THE GEOMETRICAL METHOD. 555 



losing their power, and whatever is thereon conse- 

 quent, is the sole motive which can be relied on for 

 producing on the part of rulers a course of conduct in 

 accordance with the general interest. 



We have thus a fundamental theorem of political 

 science, consisting of three syllogisms, and depending 

 chiefly upon two general premisses, in each of which 

 a certain effect is considered as determined only by 

 one cause, not by a concurrence of causes. In the 

 one, it is assumed that the actions of average rulers 

 are determined solely by self-interest; in the other, 

 that the sense of identity of interest with the governed, 

 is produced and producible by no other cause than 

 responsibility. 



Neither of these propositions is by any means 

 true; the last is extremely wide of the truth. 



It is not true that the actions even of average 

 rulers are wholly, or anything approaching to wholly, 

 determined by their personal interest, or even by their 

 own opinion of their personal interest. I do not 

 speak of the influence of a sense of duty, or feelings 

 of philanthropy, motives never to be exclusively 

 relied on, although (except in countries or during 

 periods of great moral debasement) they influence 

 almost all rulers in some degree, and some rulers in a 

 very great degree. But I insist only upon what is 

 true of all rulers, viz., that the character and course 

 of their actions is largely influenced (independently of 

 personal calculation) by the habitual sentiments and 

 feelings, the general modes of thinking and acting, 

 which prevail throughout the community of which 

 they are members; as well as by the feelings, habits, 

 and modes of thought which characterize the parti- 

 cular class in that community to which they them- 

 selves belong. And no one will understand or be 



