He is universally regarded as the leader of philosophy in France, a position not in the least shaken by Bergson's brief authority.

In a charming and lucid study of the "Psychology of the Peoples of Europe" Fouillee has many pages that might serve for an introduction to the Irish Question.
The point of interest in his analysis is this: he exhibits Irish history as a tragedy of character, a tragedy which flows with sad, inevitable logic from a certain weakness which he notes, not in the Irish, but in the English character.
"'In the eyes of the English,' says Taine who had studied them so minutely, 'there is but one reasonable civilisation, namely their own.

Every other way of living is that of inferior beings, every other religion is extravagant.' So that, one might add, the Englishman is doubly personal, first as an individual and again as a member of the most highly individualised of nations.

The moment the national interest is involved all dissensions cease, there is on the scene but one single man, one single Englishman, who shrinks from no expedient that may advance his ends.

Morality for him reduces itself to one precept: Safeguard at any cost the interest of England." Like all foreigners he takes Ireland as the one conspicuous and flaming failure of England.