The twenty-third point is this: Grant that this arises from familiarity and custom inherited by later generations from earlier ones. Yet a custom shared by all humanity, despite their differing circumstances, religions, knowledge, and intentions, can only be sound. This is the case with their habitual practices arising from nature and constitution: they all habitually eat, drink, engage in sexual relations, and wear clothes. All these customs are sound, rest on sound knowledge, and yield genuine benefits.

Likewise, their customary praise, love, and approval of truthfulness, justice, and knowledge, and their condemnation, hatred, and disapproval of lying, injustice, and ignorance, constitute a sound and good custom by universal agreement. Neither those who affirm reason’s ability to judge things good or bad nor those who deny it dispute this. They all agree that holding that the former should be loved and praised, and the latter hated and condemned, is a sound custom, neither corrupt in itself nor founded on a false belief—whether this is because it benefits them in this world or for some other reason.