The New Science

the degrees and the extremes, through which and within which, like every other mortal thing, this Humanity of Nations must run and terminate; so that by science one might learn the practices, how the Humanity of a Nation, rising, can arrive at such a perfect state; and how It, declining therefrom, can again return to it. Such a state of perfection would solely be for Nations to stop at certain maxims, demonstrated by constant reasons and practiced by common customs; over which the Reserved Wisdom of the Philosophers (3) might extend a hand and govern the Common Wisdom of the Nations; and in such a way, the most reputable of the Academies might converge with all the Wise men (a) of the Republics; and the Science of Divine and Human civil things, which is that of Religion and of Laws—which are a Theology and a commanded Morality, which is acquired by habits—might be assisted by the Science of Divine and Human natural things, which are a Theology and a reasoned Morality, which is acquired by reasonings: such that to depart from such maxims would be the true error, or rather a straying, not just of a man, but of a beast.

III.

Defect of such a Science due to the maxims of the Epicureans and the Stoics, and the practices of Plato.

But the Epicureans and the Stoics, by paths not merely different but entirely opposed to one another, depart far too much from the Common Wisdom, and abandon it. The Epicureans, because they teach that Chance blindly governs human affairs; that human souls die with the bodies; that the Senses of the body—since they provide nothing other than body—must regulate the passions with pleasure; and that utility, which changes at every hour, is the rule of the Just. The Stoics on the contrary, because they decree—

(3) It is the science of divine and human things which is acquired through reasonings.
(a) Wise men.