Political Quotes

Walter Bagehot: “If any reasoning is safe as to pre-historic man, the reasoning which imputes to him a deficient sense of morals is safe…”

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If any reasoning is safe as to pre-historic man, the reasoning which imputes to him a deficient sense of morals is safe, for all the arguments suggested by all our late researches converge upon it, and concur in teaching it.
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Walter Bagehot

Editor's note · Context

Bagehot argues that evidence suggests prehistoric humans had a limited sense of morality.

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It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.

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The lessons are good where its primitive assumptions hold, but may be false where those assumptions fail.

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But it is natural also that persons used to analyse political institutions should look at these anomalies with a little tenderness and a little interest.

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