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	# 2016-12-29 - Citizen of the World by Oliver Goldsmith

	Wild bird of planet earth

	Book review from 2009.

	A collection of letters from a fictional Chinese philosopher who
	visits England in the mid-1700's. The style is similar to Goldsmith's
	Friend Abroad and also other writings by Mark Twain. I read an
	edition that included more modern typography, explanatory footnotes,
	and woodcut illustrations. I was surprised how philosophical some of
	the letters were, and in some cases almost satirical.

	The preface starts by introducing a poetical scale, which maxes out
	at 20 and reminds me a little of ADND.

	In letter XV the Chinese philosopher advocates vegetarianism to avoid
	cruelty to animals.

	In letter XVII the Chinese philosopher discusses the English and
	French dispute over the northwest American territories. He says that
	it is bad for territories to become too populated, because then they
	become too powerful and independent. "Yet, obvious as these truths
	are, there are many Englishmen who are for transplanting new colonies
	into this late acquisition, for peopling the deserts of America with
	the refuse of their countrymen, and (as they express it) with the
	waste of an exuberant nation. But who are those unhappy creatures who
	are to be thus drained away? Not the sickly, for they are unwelcome
	guests abroad as well as at home; nor the idle, for they would starve
	as well behind the Appalachian mountains as in the streets of London.
	This refuse is composed of the laborious and enterprising-of such
	men as can be serviceable to their country at home-of men who ought
	to be regarded as the sinews of the people, and cherished with every
	degree of political indulgence. And what are the commodities which
	this colony, when established, are to produce in return? Why, raw
	silk, hemp, and tobacco. England, therefore, must make an exchange of
	her best and bravest subjects for raw silk, hemp, and tobacco; her
	hardy veterans and honest tradesmen must be trucked for a box of
	snuff or a silk petticoat. Strange absurdity! Surely the politics of
	the Daures are not more strange, who sell their religion, their
	wives, and their liberty for a glass bead, or a paltry pen-knife."

	Letter XXV uses simple language to describe the natural rise and
	decline of nations.

	Letter LXXXII argued that "In order to make the sciences useful in
	any country it must first become populous ... The sciences are not
	the cause of luxury, but its consequence." This is a subtle argument.
	Luxury may produce laws and science, but science may produce an
	infrastructure that is not a luxury. A luxury in the context of the
	18th century may have become a matter of life or death in the context
	of 21st century population density.

	Letter CXXI asserted that reason contributes to confusion and
	injustice. "The man who examines a complicated subject on every side,
	and calls in reason to his assistance, will frequently change; will
	find himself distracted by opposing probabilities and contending
	proofs; every alteration of place will diversify the prospect, will
	give some latent argument new force, and contribute to maintain an
	anarchy in the mind." The letter argues that a totalitarian
	government of ignorant subjects, though less reasonable, is safer
	because it is more stable and predictable. "It is extremely difficult
	to induce a number of free beings to cooperate for their mutual
	benefit; every possible advantage will necessarily be sought, and
	every attempt to procure it must be attended with a new fermentation;
	various reasons will lead different ways, and equity and advantage
	will often be out-balanced by a combination of clamour and prejudice."

	author: Goldsmith, Oliver, 1730-1774
	LOC: PR3485 .C5
	source: gopher://tilde.pink/1/~bencollver/ia/details/lettersfromcitiz00golduoft
	tags: ebook,fiction,political
	title: The Citizen Of The World

	# Tags

	ebook
	fiction
	political