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separating the men of two centuries； or of two peoples； escape them
entirely。＇35＇ The ancient Greek； the early Christian； the conquering
Teuton； the feudal man； the Arab of Mahomet； the German； the
Renaissance Englishman； the puritan； appear in their books as in
engravings and frontispieces； with some difference in costume； but the
same bodies； the same faces； the same countenances； toned down；
obliterated； proper； adapted to the conventionalities of good manners。
That sympathetic imagination by which the writer enters into the mind
of another； and reproduces in himself a system of habits and feelings
so different from his own； is the talent the most absent in the
eighteenth century。 With the exception of Diderot； who uses it badly
and capriciously； it almost entirely disappears in the last half of
the century。 Consider in turn； during the same period； in France and
in England； where it is most extensively used； the romance； a sort of
mirror everywhere transportable； the best adapted to reflect all
phrases of nature and of life。 After reading the series of English
novelists； Defoe； Richardson； Fielding； Smollett； Sterne； and
Goldsmith down to Miss Burney and Miss Austen； I have become familiar
with England in the eighteenth century； I have encountered clergymen；
country gentlemen； farmers； innkeepers； sailors； people of every
condition in life； high and low； I know the details of fortunes and of
careers； how much is earned； how much is expended； how journeys are
made and how people eat and drink： I have accumulated for myself a
file of precise biographical events； a complete picture in a thousand
scenes of an entire community； the amplest stock of information to
guide me should I wish to frame a history of this vanished world。 On
reading a corresponding list of French novelists； the younger
Crébillon； Rousseau； Marmontel； Laclos； Restif de la Breton； Louvet；
Madame de Sta？l； Madame de Genlis and the rest； including Mercier and
even Mme。 Cottin； I scarcely take any notes； all precise and
instructive little facts are left out； I find civilities； polite acts；
gallantries； mischief…making； social dissertations and nothing else。
They carefully abstain from mentioning money； from giving me figures；
from describing a wedding； a trial； the administration of a piece of
property； I am ignorant of the situation of a curate； of a rustic
noble； of a resident prior； of a steward； of an intendant。 Whatever
relates to a province or to the rural districts； to the bourgeoisie or
to the shop；＇36＇ to the army or to a soldier； to the clergy or to
convents； to justice or to the police； to business or to housekeeping
remains vaguely in my mind or is falsified； to clear up any point I am
obliged to recur to that marvelous Voltaire who； on laying aside the
great classic coat； finds plenty of elbow room and tells all。 On the
organs of society of vital importance； on the practices and
regulations that provoke revolutions； on feudal rights and seigniorial
justice； on the mode of recruiting and governing monastic bodies； on
the revenue measures of the provinces； of corporations and of trade…
unions； on the tithes and the corvées；＇37＇ literature provides me with
scarcely any information。 Drawing…rooms and men of letters are
apparently its sole material。 The rest is null and void。 Outside the
good society that is able to converse France appears perfectly empty。
… On the approach of the Revolution the elimination increases。 Look
through the harangues of the clubs and of the tribune； through
reports； legislative bills and pamphlets； and through the mass of
writings prompted by passing and exciting events； in none of them do
we see any sign of the human creature as we see him in the fields and
in the street； he is always regarded as a simple robot； a well known
mechanism。 Among writers he was a moment ago a dispenser of
commonplaces； among politicians he is now a pliable voter ； touch him
in the proper place and he responds in the desired manner。 Facts are
never apparent； only abstractions； long arrays of sentences on nature；
Reason； and the people； on tyrants and liberty； like inflated
balloons； uselessly conflicting with each other in space。 Were we not
aware that all this would terminate in terrible practical effects then
we could regard it as competition in logic； as school exercises；
academic parades； or ideological compositions。 It is； in fact；
Ideology； the last product of the century； which will stamp the
classic spirit with its final formula and last word。
III。 THE MATHEMATICAL METHOD。
The philosophic method in conformity with the Classic Sprit。 …
Ideology。 … Abuse of the mathematical process。 … Condillac； Rousseau；
Mably； Condorcet； Volney； Sieyès； Cabanis； and de Tracy。 … Excesses of
simplification and boldness of organization。
The natural process of the classic spirit is to pursue in every
research； with the utmost confidence； without either reserve or
precaution； the mathematical method： to derive； limit and isolate a
few of the simplest generalized notions and then； setting experience
aside； comparing them； combining them； and； from the artificial
compound thus obtained； by pure reasoning； deduce all the consequences
they involve。 It is so deeply implanted as to be equally encountered
in both centuries； as well with Descartes； Malebranche＇38＇ and the
partisans of innate ideas as with the partisans of sensation； of
physical needs and of primary instinct； Condillac； Rousseau；
Helvétius； and later； Condorcet； Volney； Sieyès； Cabanis and Destutt
de Tracy。 In vain do the latter assert that they are the followers of
Bacon and reject （the theory of） innate ideas； with another starting
point than the Cartesians they pursue the same path； and； as with the
Cartesians； after borrowing a little； they leave experience behind
them。 In this vast moral and social world； they only remove the
superficial bark from the human tree with its innumerable roots and
branches； they are unable to penetrate to or grasp at anything beyond
it； their hands cannot contain more。 They have no suspicion of
anything outside of it； the classic spirit； with limited
comprehension； is not far…reaching。 To them the bark is the entire
tree； and； the operation once completed； they retire； bearing along
with them the dry； dead epidermis； never returning to the trunk
itself。 Through intellectual incapacity and literary pride they omit
the characteristic detail； the animating fact； the specific
circumstance； the significant； convincing and complete example。
Scarcely one of these is found in the 〃Logique〃 and in the 〃Traité des
Sensations〃 by Condillac； in the 〃Idéologie〃 by Destutt de Tracy； or
in the 〃Rapports du Physique et du Morale〃 by Cabanis。＇39＇ Never； with
them； are we on the solid and visible ground of personal observation
and narration； but always in the air； in the empty space of pure
generalities。 Condillac declares that the arithme