An Enquiry into an Origin of Honour; and the Usefulness of Christianity in War

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mandeville, Bernard, 1670-1733

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"An Enquiry into the Origin of Honour; and the Usefulness of Christianity in War" by Bernard Mandeville is a philosophical work likely written in the early 18th century. This treatise delves into the concept of honour's origins and its interplay with Christian ethics, particularly in the context of warfare. The book discusses various moral questions surrounding virtue, the significance of self-denial, and how these ideas are influenced by human society and governance. The opening of this work features a dialogue between two characters, Horatio and Cleomenes, who engage in an exploration of the nature of honour. Cleomenes proposes that honour is rooted in a unique human passion he terms "Self-liking," which drives human behavior and social dynamics. They discuss the distinction between honour and virtue, emphasizing how honour can sometimes lead to actions driven by pride rather than moral righteousness. The characters consider how honour not only serves to maintain social order but also how it has been shaped by historical and political contexts, resulting in its manipulation by institutions, particularly the Church. This initial discourse sets the stage for a broader inquiry into the implications of honour and the moral frameworks that govern human actions in both societal and military settings. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by David King, Stan Goodman, and Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 47.0 (College-level). Difficult to read.

Release date is 2005-04-01