Sublime

The peculiarity of this philosophy of avarice appears to be the ideal of the honest man of recognized credit, and above all the idea of a duty of the individual toward the increase of his capital, which is assumed as an end in itself. Truly what is here preached is not simply a means of making one’s way in the world, but a peculiar ethic. The infra

schools really did focus on moral formation. They thought it was their primary job to turn out people of character, people who would be honest, gentle, and respectful toward those around them.

our ability to think well will be determined to some considerable degree by who those others are: what we might call the moral form of our community. A willingness to be “broken on the floor,” for example, is in itself a testimony to belief that the people you’re debating are decent people who don’t want to harm or manipulate you—whereas if you don

Il avança que pour devenir des lois, les règles morales devaient être universellement applicables. Si le sérieux des hommes était différent de celui des femmes; ou celui des Italiens différent de celui des Égyptiens, nous ne pourrions pas en parler comme d’une loi.

Confidence in reason is based on the belief that one’s own higher interests and those of humankind at large are best served by giving the freest play to reason.

Ordinary usage suggests two characteristics of rational judgement or action. First, the judgement or action would be based on beliefs about the world which were reasonable. Not necessarily correct beliefs – as we have seen, in a world of radical uncertainty we may not know even after the event what the true state of the world was.

POVERTY WITH PRESTIGE IS BETTER THAN AFFLUENT DISGRACE

the Huguenins have to channel their conduct, not their beliefs, so as to leave space for other Americans who believe something different.[6]