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Article REAL PHILOSOPHER, ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Real Philosopher,
If philosophy be the search after truth , sincerity must be the first ' and the most essential quality of a Philosopher . ¦ Great talents , and the art of thinking , are not exclusive privileges , granted to persons of ' cool , dispassionate , and virtuous dispositions . The man who thinks , is not always a Philosopher ; he may have a wretched temper , be tormented with spleenand a slave to passionhe be envious
, ; may , haughty , deceitful , dissatisfied with others ancl with himself . When this is the case , he is incapable of making just observations : his reasonings become suspicious ; he can scarce see himself in bis genuine , native colours ; or if he does , he strives to conceal from himself the . obliquity and irregularity of his temper and disposition : his
philosophy , or rather the motley systems of his brain , are full of confusion : there is no connection in his principles ; all is sophistry , and contradiction ; insincerity , pride , envy ,- , caprice , misanthropy , appear throughout ; aiuh'fthe vulgar , dazzled with his talents and ' the novelty ¦ of his principles , look upon him as a profound and sublime Philosopher , persons of nicer discernment see nothing but spleen , discontented vanityand sometimes malignityunder the guise of virtue .
, , The Philosopher has no ri ght to esteem or value himself , but when he contributes to the welfare of his fellow-creatures ; the applauses of his conscience are then onl y lawful and necessary when he knows he deserves them . In a world blinded by prejudice , and so often ungrateful , this ideal recompence is , alas I almost the only one that is ¦ left to virtue . Let the Philosopher , therefore ,-esteem himself when
he has done good ; Jet him congratulate himself upon being free from those vain desires , those vices , those shameful passions , those imaginary wants , with which others are tormented ; but let him not compare himself with his fellow-creatures in such a manner as to shock their self-love .. If he thinks himself happier than they , let him not insult their wretchedness ; above all , let him not plunge them in despair . The friend of wisdom ought to be the fiiend of men ; he
ought never to despise them "; he ought to sympathize with them in their afflictions ; he ought to comfort and encourage them . A love of mankind , an enthusiasm for public good , sensibility , humanity , — these ate the motives which ought to . animate the man of virtue ; these are the motives which he may acknowledge without a blush . Without ' this , Philosophy is only an ' idle and useless declamation against the - human species , which proves nothing but the pride or peevishness of the declaimer , and convinces nobody .
What title , indeed , has' the Philosopher to despise or insult his ¦ fellow-creatures ? Is it because he imagines lie has superior knowledge ? But his knowledge is useless , if society derivesiio advantage from it . Why should he hate his species ? or what glory can arise iron- ; misanthropy ? true and solid glory can only be founded upon humanity , the love of mankind , sensibility , and gentleness of manners . —Are rrien ignorant arid full of prejudices ? Alas ! education
, . example , habit , and authority , oblige them to be so . Are they slaves lo vice , passion , and frivolous desires ? those who regulate their destiny , tl : e impostors who seduce them , ' the models which they have before their eyes , produce in their hearts all the vices that . torment
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Real Philosopher,
If philosophy be the search after truth , sincerity must be the first ' and the most essential quality of a Philosopher . ¦ Great talents , and the art of thinking , are not exclusive privileges , granted to persons of ' cool , dispassionate , and virtuous dispositions . The man who thinks , is not always a Philosopher ; he may have a wretched temper , be tormented with spleenand a slave to passionhe be envious
, ; may , haughty , deceitful , dissatisfied with others ancl with himself . When this is the case , he is incapable of making just observations : his reasonings become suspicious ; he can scarce see himself in bis genuine , native colours ; or if he does , he strives to conceal from himself the . obliquity and irregularity of his temper and disposition : his
philosophy , or rather the motley systems of his brain , are full of confusion : there is no connection in his principles ; all is sophistry , and contradiction ; insincerity , pride , envy ,- , caprice , misanthropy , appear throughout ; aiuh'fthe vulgar , dazzled with his talents and ' the novelty ¦ of his principles , look upon him as a profound and sublime Philosopher , persons of nicer discernment see nothing but spleen , discontented vanityand sometimes malignityunder the guise of virtue .
, , The Philosopher has no ri ght to esteem or value himself , but when he contributes to the welfare of his fellow-creatures ; the applauses of his conscience are then onl y lawful and necessary when he knows he deserves them . In a world blinded by prejudice , and so often ungrateful , this ideal recompence is , alas I almost the only one that is ¦ left to virtue . Let the Philosopher , therefore ,-esteem himself when
he has done good ; Jet him congratulate himself upon being free from those vain desires , those vices , those shameful passions , those imaginary wants , with which others are tormented ; but let him not compare himself with his fellow-creatures in such a manner as to shock their self-love .. If he thinks himself happier than they , let him not insult their wretchedness ; above all , let him not plunge them in despair . The friend of wisdom ought to be the fiiend of men ; he
ought never to despise them "; he ought to sympathize with them in their afflictions ; he ought to comfort and encourage them . A love of mankind , an enthusiasm for public good , sensibility , humanity , — these ate the motives which ought to . animate the man of virtue ; these are the motives which he may acknowledge without a blush . Without ' this , Philosophy is only an ' idle and useless declamation against the - human species , which proves nothing but the pride or peevishness of the declaimer , and convinces nobody .
What title , indeed , has' the Philosopher to despise or insult his ¦ fellow-creatures ? Is it because he imagines lie has superior knowledge ? But his knowledge is useless , if society derivesiio advantage from it . Why should he hate his species ? or what glory can arise iron- ; misanthropy ? true and solid glory can only be founded upon humanity , the love of mankind , sensibility , and gentleness of manners . —Are rrien ignorant arid full of prejudices ? Alas ! education
, . example , habit , and authority , oblige them to be so . Are they slaves lo vice , passion , and frivolous desires ? those who regulate their destiny , tl : e impostors who seduce them , ' the models which they have before their eyes , produce in their hearts all the vices that . torment