the mass of mankind has reached its term of improvement, but the
principal argument of this essay tends to place in a strong point
of view the improbability that the lower classes of people in any
country should ever be sufficiently free from want and labour to
obtain any high degree of intellectual improvement.



CHAPTER 12

Mr Godwin's conjecture concerning the indefinite prolongation of
human life--Improper inference drawn from the effects of mental
stimulants on the human frame, illustrated in various instances--
Conjectures not founded on any indications in the past not to be
considered as philosophical conjectures--Mr Godwin's and Mr
Condorcet's conjecture respecting the approach of man towards
immortality on earth, a curious instance of the inconsistency of
scepticism.


Mr Godwin's conjecture respecting the future approach of man
towards immortality on earth seems to be rather oddly placed in a
chapter which professes to remove the objection to his system of
equality from the principle of population. Unless he supposes the
passion between the sexes to decrease faster than the duration of
life increases, the earth would be more encumbered than ever. But
leaving this difficulty to Mr Godwin, let us examine a few of the
appearances from which the probable immortality of man is
inferred.