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Every account of
the pretended Laws
of Nature must be
confused. But
if it is possible for
one to be more so
than another, it is
that of Montesquieu
If it is possible that one account of the pretended
Laws of Nature can be more confused than another
it is that of Montesquieu Darkness itself is Light to it.
Ask him what are the Laws of Nature? they are
such & such steps certain somewhats, which have something to do
with a state of Nature. What, are they rules
perhaps concerning the steps to be taken by a man in
the State of Nature? No, no rule in that case
they are the steps themselves — What they are Right —
then the steps which which in such a state men ought to take? in this
state? not so — ought and ought not has nothing are out of the question
to do with the matter in the affair — they are the steps
they men would take — Very well, then what
Take a number of
men, put them into
a state of nature are they then at last? you shall hear — there are 4 of them. In the
1st place, those of they (men) Put men/a number of men in a state of nature would run away
Men, if there come
a hundred of them
would all shew
each other one another a fair
pair of heels from one another as hard as they could :
and there is peace, & this is one Law that is one Law + of Nature.
In the next place they could eat look
their about them for victuals — & then in a second for you to the Law third is for that another & there is a second for you
In that 3d place they would — in that they
would, that is I suppose the more & the woman
could be always making to each other a certain
whole species they his Law goes no farther than
to the getting together of persons of different bringing the Sexes to a meeting?
Sexes
And how he comes to take no notice of one one common
way enough of two persons getting acquainted
which is by one of them begetting or being deliver' of the other.
One might desire him, before he undertook to
tell us how they his men and women would behave, to settle with
himself how what sort of people he would have & tell us in plain lang terms in what condition they should make their
& in what condition? whether he would appearance — What sort of man he could have
how & in what plight
he would put them
Whether he would produce them and the common
way of generation, or as Adam was: Whether
How then he would
have them been produced
— Whether as
God made Adam was, or in
the common way they should be he would have them young or old, respectively strong or weak
full or fasting clothed or naked fresh or weary? — Whether he would have few
of them or many of them? whether they should he would
all of them come from his being upon one another have them all introduce them all at once to each other bolt in
from the clouds at once, or only one 2 or 3 drop in by two's and three's
only at a time?
To almost any of these questions
a difference
and the answer, says
make a difference
in the result in
favour or in disfavour
of this theory.
One might ask him whether he has taken the
spirit as would as if he has taken the words of Hobbis's question?
And whether therefore his child view of nature the people in question are in touch an established
Society or no when after having been
INTRODUCT. Montesquieu's Laws of Nature.
It is not to my
purpose to examine
the truth justness or the pettiness of this
representation: I have
nothing to do but with
my business is only with
the precision &
the consistency of it
as far as it is given
I shall therefore
pass over innumerable
questions that
might be put
against what it seems they are always making a
other now Au sentiment de su foiblesse,
l'Homme joinderoit le sentiment de
ses besoins. Ainsi une autre Law naturelle
serrit celle que lui inspirerrit de chircter
de se pourrrir
In the 3d place to the that those of different sexes The man & woman would
and woman making a certain request begin making a certain little request to one another the natural
to one another: same they are you secure them always making now: with the
they would make: and this is a 3 new makes three
for you and now you have Law the 3d.
One might heap
question upon question
One might ask him what we are to think of
the pleasure they would he has found out that men feel at the meeting another approach
the after he has in the same breath in which he has been telling us
how they would run away — and why he introduces
the word animal instead of man: as
if the reason why a man is fond of seeing
a man, is because a tyger is fond of seeing
a tyger — and whether he is altogether sure
that all species of animals of every species are so fond of seeing one
another when sex is out of the case, as this
of Tygers for example. And how it comes that
with by the help of htwo motives which he makes apply to the
"J'ai dit que la parliarit les hommes a"
"se fair; mais les marques d'une porque
les engagement bien-tôt a s'approcher"
"Ils y serviat partez d'ailleurs par le"
"plaisir qu'un animal sont a l'approch"
"d'une animal de même espace. De plus"
" ce charme que les deux Sexes insppirent pour"
"leur difference augmenteroit a plaisir, & la"
"priere naturelle qu' ils se font toujours l'un"
"a l'autre seroit une troisieme Law.
Lastly, In the last place they would wish for each one another's
company — and here they are all four these are the 4 Laws of Nature.
There is but one One just thing there is + + whatever use there
may be in it, in the Chapter, & there
is but one. It is where he observes Whatever they may might do first
it would be long enough ere they would think
to look for a cause of what they saw, out
of what they saw, and for want of finding
any one, to call it God.
fulfilling his first Law of Peace Aversidence
or Peace (It's all the same) by running away, they
are come to fulfill the 2d. If not, what might
chance to be the consequence if a man should
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introduct. montesquieu's laws of nature |
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