A great movement attempting to turn us all into half-wits (une grande campagne de crétinisation est en route). When these are the only ones left， the governments have an easy job. It is very clever." (SR.)[8] Montaigne， Essays， book I.， ch. 42： " Observe in provinces far from the court， in Brittany for example， the retinue， the subjects， the duties， the ceremony， of a seignior living alone by himself， brought up among his dependents， and likewise observe the flights of his imagination， there is nothing which is more royal； he may allude to his superior once a year， as if he were the King of Persia... The burden of sovereignty scarcely affects the French gentilhomme twice in his life... he who lurks in his own place avoiding dispute and trial is as free as the Duke of Venice."[9] "Mémoires de Chateaubriand，" vol. I. ("Les Soirées au Chateau de Cambourg".)[10] In China， the moral principle is just the opposite. The Chinese， amidst obstacles and embarrassments， always enjoin siao-sin， which means， "abate thy affections." (Huc， "L'Empire Chinoise，" I.， 204.)[11] In the United states the moral order of things reposes chiefly on puritan ideas； nevertheless deep traces of feudal conceptions are found there； for instance， the general deference for women which is quite chivalric there， and even excessive.
[12] Observe， from this point of view， in the woman of modern times the defenses of female virtue. The (male) sentiment of duty is the first safeguard of modesty， but this has a much more powerful auxiliary in the sentiment of honor， or deep innate pride.
[13] The moral standard varies， but according to a fixed law， the same as a mathematical function. Each community has its own moral elements， organization， history and surroundings， and necessarily its peculiar conditions of vitality. When the queen been in a hive is chosen and impregnated this condition involves the massacre of useless male and female rivals (Darwin). In China， it consists of paternal authority， literary education and ritual observances. In the antique city， it consisted of the omnipotence of the State， gymnastic education， and slavery. In each century， and in each country， these vital conditions are expressed by more or less hereditary passwords which set forth or interdict this or that class of actions. When the individual feels the inward challenge he is conscious of obligation；the moral conflict consists in the struggle within himself between the universal password and personal desire. In our European society the vital condition， and thus the general countersign， is self-respect coupled with respect for others (including women and children). This countersign， new in history， has a singular advantage over all preceding ones： each individual being respected， each can develop himself according to his nature； he can accordingly invent in every sense， bring forth every sort of production and be useful to himself and others in every way， thus enabling society to develop indefinitely.
[14] Taine is probably speaking of the colonial wars in China and the conquest of Madagascar. (SR).
