(¶1.28) Society, therefore, as it becomes more enlightened,
should
be very
careful not to establish bodies of men who must necessarily be made foolish
or vicious by the very constitution of their profession.
(¶1.29) In the infancy of society, when men were just emerging
out
of
barbarism, chiefs and priests, touching the most powerful springs of savage
conduct, hope and fear, must have had unbounded sway. An aristocracy, of
course, is naturally the first form of government. But clashing interests
soon losing their equipoise, a monarchy and hierarchy break out of the
confusion of ambitious struggles, and the foundation of both is secured by
feudal tenures.
This appears to be the origin of monarchial and priestly
powers, and the dawn of civilisation. But such combustible materials cannot
long be pent up; and, getting vent in foreign wars and intestine
insurrections, the people acquire some power in the tumult, which obliges
their rulers to gloss over their oppression with a show of right. Thus, as
wars, agriculture, commerce, and literature, expand the mind, despots are
compelled to make covert corruption hold fast the power which was formerly
snatched by open force. (footnote: Men of abilities scatter seeds that grow
up and have a great influence on the forming opinion; and when once the
public opinion preponderates, through the exertion of reason, the overthrow
of arbitrary power is not very distant.) And this baneful lurking gangrene
is most quickly spread by luxury and superstition, the sure dregs of
ambition. The indolent puppet of a court first becomes a luxurious monster,
or fastidious sensualist, and then makes the contagion which his unnatural
state spread, the instrument of tyranny.
(¶1.30) It is the pestiferous purple which renders the progress
of
civilisation
a curse, and warps the understanding, till men of sensibility doubt whether
the expansion of intellect produces a greater portion of happiness or
misery. But the nature of the poison points out the antidote; and had
Rousseau mounted one step higher in his investigation, or could his eyes
have pierced through the foggy atmosphere, which he almost disdained to
breathe, his active mind would have darted forward to contemplate the
perfection of man in the establishment of true civilisation, instead of
taking his ferocious flight back to the night of sensual ignorance.
Citation suggestion
Referencing
My referencing suggestion for this page is a bibliography entry:
Wollstonecraft, M. 1791 Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Paragraph
numbers from the web copy at
http://studymore.org.uk/xwol.htm
With intext references to (Wollstonecraft, M. 1791 par -)
Notice that the suggested web page for all chapters is the web page where
the book starts, which has a contents list.
See ABC
Referencing for general advice.
Study
Link
Andrew Roberts' web Study Guide
Top of
Page
Take a Break - Read a Poem
Andrew Roberts likes to hear from users:
To contact him, please
use the Communication
Form