him　a　loyal　band；　driving

out　intruders；　overcoming　brigands；　re…establishing　order；　reviving

agriculture；　founding　a　patrimony；　and　transmitting　as　property　to　his

descendants　his　office　of　hereditary　justiciary　and　born　general。

Through　this　permanent　delegation　a　great　public　office　is　removed

from　competition；　fixed　in　one　family；　sequestered　in　safe　hands；

thenceforth　the　nation　possesses　a　vital　center　and　each　right　obtains

a　visible　protector。　　If　the　sovereign　confines　himself　to　his

traditional　responsibilities；　is　restrained　in　despotic　tendencies；

and　avoids　falling　into　egoism；　he　provides　the　country　with　the　best

government　of　which　the　world　has　any　knowledge。　　Not　alone　is　it　the

most　stable；　capable　of　continuation；　and　the　most　suitable　for

maintaining　together　a　body　of　20　or　30　million　people；　but　again　one

of　the　most　noble　because　devotion　dignifies　both　command　and

obedience　and；　through　the　prolongation　of　military　tradition；

fidelity　and　honor；　from　grade　to　grade；　attaches　the　leader　to　his

duty　and　the　soldier　to　his　commander。　　　　Such　are　the　strikingly

valid　claims　of　social　traditions　which　we　may；　similar　to　an

instinct；　consider　as　being　a　blind　form　of　reason。　　That　which　makes

it　fully　legitimate　is　that　reason　herself；　to　become　efficient；　is

obliged　to　borrow　its　form。　　A　doctrine　becomes　inspiring　only　through

a　blind　medium。　　To　become　of　practical　use；　to　take　upon　itself　the

government　of　souls；　to　be　transformed　into　a　spring　of　action；　it

must　be　deposited　in　minds　given　up　to　systematic　belief；　of　fixed

habits；　of　established　tendencies；　of　domestic　traditions　and

prejudice；　and　that　it；　from　the　agitated　heights　of　the　intellect；

descends　into　and　become　amalgamated　with　the　passive　forces　of　the

will；　then　only　does　it　form　a　part　of　the　character　and　become　a

social　force。　　At　the　same　time；　however；　it　ceases　to　be　critical　and

clairvoyant；　it　no　longer　tolerates　doubt　and　contradiction；　nor

admits　further　restrictions　or　nice　distinctions；　it　is　either　no

longer　cognizant　of；　or　badly　appreciates；　its　own　evidences。　　We　of

the　present　day　believe　in　infinite　progress　about　the　same　as　people

once　believed　in　original　sin；　we　still　receive　ready…made　opinions

from　above；　the　Academy　of　Sciences　occupying　in　many　respects　the

place　of　the　ancient　councils。　　Except　with　a　few　special　savants；

belief　and　obedience　will　always　be　unthinking；　while　Reason　would

wrongfully　resent　the　leadership　of　prejudice　in　human　affairs；　since；

to　lead；　it　must　itself　become　prejudiced。





III。　　REASON　AT　WAR　WITH　ILLUSION。



The　classic　intellect　incapable　of　accepting　this　point　of　view。　　…

…　　The　past　and　present　usefulness　of　tradition　are　misunderstood。　　

Reason　undertakes　to　set　them　aside。



　　Unfortunately；　in　the　eighteenth　century；　reason　was　classic；　not

only　the　aptitude　but　the　documents　which　enable　it　to　comprehend

tradition　were　absent。　　　In　the　first　place；　there　was　no　knowledge　of

history；　learning　was；　due　to　its　dullness　and　tediousness；　refused；

learned　compilations；　vast　collections　of　extracts　and　the　slow　work

of　criticism　were　held　in　disdain。　　Voltaire　made　fun　of　the

Benedictines。　　Montesquieu；　to　ensure　the　acceptance　of　his　〃Esprit　des

lois；〃　indulged　in　wit　about　laws。　　Reynal；　to　give　an　impetus　to　his

history　of　commerce　in　the　Indies