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Taine, Hippolyte, 1828-1893

"The French Revolution - Volume 3"


[162] Today, more than 100 years later, where are we? Is it possible
that man can thus lie to himself and hence to others? Robert Wright,
in his book "The Moral Animal", describing "The New Science of
Evolutionary Psychology", writes (page 280): "The proposition here is
that the human brain is, in large part, a machine for winning
arguments, a machine for convincing others that its owner is in the
right - and thus a machine for convincing its owner of the same thing.
The brain is like a good lawyer: given any set of interests to defend,
its sets about convincing the world of their moral and logical worth,
regardless of whether they in fact have any of either. Like a lawyer,
it is sometimes more admirable for skill than for virtue." (SR).
[163] Buchez et Roux, XXXIII., 151. - Cf.. Dauban, "Paris en 1794,"
p.386 (engraving) and 392, F?te de l'?tre Supr?me ? Sceaux," according
to the programme drawn up by the patriot Palloy. "All citizens are
requested to be at their windows or doors, even those occupying the
rear part of the main buildings."- Ibid., 399. "Youthful citizens
will strew flowers at each station, fathers will embrace their
children and mothers turn their eyes upward to heaven.


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