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the acutest intellect. For prejudice — as expressed in the popular prov- 

 erb : "The wisli is father to the thought" — is the native and congenial 

 soil of logical fallacy ; against which, in the absence of this powerful and 

 malignant influence, nature itself, without special training, is in general 

 a sufficient protection. Of the truth of this observation, the writings 

 even of the most distinguished political theorists — such, for instance, as 

 Hobbes, Kant, Austin, not to speak of lesser men — furnish, as will be 

 seen, numerous and striking illustrations. So that in place of the trivial 

 and often ridiculous examples used by logical writers to illustrate the dif- 

 ferent kinds of fallacies — and which, perhaps, have greatly contributed 

 to bring logic into the contempt and consequent disuse into which it has 

 fallen in modern times (b) — there might be readily collected from the most 

 distinguished sources, examples of all of them, that have proved their 

 efficiency by deceiving, not only the less intelligent reading public, but 

 also the great philosophers that invented them. 



Hence, it has resulted that the political theories current in modern 

 times are in general mere expressions of popular sentiment prevailing at 

 the time of their inception, modified more or less by tlie idiosyncrasies of 

 their respective authors, and by subsequent changes of popular opinion ; 

 and the origin or original genesis of any given theory is, tlierefore, gen- 

 erally to be sought, not in the formal reasoning adduced in its support, 

 but in the events and character of the period in which it originated and 

 in the character, mental and moral, or as it may be called, the personal 

 equation of its author. Hence, also, it will be found, that the reasoning 

 of political writers is, in general, merely polemical, or, in other words, 

 designed, not to direct the author's investigations, or to test the correct- 

 ness of his conclusions, but to establish some preconceived opinion, con- 

 sciously or unconsciously, imposed upon him by his environment, or by 

 authority. For, in modern times, on nearly every great political question, 

 men take sides and range themselves, or are ranged by fortune, into par- 

 ties, and henceforth devote themselves, not to investigating, but to estab- 

 lishing the dogmas to which they have become fortuitously attached. 

 Hence, it may be said, without much exaggeration, that, with regard to 

 political and social problems, men generally have ceased to be reasoning, 

 and become mere arguing creatures ; and that there is hardly a writer on 

 the theorj^ of the State, since Aristotle, that has approached the subject 

 in the true scientific spirit, without bias, and with entire indiflereuce as to 

 the conclusions to which his investigations might lead him. (r) 



From this infirmity, almost universal, of political writers tliere have 

 resulted certain political theories, which, though wholly unverified, have 

 come to be almost universally received, and are so intrenched in the sen- 

 timents and prejudices of the people, or classes of the people, as almost 

 to preclude the possibility of a fair and unbiased consideration of the 

 subject, of politics. 



This opinion will doubtless be "caviare to the general ;" and for most 

 readers it will be hard even to conceive the possibility of its being true. 



