CONTENTS.

VOLUME II.

SECTION V.

OF THE ERRORS AND CONTRADICTIONS OF THOSE, WHOSE PRIN-

CIPLES DIFFERING FROM MINE, REFER THE UNEQUAL DE-

GREES OF UNDERSTANDINGS, TO THE UNEQUAL DEGREES OF

PERFECTION IN THE ORGANS OF THE SENSES............ page 1

None having written better on this subject than M. Rousseau; I take
hin for an example of what I advance.

CHAP. I. Contradictions of the author of Emilius, concerning

the inequality of understandings, .................................... ......... 2

It results from his contradictions, that justice and virtue are acquisi

tions.

CHAP. II. Of the understanding, and of talents, ............... 7

CHAP. III. Of the goodness of man in the cradle, ......................................... 10

CHAP. IV. The man of nature cannot but be cruel, ............ 20

That his humanity is always the consequence either of fear, or of his

education.

CHAP. V. M. Rousseau believes, by tums, education to be use

ful and penicious, ......
.......... 24

CHAP. VI. Of the happy use that might be made in public edu-

cation of some dis of M. Rousseau,..................... 30

That, according to this author, we should not suppose childhood
aud adolescence to be without jud ̄ment.

CHAP. VII. Of the pretended superiority of mature age over

youth, ....

....

CHAP. VIII. Of the encomiums paid by M. Rousseau to igno-

rance,

........ 39

CHAP. IX. What motives could induce M. Rousseau to become

the apologist of ignorance, ...

That talents and cunning do not corrupt the manners of a nation.

- CHAP. X. Of the causes of the decline of an empire, .........

A 2

48

CHAP.

- CHAP. XI. The cultivation of the arts and sciences in a de-

spotic empire, retards its ruin,

.....

... page 55

That the errors and contradictions of M. Rousseau, and of all who adopt
his principles, confirm this truth, that man is the produce of his edu-
cation.

That the cultivation of this science is useful to the public, and its neg.
lect destructive

OF THE EVILS

SECTION VI.

PRODUCED BY IGNORANCE;

IGNORANCE IS

NOT DESTRUCTIVE OF EFFEMINACY: IT DOES NOT SECURE

THE FIDELITY OF SUBJECTS; AND IT DETERMINES THE MOST

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WITHOUT EXAMINATION. LUX-

URY CITED AS AN EXAMPLE. THE MISFORTUNES INTO

WHICH SUCH JUDGMENTS MAY SOMETIMES PRECIPITATE A

NATION. OF THE CONTEMPT AND HATRED DUE TO THE

PROTECTORS OF IGNORANCE,

72

....................................

CHAP. I. Of the ignorance and effeminacy of nations, ...... ibid.

CHAP. II. Ignorance does not secure the fidelity of the subject, 79

That it opposes every useful reformation in government.

That it perpetuates abuses, and renders men incapable of that constant
attention which the examination of most political questions requires.

An example in the question concerning luxury.

That it is not to be resolved without a certain number of observations,

and without previously annexing determinate ideas to the word

luxury.

CHAP. III. Of the question concerning luxury,

CHAP. IV. Is luxury useful and necessary,

CHAP. V. Of luxury and temperance, ...

82

83

.......... 85

That most of the evils which we attribute to luxury, are the effects of

the too unequal distribution of the riches of a nation, and of the di-

vision of interests among the inhabitants.

That to be convinced of this fact, we must go back to the first mo-
tives that determine men to unite in societies.

.... 91

CHAP. VI. Of the formation of colonies, .....

CHAP. VII. Of the multiplication of mankind in a state, and of its

effects,

95

.....

CHAP. VIII, Of the division of interests among the citizens, pro-

duced by their great increase,

100

CHAP. IX. Of the too unequal partition of the national wealth,

106

The effects of this partition.

CHAP.

CHAP. X. Causes of the too great inequality in the fortunes of

the people,............................................

