49 



before, but perfect in another identity. Thus, a man is perfect as 

 such, while he retains the identity of a man; and the worms into 

 which he degenerates are perfect worms, but imperfect men. The 

 word perfection is most commonly used in the relative or compara- 

 tive sense. 



38. Now supposing it possible that an entire change were to 

 take place in the world ; suppose that the causes of which it is com- 

 posed were, in every instance, to make a different combination or 

 effect; suppose that roots, now nutritious, imbibed from the earth 

 poisons; suppose that trees contained, and were capable of 

 evolving the bodies of elephants; suppose that men had more than 

 five senses, and as many heads as ringers, and these latter doubled; 

 what would be the consequence? Why, perfection. If all the 

 parts comprised in such a slate did not agree, if there was not 

 absolute harmony of relations; what then? Why then such a state 

 of things could not exist; but another in which there was this har- 

 mony of relations: for if there is not agreement and compatibility 

 in one state of things, things will be compelled to adopt another, in 

 which there is agreement and compatibility: this is a truism. There 

 must be agreement then with any state of identities; when 

 there is disagreement with present, there is agreement with a 

 new state of identities, and that new state is adopted ; otherwise, if 

 the past subsists, there was agreement in the past: this also is 

 obvious. 



39. What shall we say more than this for the present state of 

 things? We can do no more than insist upon this harmony, which 

 is a necessary one under all circumstances. But it will be asked 

 whether the present condition of the world is not the best? This 

 is a different question, which is answered thus: if by " best" is 

 meant most agreeable to the present state of man, we perhaps 

 should not err in asserting the affirmative ; but if by " best" is meant 

 any positive excellence, which is independent of man, why then it re- 

 mains to be known what this excellence is. It cannot be affirmed that 

 in another state of things, man, preserving in an altered identity some 

 characteristic traces of his present nature, may not be better off, 

 and the state of things be better for him, than at present; for his 

 faculties may be improved, if his means of knowledge, or his senses, 

 were multiplied: his body would be improved if his strength were 

 greater; if its causes were permanent, not apt to run into disease, 

 and indissoluble; and his happiness would be enhanced if there 

 were such an agreement between his sensibilities and his circum- 

 stances as to ensure great and unremitting felicity. [ would urge, 

 further, that man does not know how far he ought to consider the 

 present state of things as the " best," according to the meaning be- 

 fore conjectured to belong to this word: I say he does not know 

 this ; for though he is acquainted with a condition of existence 

 which is neither wholly happy nor wholly miserable, yet he is 

 totally ignorant of his future fate, which is of the greatest impor- 

 i 



