How to Observe; Morals and Manners (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1838. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... 101 CHAPTER II. GENERAL MORAL NOTIONS. "Une differente coutume donnera d'autres principes naturels. Cela se voit par experience; et s'il y en a d'ineffacables a la coutume, il y en a aussi de la coutume inefiacables a la nature."-- Pascal. Next to the religion of a people, it is necessary to leam what are their Ideas of Morals. In speaking of the popular notion of a Moral Sense, it was mentioned that, so far*from there being a general agreement on the practice of morals, some things which are considered eminently right in one age or country are considered eminently wrong in another; while the people of each age or country, having grown up under common influences, think and feel sufficiently alike to live together in a general agreement as to right and wrong. It is the business of the traveller to ascertain what this general agreement is in the society he visits. In one society, spiritual attainments will be-the most highly honoured, as in most religious communities. In another, the qualities attendant upon intellectual eminence will be worshipped, --as now in countries which are the most advanced in preparation for political freedom, --France, Germany, and the United States. In others, the moral qualities allied to physical or extrinsic power are chiefly venerated, --as in all uncivilized countries, and all which lie under feudal institutions. The lower moral qualities which belong to the last class have been characteristics of nations. The valour of the Spartans, the love of glory of the Romans and the French, the pride of the Spaniards, --these infantile moral qualities have belonged to a people as distinctly as to an individual.--Those which are in alliance with intellectual eminence are not so strikingly characteristic of entire nations; though we prais...