................. page 109

That it is the necessary consequence of the introduction of money into

a state.

....... 110

CHAP. XI. Of the means of preventing the too rapid accumula-

tion of riches in a few hands, ........

CHAP. XII. Of those countries where money is not current, .. 112

CHAP. XIII. Of the productive principles of virtue in those

countries where money is not current,

CHAP. XIV. Of countries where money is current, ......... 119

CHAP. XV. Of the period at which riches retire of themselves

from an empire, ........

......... 116

That the inhabitants thea remain without a motive to action.

.... 121

CHAP. XVI Of the several principles of action in nations,

123

CHAP. XVII. Of money, considered as one of the principles of

action, .....

The evils that arise from the love of money.

....... 125

If in the present state of Europe the judicious magistrate onght to
desire a too hasty diminution of such a principle of action.

CHAP. XVIII. It is not in luxury, but in its productive cause,

that we ought to seek for the destructive principle of great

empires, .......

......... 127

That it follows, from the examination of the question concerning lux-
ury, perhaps hitherto superficial, that we cannot be too careful in
examlag every question of this sort, and that ignorance is the more
detrimental to nations, as it is solely on the goodness of their laws
that their happiness depends.

SECTION VII.

THE VIRTUES AND HAPPINESS OF A PEOPLE ARE NOT THE EF-

FECTS OF THE SANCTITY OF THEIR RELIGION, BUT OF THE

SAGACITY OF THEIR LAWS, .......

CHAP. I. Of the small influence of religions on the virtues an

felicity of a people, .......
................... ibid.

CHAP. II. A religious spirit is destructive of the spirit of le-

gislation,
......... 149

CHAP. III. What sort of religion would be useful, ........... 154

That it must be one which obliges men to improve their understand-

ings.

Inconsistency and criminality are in almost all men the effects of igno-

rarce.

CHAP. IV. Of the religion of the papists,

....... 156

That

That more consistency in the minds of men would render it more de-
trimental.

That speculative principles have happily small influence on the conduct

of men who regulate themselves by the laws, and not by their

belief.

That the government of the Jesuits is a proof of this.

CHAP. V. Of the government of the Jesuits, .......

page 162

Of the means it affords them to make kings tremble, and execute the

most atrocious enterprizes.

CHAP. VI. Of the several causes of atrocious enterprizes, ... 167

CHAP. VII. Of atrocious enterpizes undertaken from a love of

glory, or of our country, .......
168

CHAP. VIII. Of atrocities committed from ambition, 169

CHAP. IX. Of atrocities committed from fanaticism,
...... 170

CHAP. X. Of the period at which the interest of the Jesuits com-

mands them to undertake an atrocious enterprize,

What sect might be opposed to them.

171

CHAP. XI. Jansenism alone could destroy the Jesuits, ... 179

That we owe to the Jesuits the knowledge of what can be done by

legislation.

That to make it perfect, it is necessary to have, like St. Benedict, a re-

ligious order, or like Romulus or Penn, an empire or a colony to

found.

That in any other situation, we may propose, but it will be difficult to

establish excellent laws.

CHAP. XII. Examination of this truth, .....

.......... 181

I prove, that there is nothing impossible to the laws, but that to fix the

degree to which they might carry the felicity of the people, we

must previously know what constitutes the happiness of individuals.

SECTION VIII.

OF WHAT CONSTITUTES THE HAPPINESS OF INDIVIDUALS OF

THE BASIS ON WHICH WE SHOULD FOUND NATIONAL FELI-

CITY, NECESSARILY COMPOSED OF THE FELICITY OF ALL

THE INDIVIDUALS, ............
............................................................ 198

CHAP. I. Whether men, in the present state of society, can be all

equally happy?...............

CHAP. II. Of the employment of time, ......................... 200

That this employment is nearly the same in every profession; and con-

sequently all men may be equally happy

That