138 Mr. Buckle's Fallacies. [ix. 



examine it at some length, taking up in succession 

 the several steps of the argument. 



Amid much that is obscurely stated, and much 

 that is irrelevant to the subject, we trace the following 

 line of propositions : — 



I. The native faculties of men do not improve, so 

 that we must look for progress only in their acqui- 

 sitions. 



IL They acquire but few " moral truths," which 

 " remain stationary ; " but they acquire many " intel- 

 lectual truths," which are " continually advancing." 



III. Because civihsation cannot be regulated by the 

 "stationary agent," it must be regulated solely by 

 intellectual progress. 



Let us see whether these statements will bear a 

 critical examination. -"^ 



I. Mr. Buckle begins by denying that the natural 

 faculties of man are in a course of development. 

 " Here, then, lies the gist of the whole matter. The 

 progress is one, not of internal power, but of external 

 advantage. The child born in a civihsed land is not 

 likely, as such, to be superior to one born among 

 barbarians, and the difference which ensues between 



^ [This argument of "Intellect v. Morals" was regarded by Mr. 

 Buckle as the fundamental position of his book. See Stuart-Glennie's 

 Filgrim Memories, p. 196.] 



