Monday's Quotation

"The theoretical part of this work is divided into chapters, and the chapters into propositions or articles. Nothing makes better felt the connections between ideas than to disconnect the propositions. The reader then sees where the chain of ideas is interrupted, and where it is continuous. . . . The continuous style, which is more agreeable for the reader, is also easier for the writer, and is above all better suited to imposing itself on the reader's attention while masking the disorder of ideas; but it is less favorable to the exposition of truth, and this is why the geometers adopted the method of division into proposition."--Louis De Bonald, Legislation Primitive, freely translated by me.

This statement may be taken too far; Spinoza did not attain the truth. But what truth, if any, does this statement contain?

Well, it is difficult to hide logical errors in clear and logical prose with clearly enumerated propositions, syllogisms, and conclusions. The clarity with which the ideas are articulated makes inserting bad arguments difficult.

It is easier, but still difficult to hide such errors in paragraphs of typically rhetorical prose. The presence of rhetoric and the absence of explicit logical steps makes it easier to hide bad arguments. But the arguments are still articulated, generally in enthymeme rather than syllogistic form.

Worst of all, though, is visual or emotional rhetoric that lacks any articulated arguments or propositions whatsoever, and instead works by associating positive feelings and images with whatever the rhetorician wants to communicate. Most modern rhetoric appealing to rights, freedom, democracy, and so on and so forth falls into this category.

When one looks at modern democracy, however, we find that this is the sort of argument that dominates the public sphere. This is quite predictable. All articulated, logical arguments require significant attention and concentration if they are to work. Given that the supermajority of citizens in a democracy are unsuited for such an activity by education or by nature, by the amount of leisure time that they have, and by reason of their constant entertainment and distraction, political success can best be gained by the use of such language. This is why elections are not intellectual engagements.

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Untranslated quotation: "La partie theorique de cet ouvrage est divisee en chapitres, et les chapitres en propositions o articles. Rien ne fait mieux sentir la liaison des idees que de detacher les propositions. Le lecteur voit alors ou la chaine des idees est interrompue, et ou elle est continue. . . . Le style continu, plus agreable pour le lecteur, est aussi plus aise pour l'ecrivain, et surtout plus propre a en imposer a l'attention sur le desordre des idees; mais il est moins favorable a l'exposition de la verite, et c'est ce qui a fait adopter par les geometres la division en propositions."

Note: Mondays will, unless disaster strikes, feature short quotations from generally unknown authors, with a short meditation upon the quotation's significance for our day.