Moral philosophy, or the duties of man considered in his individual, social, and domestic capacities. / by George Combe.

  • Combe, George, 1788-1858.
Date:
MDCCCXL
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Moral philosophy, or the duties of man considered in his individual, social, and domestic capacities. / by George Combe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    183/444 (page 161)
    In following years, the bearded corn ensued, From earth unasked, nor was that earth renewed. From veins of valleys milk and nectar broke. And honey sweating through the pores of oak.” To this succeeded too rapidly the silver, the brazen, and the iron ages ; which last, the world had reached in the days of Ovid, and in which, unfortunately, it still remains. Rousseau, who was rather a poet than a philosopher, has written speculations “ on the origin and foundations of the existing inequalities among men,” which have power- fully attracted the attention of the learned. He informs us that he “ sees man such as he must have proceeded from the hands of Nature, less powerful than some ani- mals, less active than others, but, taking him on the whole, more advantageously organized than any. He sees him satisfying his hunger under an oak, quenching his thirst at the first rivulet, finding his bed under the trees whose fruit had afforded him a repast, and thus satisfied to the full of every desire.”* “ It is impossible,” continues he, “ to conceive how, in this original condition, one man could have more need of another than a wolf or an ape has of his fellows ; or, sup- posing the need to exist, what motive could induce the other to satisfy it ; or how, in this latter case, the two could agree upon the terms of their social intercourse.” From these premises, Rousseau draws the conclusion, that “ the first who, having enclosed a piece of ground, took upon himself to call it ‘ mine,' and found individuals so foolish as to believe him, was the true founder of civil society.” What crimes, what wars, what murders, what miseries and horrors, would he have spared to the human race, who, tearing up the land-marks, or filling up the ditches, had cried to his equals, ‘ Beware how you listen to this impostor ! You are undone if you forget that the *■ Discours sur L’ Origine et les Fondemens d’lnegalit^ parmi les Hommes. 4to edit. Geneva, 1782, p. 48.