Bernard, My Man!

[degringolade]

Contemporary / Viorel Marginean/ unknown title

Spent a while today reading about the idea of “Mandevillian Intelligence”.  Quite the interesting take on things.  

An enquiry into the origin of moral virtue

Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733)

All untaught animals are solicitous only of pleasing them-selves, and naturally follow the bent of their own inclinations without considering the good or harm this will do to others.This is why in the wild state of nature the creatures that are fittest to live peaceably together in great numbers are the ones that reveal the least understanding and have the fewest appetites to gratify; so that no species of animals is (without the curb of government) less capable of agreeing long together in multitudes than that of man. He is an extraordinarily selfish, headstrong,cunning animal; so, however he may be subdued by superior strength, it is impossible by force alone to make him tractable and receive the improvements he is capable of.

https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mandeville1732_1.pdf