Books: Little Voltaire

IDIOT MAN—Charles Richet— Brentano's ($2). Because he drinks, drugs, smokes, wears earrings, has venereal diseases, tattoos, castrates, circumcises, lets mosquitoes live, fears free trade and death, martyrs his great, razes his forests and does not talk Esperanto, and because all the while he knows better, therefore, fumes Prof. Richet, homo sapiens is homo stultus, most stupid of animals, God's idiot. Most of which is the ranting of a dyspeptic physiologist. Whole herds of bison, seals, penguins and other contented animals are cited in contrast to homo stultus, but in the heat...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!