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regard as unique in this as in other matters; the greatest and most
independent; Pascal; Descartes; Bossuet; La Bruyère; borrows from the
established society their basic concepts of nature; man; society; law
and government。'3' So long as Reason is limited to this function its
work is that of a councilor of State; an extra preacher dispatched by
its superiors on a missionary tour in the departments of philosophy
and of literature。 Far from proving destructive it consolidates; in
fact; even down to the Regency; its chief employment is to produce
good Christians and loyal subjects。
But now the roles are reversed; tradition descends from the upper
to the lower ranks; while Reason ascends from the latter to the
former。 On the one hand religion and monarchy; through their
excesses and misdeeds under Louis XIV; and their laxity and
incompetence under Louis XV; demolish piece by piece the basis of
hereditary reverence and filial obedience so long serving them as a
foundation; and which maintained them aloft above all dispute and free
of investigation; hence the authority of tradition insensibly declines
and disappears。 On the other hand science; through its imposing and
multiplied discoveries; erects piece by piece a basis of universal
trust and deference; raising itself up from an interesting subject of
curiosity to the rank of a public power; hence the authority of Reason
augments and occupies its place。 A time comes when; the latter
authority having dispossessed the former; the fundamental ideas
tradition had reserved to itself fall into the grasp of Reason。
Investigation penetrates into the forbidden sanctuary。 Instead of
deference there is verification; and religion; the state; the law;
custom; all the organs; in short; of moral and practical life; become
subject to analysis; to be preserved; restored or replaced; according
to the prescriptions of the new doctrine。
II。 ANCESTRAL TRADITION AND CULTURE。
Origin; nature and value of hereditary prejudice。 … How far custom;
religion and government are legitimate。
Nothing could be better had the new doctrine been complete; and
if Reason; instructed by history; had become critical; and therefore
qualified to comprehend the rival she replaced。 For then; instead of
regarding her as an usurper to be repelled she would have recognized
in her an elder sister whose part must be left to her。 Hereditary
prejudice is a sort of Reason operating unconsciously。 It has claims
as well as reason; but it is unable to present these; instead of
advancing those that are authentic it puts forth the doubtful ones。
Its archives are buried; to exhume these it is necessary to make
researches of which it is incapable; nevertheless they exist; and
history at the present day is bringing them to light。 Careful
investigations shows that; like science; it issues from a long
accumulation of experiences; a people; after a multitude of gropings
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 L