The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Abstract of Comte, Traité de Législation. CUL-DAR85.A74. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2022. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR80-86 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man (1871).

Darwin cited this in Descent 2: 350, n61: "Ch. Comte has remarks to this effect in his 'Traité de Législation,' 3rd edit. 1837, p. 136."

[A74]

Traité de Législation 3d. Edit 1837 p. 136 par Ch. Comte -

speaks of exaggeration, but Humboldt (& others) far better to quote on this head. Humboldt argues that the Indian paint red to increase natural colour, as we until lately did, as Comte* remarks, with rouge & white cosmetics; but I doubt whether this is general.

p. 136 Men wd be sure to express their highest idea of beauty in ther sculpture of their Gods or deified men; & how different under this point of view is a Jupiter or Apollo of the Greeks from the Egyptian or Assyria statues; & how still more different are all these from the hideous representations with the flattened heads on the ancient buildings of Central America.

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)