Hypocrisy and Moral Judgment

The book condemns the cynical person who believes everything is a humbug as the greatest fool, arguing that such universal distrust is itself a form of moral corruption and that hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.

The publisher argues that Barnum has never befooled the public to its injury and that his only secret is honesty, countering the moral judgment implied by the 'humbug' label.

Tom Simmons's outrage over the new debt law is hypocritical, as he profited from the previous system that exploited the poor.

Criticizes the Davenports for pretending to deal in spiritual matters while engaging in fraud, and justifies Dr. Van Vleck's deceptive methods as a means to expose them.

Spiritualists who claim to be honest are shown to be hypocrites when their fraud is exposed, and they are 'cheaply sold'.