With the conception thus renewed and rectified the truth nearest at hand is brought out， then out of this， a second truth related to the first one， and so on to the end， no other obligation being involved in this method but that of carefully advancing step by step， and of omitting no intermediary step. - With this method one is able to explain all， to make everything understood， even by women， and even by women of society. In the eighteenth century it forms the substance of all talents， the warp of all masterpieces， the lucidity， popularity and authority of philosophy. The "Eloges" of Fontenelle， the "Philosophe ignorant et le principe d'action" by Voltaire， the "Lettre à M. de Beaumont，" and the "Vicaire Savoyard" by Rousseau， the "Traité de l'homme" and the "époques de la Nature" by Buffon， the "Dialogues sur les blés" by Galiani， the " Considérations" by d'Alembert， on mathematics， the " Langue des Calculs" and the "Logique" by Condillac， and， a little later， the "Exposition du système du Monde" by Laplace， and "Discours généraux" by Bichat and Cuvier； all are based on this method[12]. Finally， this is the method which Condillac erects into a theory under the name of ideology， soon acquiring the ascendancy of a dogma， and which then seems to sum up all methods. At the very least it sums up the process by which the philosophers of the century obtained their audience， propagated their doctrine and achieved their success.
III. ITS POPULARITY.
Owing to style it becomes pleasing. - Two stimulants peculiar to the 18th century， coarse humor and irony.
Thanks to this method one can be understood； but， to be read， something more is necessary. I compare the eighteenth century to a company of people around a table； it is not sufficient that the food before them be well prepared， well served， within reach and easy to digest， but it is important that it should be some choice dish or， better still， some dainty. The intellect is Epicurean； let us supply it with savory， delicate viands adapted to its taste； it will eat so much the more owing to its appetite being sharpened by sensuality.
