"Customs Theory (Volume 2)"

Author: Voltaire (French), translated by Xie Wuxen and others
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This is a monumental and extensive work that focuses on religious issues while delving into various aspects of culture, highlighting the arduous journey of humanity from ignorance to civilization. The book uses numerous facts to expose the darkness and corruption of the Church, opposing religious fanaticism, persecution, and sectarian strife. With sharp prose and grandeur, it spans thousands of years and traverses several continents, presenting a magnificent panorama of the spirit and customs of important nations around the world. It narrates complex historical events, capturing their essence and; it portrays characters vividly and skillfully sketches social dynamics and historical landscapes with concise brushstrokes. This book is not only a scholarly work for historians but also a valuable read for any general reader interested in world history. Discourse on the Customs of Nations focuses on the customs of different peoples while also exploring the underlying national spirit and mentality behind these customs. Therefore, this historical work is not merely a chronicle of dynasties, politics, or events. In a sense, it can even be considered a precursor to the contemporary French Annales School, where the seeds of later social science methodologies can be found. Voltaire explicitly states in the book: "My main idea is to understand the customs of different peoples as much as possible and to study the human spirit. I regard the succession of kings as a guiding thread rather than the purpose of writing history." Law, art, and customs are the main subjects of this book. Thus, it is not a strict chronicle or genealogy. As a more personalized teaching method, he did not even deliberately consult numerous books to clarify details but instead aimed to provide a general outline of the world. The author of Discourse on the Customs of Nations also shows a strong interest in and equal attitude toward non-Western civilizations. He dedicates considerable space to discussing the culture of non-Western worlds, often with a complimentary tone, especially when introducing China, where he expresses great enthusiasm. He mentions that in other countries, law is used to punish crimes, while in China, its role is greater, rewarding virtuous behavior. He points out that in ancient times, the Chinese were already quite advanced, but he also raises the question: Why did China remain at this stage? Why was astronomy so ancient in China, yet its achievements so limited? Why did they still not know about semitones in music? In his view, these people, so different from Westerners, seemed to be endowed by nature with organs that could easily discover what they needed but could not progress further. We, on the other hand, acquired knowledge late but quickly perfected everything. He speculates that there might be two reasons: one is the Chinese people's inexplicable reverence for what their ancestors left behind, believing that everything ancient is perfect, and the other lies in the nature of their language. Regarding later academic criticism of Discourse on the Customs of Nations, Moroia considers it "a mixture of praise and blame." There are still many factual errors in the book, some of which the author is hard-pressed to excuse, while others are unavoidable, as the truth was not yet clear at the time. Montesquieu said that Voltaire's purpose in writing history was to glorify his own sect, i.e., to promote his secular religion. Voltaire wanted to prove that Bochart's explanation of world history based on the will of God was wrong, believing that history should not be explained by original causes but by the blind play of many small causes. He denied all supernatural phenomena, and it should be said that drawing this line is very meaningful for the independent development of historiography. However, he sometimes believed that the past of humanity was a continuous chain of sin and suffering, and that chaos could soon be clarified by reason, which was perhaps too pessimistic about the past and too optimistic about the future. Nevertheless, regardless of anything else, we can quote one sentence from this book to describe it: "A person who thinks with the heart will always inspire others to think."