Critical History of Eclecticism

—were always the faithful disciples of truth, and its sincere friends. A love for truth makes for a man of integrity The original French honnête homme refers to the 17th and 18th-century social and moral ideal of a person of integrity, refined culture, and virtue. and a man of religion: a fortunate resource, which sets us on the path of happiness, or brings us back to it sooner or later, when the misfortune of birth Refers to being born into a culture or family that holds erroneous beliefs. or the power of deception has cast us into error.

The Creator has formed our minds for the true, and we could have no attraction to what is false. Thus, it is not strictly a hatred for truth, but rather an indifference toward it, that can be blamed on those without virtue. They cling to error only for the sake of interests they lack the strength to sacrifice for this love of truth. A sound philosophy nevertheless makes us feel that this disposition, so common among me— The original French text "hom-" is a truncation of "hommes" (men), cut off by the end of the page.