▸ HEAD-TO-HEAD

BERNARD MANDEVILLE VS DUGALD STEWART

Bernard Mandeville
1670–1733
What's true is what survives the test.
Dugald Stewart
1753–1828
What's true is what survives the test.

▸ WHERE THEY SHARPLY DISAGREED

The three dimensions on which Bernard Mandeville and Dugald Stewart are farthest apart on Mull's 0–10 scale.

  • Reverence for TraditionΔ 2 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 4/10
    Dugald Stewart: 6/10

    somewhat (2/10): Dugald Stewart treats inherited tradition as a source of wisdom; Bernard Mandeville is readier to question it.

  • Trust in ReasonΔ 1 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 5/10
    Dugald Stewart: 6/10

    somewhat (1/10): Dugald Stewart trusts reasoned argument more strongly than Bernard Mandeville does.

  • Skeptical ReflexΔ 1 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 7/10
    Dugald Stewart: 8/10

    somewhat (1/10): Dugald Stewart holds doubt and suspended judgment as a discipline; Bernard Mandeville is more willing to commit.

▸ WHERE THEY OVERLAPPED

Where the gap is smallest — both with meaningful presence on the dimension (not "neither cared").

  • Self as Illusiongap 0 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 5/10
    Dugald Stewart: 5/10

    Both register moderate self as illusion.

  • Embodied Sensibilitygap 0 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 7/10
    Dugald Stewart: 7/10

    Both lean strongly into embodied sensibility.

  • Theoretical Drivegap 0 / 10
    Bernard Mandeville: 5/10
    Dugald Stewart: 5/10

    Both register moderate theoretical drive.

▸ ALL 16 DIMENSIONS

The full vector comparison. Bars show their 0–10 scores side-by-side.

  • Ascetic TendencyΔ 0
  • Communal EmbeddednessΔ 0
  • Embodied SensibilityΔ 0
  • Mystical ReceptivityΔ 0
  • Practical OrientationΔ 0
  • Reverence for TraditionΔ 2
  • Self as IllusionΔ 0
  • Skeptical ReflexΔ 1
  • Sovereign SelfΔ 0
  • Theoretical DriveΔ 0
  • Trust in ExperienceΔ 0
  • Trust in ReasonΔ 1
  • Tragic VisionΔ 0
  • Universalist ImpulseΔ 1
  • Vital AffirmationΔ 0
  • Will to PowerΔ 0
BERNARD MANDEVILLEDUGALD STEWART
What to do next

Where do you sit between Bernard Mandeville and Dugald Stewart?

  1. 01 · QUIZ
    The Inheritor
    Take the quiz — see which of them you sit closer to on the map.
    CONTINUE ▶
  2. 02 · PROFILE
    Bas van Fraassen
    A third thinker who sits between them — useful for triangulating.
    CONTINUE ▶
  3. 03 · ARENA
    Argue Bernard Mandeville
    Face Bernard Mandeville in a 5-minute single-turn debate, judged on rigor.
    CONTINUE ▶