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the State ? But Shakespeare, whose mind supplied these 

 means, could probably not have told why they were so 

 efi'ective. 



But though this is true, and though it would be absurd 

 in an absolute way to say that a given analytic mind was 

 superior to any intuitional one, yet it is none the less true 

 that the former represents the higher stage. Men, taken 

 historically, reason by analogy long before they have learned 

 to reason by abstract characters. Association by similarity 

 and true reasoning may have identical results. If a philos- 

 opher wishes to prove to you why you should do a certain 

 thing, he may do so by using abstract considerations exclu- 

 sively ; a savage will prove the same by reminding you of a 

 similar case in which you notoriously do as he now pro- 

 poses, and this with no ability to state the "point in which 

 the cases are similar. In all primitive literature, in all 

 savage oratory, we find persuasion carried on exclusively 

 by parables and similes, and travellers in savage countries 

 readily adopt the native custom. Take, for example. Dr. 

 Livingstone's argument with the negro conjuror. The mis- 

 sionary was trying to dissuade the savage from his fetichistic 

 ways of invoking rain. "You see," said he, "that, after all 

 your operations, sometimes it rains and sometimes it does 

 not, exactly as when you have not operated at all." " But," 

 replied the sorcerer, "it is just the same with you doctors; 

 you give your remedies, and sometimes the patient gets well 

 and sometimes he dies, just as when you do nothing at all." 

 To that the pious missionary replied : " The doctor does his 

 duty, after which God performs the cure if it pleases Him.'* 

 " Well," rejoined the savage, " it is just so with me. I do 

 what is necessary to procure rain, after which God sends it 

 or withholds it according to His pleasure." * 



This is the stage in which proverbial philosophy reigns 

 supreme. " An empty sack can't stand straight" will stand 

 for the reason why a man with debts may lose his honesty ; 

 and " a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" will serve 

 to back up one's exhortations to prudence. Or we answer 

 the question : " Why is snow white ?" by saying, " For the 



* Quoted by Renouvier, Critique Philosopbique, October 19, 1879. 



