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On　the　Significance　of　Science　and　Art

by　Leo　Tolstoy


Translated　by　Isabel　F。　Hapgood







CHAPTER　I。



。　。　。　｛1｝　The　justification　of　all　persons　who　have　freed　themselves
from　toil　is　now　founded　on　experimental；　positive　science。　　The
scientific　theory　is　as　follows：…

〃For　the　study　of　the　laws　of　life　of　human　societies；　there　exists
but　one　indubitable　method；the　positive；　experimental；　critical
method

〃Only　sociology；　founded　on　biology；　founded　on　all　the　positive
sciences；　can　give　us　the　laws　of　humanity。　　Humanity；　or　human
communities；　are　the　organisms　already　prepared；　or　still　in　process
of　formation；　and　which　are　subservient　to　all　the　laws　of　the
evolution　of　organisms。

〃One　of　the　chief　of　these　laws　is　the　variation　of　destination
among　the　portions　of　the　organs。　　Some　people　command；　others　obey。
If　some　have　in　superabundance；　and　others　in　want；　this　arises　not
from　the　will　of　God；　not　because　the　empire　is　a　form　of
manifestation　of　personality；　but　because　in　societies；　as　in
organisms；　division　of　labor　becomes　indispensable　for　life　as　a
whole。　　Some　people　perform　the　muscular　labor　in　societies；　others；
the　mental　labor。〃

Upon　this　doctrine　is　founded　the　prevailing　justification　of　our
time。

Not　long　ago；　their　reigned　in　the　learned；　cultivated　world；　a
moral　philosophy；　according　to　which　it　appeared　that　every　thing
which　exists　is　reasonable；　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　evil　or
good；　and　that　it　is　unnecessary　for　man　to　war　against　evil；　but
that　it　is　only　necessary　for　him　to　display　intelligence；one　man
in　the　military　service；　another　in　the　judicial；　another　on　the
violin。　　There　have　been　many　and　varied　expressions　of　human
wisdom；　and　these　phenomena　were　known　to　the　men　of　the　nineteenth
century。　　The　wisdom　of　Rousseau　and　of　Lessing；　and　Spinoza　and
Bruno；　and　all　the　wisdom　of　antiquity；　but　no　one　man's　wisdom
overrode　the　crowd。　　It　was　impossible　to　say　even　this；that
Hegel's　success　was　the　result　of　the　symmetry　of　this　theory。
There　were　other　equally　symmetrical　theories；those　of　Descartes；
Leibnitz；　Fichte；　Schopenhauer。　　There　was　but　one　reason　why　this
doctrine　won　for　itself；　for　a　season；　the　belief　of　the　whole
world；　and　this　reason　was；　that　the　deductions　of　that　philosophy
winked　at　people's　weaknesses。　　These　deductions　were　summed　up　in
this；that　every　thing　was　reasonable；　every　thing　good；　and　that
no　one　was　to　blame。

When　I　began　my　career；　Hegelianism　was　the　foundation　of　every
thing。　　It　was　floating　in　the　air；　it　was　expressed　in　newspaper
and　periodical　articles；　in　historical　and　judicial　lectures；　in
novels；　in　treatises；　in　art；　in　sermons；　in　conversation。　　The　man
who　was　not　acquainted　with　Hegal　had　no　right　to　speak。　　Any　one
who　desired　to　understand　the　truth　studied　Hegel。　　Every　thing
rested　on　him。　　And　all　at　once　the　forties　passed；　and　there　was
nothing　left　of　him。　　There　was　not　even　a　hint　of　him；　any　more
than　if　he　had　never　existed。　　And　the　most　amazing　thing　of　all
was；　that　Hegelianism　did　not　fall　because　some　one　overthrew　it　or
destroyed　it。　　No！　　It　was　the　same　then　as　now；　but　all　at　once　it
appeared　that　it　was　of　no　use　whatever　to　the　learned　and
cultivated　world。

There　was　a　time　when　the　Hegelian　wise　men　triumphantly　instructed
the　masses；　and　the　crowd；　understanding　nothing；　blindly　believed
in　every　thing；　finding　confirmation　in　the　fact　that　it　was　on
hand；　and　they　believed　that　what　seemed　to　them　muddy　and
contradictory　there　on　the　heights　of　philosophy　was　all　as　clear　as
the　day。　　But　that　time　has　gone　by。　　That　theory　is　worn　out：　　a
new　theory　has　presented　itself　in　its　stead。　　The　old　one　has
become　useless；　and　the　crowd　has　looked　into　the　secret　sanctuaries
of　the　high　priests；　and　has　seen　that　there　is　nothing　there；　and
that　there　has　been　nothing　there；　save　very　obscure　and　senseless
words。　　This　has　taken　place　within　my　memory。

〃But　this　arises；〃　people　of　the　present　science　will　say；　〃from　the
fact　that　all　that　was　the　raving　of　the　theological　and
metaphysical　period；　but　now　there　exists　positive；　critical
science；　which　does　not　deceive；　since　it　is　all　founded　on
induction　and　experiment。　　Now　our　erections　are　not　shaky；　as　they
formerly　were；　and　only　in　our　path　lies　the　solution　of　all　the
problems　of　humanity。〃

