happiness and morals go together only in countries where instinct is sanctioned； as in Tahiti， for instance， where marriage lasts but a month， often only a day， and sometimes a quarter of an hour， where， in the evening and with hospitable intent， a host offers his daughters and wife to his guests， where the son espouses his mother out of politeness， where the union of the sexes is a religious festivity celebrated in public. -- And， pushing things to extremes， the logician ends with five or six pages calculated "to make one's hair stand on end，"[19] himself avowing that his doctrine is "neither suited for children nor for adults." --With Diderot， to say the least， these paradoxes have their correctives. In his pictures of modern ways and habits， he is the moralist. He not only is familiar with all the chords of the human keyboard， but he classifies each according to its rank. He loves fine and pure tones， and is full of enthusiasm for noble harmonies； his heart is equal to his genius.[20] And better still， on the question of primitive impulses arising， he assigns， side by side with vanity， an independent and superior position to pity， friendship， kindness and charity； to every generous affection of the heart displaying sacrifice and devotion without calculation or personal benefit. -- But associated with him are others， cold and narrow， who form moral systems according to the mathematical methods of the ideologists， [21] after the style of Hobbes. One motive alone satisfies these， the simplest and most palpable， utterly gross， almost mechanical， completely physiological， the natural animal tendency of avoiding pain and seeking pleasure：
"Pain and pleasure，" says Helvétius， "form the only springs of the moral universe， while the sentiment of vanity is the only basis on which we can lay the foundations of moral usefulness. What motive but that of self-interest could lead a man to perform a generous action？
He can as little love good for the sake of good as evil for the sake of evil."[22] "The principles of natural law， say the disciples， are reduced to one unique and fundamental principle， self-preservation."[23] "To preserve oneself， to be happy，" is instinct， right and duty. "Oh， yea，"[24] says nature， "who， through the impulsion I bestow on you， tending towards happiness at every moment of your being， resist not my sovereign law， strive for your own felicity， enjoy fearlessly and be happy！" But to be happy， contribute to the happiness of others； if you wish them to be useful to you， be useful to them. "every man， from birth to death， has need of mankind.""Live then for them， that they may live for you." "Be good， because goodness links hearts together； be gentle， because gentleness wins affection； be modest， because pride repels beings full of their self-importance. . . . Be citizens， because your country is necessary to ensure your safety and well-being. Defend your country， because it renders you happy and contains your possessions."Virtue thus is simply egotism furnished with a telescope； man has no other reason for doing good but the fear of doing himself harm， while self-devotion consists of self-interest.
One goes fast and far on this road. When the sole law for each person is to be happy， each wishes to be so immediately and in his own way； the herd of appetites is let loose， rushing ahead and breaking down all barriers. And the more readily because it has been demonstrated to them that every barrier is an evil， invented by cunning and malicious shepherds， the better to milk and shear them：
"The state of society is a state of warfare of the sovereign against all， and of each member against the rest.[25] . . We see on the face of the globe only incapable， unjust sovereigns， enervated by luxury， corrupted by flattery， depraved through unpunished license， and without talent， morals， or good qualities. . . . Man is wicked not because he is wicked， but because he has been made so."-"Would you know the story， in brief， of almost all our wretchedness？ Here it is.
There existed the natural man， and into this man was introduced an artificial man， whereupon a civil war arose within him， lasting through life. [26] . . If you propose to become a tyrant over him， . .
. do your best to poison him with a theory of morals against nature；impose every kind of fetter on him； embarrass his movements with a thousand obstacles； place phantoms around him to frighten him. . . .
Would you see him happy and free？ Do not meddle with his affairs . . .
Remain convinced of this， (wrote Diderot) that these wise legislators have formed and shaped you as they have done， not for your benefit， but for their own. I appeal to every civil， religious， and political institution； examine these closely， and， if I am not mistaken， you will find the human species， century after century， subject to a yoke which a mere handful of knaves chose to impose on it.... Be wary of him who seeks to establish order； to order is to obtain the mastery of others by giving them trouble."There nothing any more to be ashamed of； the passions are good， and if the herd would eat freely， its first care must be to trample under its wooden shoes the mitered and crowned animals who keep it in the fold for their own advantage.[27]
VI. THE ABOLITION OF SOCIETY. ROUSSEAU.
Rousseau and the spiritualists. - The original goodness of man. -The mistake committed by civilization. - The injustice of property and of society.