But　the　old　teachers　said　precisely　the　same；　and　they　were　no
fools；　and　we　know　that　there　were　people　of　great　intelligence
among　them。　　And　precisely　thus；　within　my　memory；　and　with　no　less
confidence；　with　no　less　recognition　on　the　part　of　the　crowd　of　so…
called　cultivated　people；　spoke　the　Hegelians。　　And　neither　were　our
Herzens；　our　Stankevitches；　or　our　Byelinskys　fools。　　But　whence
arose　that　marvellous　manifestation；　that　sensible　people　should
preach　with　the　greatest　assurance；　and　that　the　crowd　should　accept
with　devotion；　such　unfounded　and　unsupportable　teachings？　　There　is
but　one　reason；that　the　teachings　thus　inculcated　justified　people
in　their　evil　life。

A　very　poor　English　writer；　whose　works　are　all　forgotten；　and
recognized　as　the　most　insignificant　of　the　insignificant；　writes　a
treatise　on　population；　in　which　he　devises　a　fictitious　law
concerning　the　increase　of　population　disproportionate　to　the　means
of　subsistence。　　This　fictitious　law；　this　writer　encompasses　with
mathematical　formulae　founded　on　nothing　whatever；　and　then　he
launches　it　on　the　world。　　From　the　frivolity　and　the　stupidity　of
this　hypothesis；　one　would　suppose　that　it　would　not　attract　the
attention　of　any　one；　and　that　it　would　sink　into　oblivion；　like　all
the　works　of　the　same　author　which　followed　it；　but　it　turned　out
quite　otherwise。　　The　hack…writer　who　penned　this　treatise　instantly
becomes　a　scientific　authority；　and　maintains　himself　upon　that
height　for　nearly　half　a　century。　　Malthus！　　The　Malthusian　theory；…
…the　law　of　the　increase　of　the　population　in　geometrical；　and　of
the　means　of　subsistence　in　arithmetical　proportion；　and　the　wise
and　natural　means　of　restricting　the　population；all　these　have
become　scientific；　indubitable　truths；　which　have　not　been
confirmed；　but　which　have　been　employed　as　axioms；　for　the　erection
of　false　theories。　　In　this　manner　have　learned　and　cultivated
people　proceeded；　and　among　the　herd　of　idle　persons；　there　sprung
up　a　pious　trust　in　the　great　laws　expounded　by　Malthus。　　How　did
this　come　to　pass？　　It　would　seem　as　though　they　were　scientific
deductions；　which　had　nothing　in　common　with　the　instincts　of　the
masses。　　But　this　can　only　appear　so　for　the　man　who　believes　that
science；　like　the　Church；　is　something　self…contained；　liable　to　no
errors；　and　not　simply　the　imaginings　of　weak　and　erring　folk；　who
merely　substitute　the　imposing　word　〃science；〃　in　place　of　the
thoughts　and　words　of　the　people；　for　the　sake　of　impressiveness。

All　that　was　necessary　was　to　make　practical　deductions　from　the
theory　of　Malthus；　in　order　to　perceive　that　this　theory　was　of　the
most　human　sort；　with　the　best　defined　of　objects。　　The　deductions
directly　arising　from　this　theory　were　the　following：　　The　wretched
condition　of　the　laboring　classes　was　such　in　accordance　with　an
unalterable　law；　which　does　not　depend　upon　men；　and；　if　any　one　is
to　blame　in　this　matter；　it　is　the　hungry　laboring　classes
themselves。　　Why　are　they　such　fools　as　to　give　birth　to　children；
when　they　know　that　there　will　be　nothing　for　the　children　to　eat？
And　so　this　deduction；　which　is　valuable　for　the　herd　of　idle
people；　has　had　this　result：　　that　all　learned　men　overlooked　the
incorrectness；　the　utter　arbitrariness　of　these　deductions；　and
their　insusceptibility　to　proof；　and　the　throng　of　cultivated；　i。e。；
of　idle　people；　knowing　instinctively　to　what　these　deductions　lead；
saluted　this　theory　with　enthusiasm；　conferred　upon　it　the　stamp　of
truth；　i。e。；　of　science；　and　dragged　it　about　with　them　for　half　a
century。

Is　not　this　same　thing　the　cause　of　the　confidence　of　men　in
positive　critical…experimental　science；　and　of　the　devout　attitude
of　the　crowd　towards　that　which　it　preaches？　　At　first　it　seems
strange；　that　the　theory　of　evolution　can　in　any　manner　justify
people　in　their　evil　ways；　and　it　seems　as　though　the　scientific
theory　of　evolution　has　to　deal　only　with　facts；　and　that　it　does
nothing　else　but　observe　facts。

But　this　only　appears　to　be　the　case。

Exactly　the　same　thing　appeared　to　be　the　case　with　the　Hegelian
doctrine；　in　a　greater　degree；　and　also　in　the　special　instance　of
the　Malthusian　doctrine。　　Hegelianism　was；　apparently；　occupied　only
with　its　logical　constructions；　and　bore　no　relation　to　the　life　of
mankind。　　Precisely　this　seemed　to　be　the　case　with　the　Malthusian
theory。　　It　appeared　to　be　busy　itself　only　with　statistical　data。
But　this　was　only　in　appearance。

Contemporary　science　is　also　occupied　with　facts　alone：　　it
investigates　facts。　　But　what　facts？　　Why　precisely　these　facts；　and
no　others？

The　men　of　contemporary　science　are　very　fond　of　saying；
triumphantly　and　confidently；　〃We　investigate　only　facts；〃　imagining
that　t