on the significance of science and art-第11节

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it。

Our　position　is　a　very　difficult　one；　but　why　not　look　at　it
squarely？

It　is　time　to　recover　our　senses；　and　to　scrutinize　ourselves。
Surely　we　are　nothing　else　than　the　scribes　and　Pharisees；　who　sit
in　Moses'　seat；　and　who　have　taken　the　keys　of　the　kingdom　of
heaven；　and　will　neither　go　in　ourselves；　nor　permit　others　to　go
in。　　Surely　we；　the　high　priests　of　science　and　art；　are　ourselves
worthless　deceivers；　possessing　much　less　right　to　our　position　than
the　most　crafty　and　depraved　priests。　　Surely　we　have　no
justification　for　our　privileged　position。　　The　priests　had　a　right
to　their　position：　　they　declared　that　they　taught　the　people　life
and　salvation。　　But　we　have　taken　their　place；　and　we　do　not
instruct　the　people　in　life；we　even　admit　that　such　instruction　is
unnecessary；but　we　educate　our　children　in　the　same　Talmudic…Greek
and　Latin　grammar；　in　order　that　they　may　be　able　to　pursue　the　same
life　of　parasites　which　we　lead　ourselves。　　We　say；　〃There　used　to
be　castes；　but　there　are　none　among　us。〃　　But　what　does　it　mean；
that　some　people　and　their　children　toil；　while　other　people　and
their　children　do　not　toil？

Bring　hither　an　Indian　ignorant　of　our　language；　and　show　him
European　life；　and　our　life；　for　several　generations；　and　he　will
recognize　the　same　leading；　well…defined　castesof　laborers　and
non…laborersas　there　are　in　his　own　country。　　And　as　in　his　land；
so　in　ours；　the　right　of　refusing　to　labor　is　conferred　by　a
peculiar　consecration；　which　we　call　science　and　art；　or；　in　general
terms；　culture。　　It　is　this　culture；　and　all　the　distortions　of
sense　connected　with　it；　which　have　brought　us　to　that　marvellous
madness；　in　consequence　of　which　we　do　not　see　that　which　is　so
clear　and　indubitable。



CHAPTER　VII。



Then；　what　is　to　be　done？　　What　are　we　to　do？

This　question；　which　includes　within　itself　both　an　admission　that
our　life　is　evil　and　wrong；　and　in　connection　with　this；as　though
it　were　an　exercise　for　it；that　it　is　impossible；　nevertheless；　to
change　it；　this　question　I　have　heard；　and　I　continue　to　hear；　on
all　sides。　　I　have　described　my　own　sufferings；　my　own　gropings；　and
my　own　solution　of　this　question。　　I　am　the　same　kind　of　a　man　as
everybody　else；　and　if　I　am　in　any　wise　distinguished　from　the
average　man　of　our　circle；　it　is　chiefly　in　this　respect；　that　I；
more　than　the　average　man；　have　served　and　winked　at　the　false
doctrine　of　our　world；　I　have　received　more　approbation　from　men
professing　the　prevailing　doctrine：　　and　therefore；　more　than
others；　have　I　become　depraved；　and　wandered　from　the　path。　　And
therefore　I　think　that　the　solution　of　the　problem；　which　I　have
found　in　my　own　case；　will　be　applicable　to　all　sincere　people　who
are　propounding　the　same　question　to　themselves。

First　of　all；　in　answer　to　the　question；　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　I
told　myself：　　〃I　must　lie　neither　to　other　people　nor　to　myself。　　I
must　not　fear　the　truth；　whithersoever　it　may　lead　me。〃

We　all　know　what　it　means　to　lie　to　other　people；　but　we　are　not
afraid　to　lie　to　ourselves；　yet　the　very　worst　downright　lie；　to
other　people；　is　not　to　be　compared　in　its　consequences　with　the　lie
to　ourselves；　upon　which　we　base　our　whole　life。

This　is　the　lie　of　which　we　must　not　be　guilty　if　we　are　to　be　in　a
position　to　answer　the　question：　　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　　And；　in
fact；　how　am　I　to　answer　the　question；　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　when
every　thing　that　I　do；　when　my　whole　life；　is　founded　on　a　lie；　and
when　I　carefully　parade　this　lie　as　the　truth　before　others　and
before　myself？　　Not　to　lie；　in　this　sense；　means　not　to　fear　the
truth；　not　to　devise　subterfuges；　and　not　to　accept　the　subterfuges
devised　by　others　for　the　purpose　of　hiding　from　myself　the
deductions　of　my　reason　and　my　conscience；　not　to　fear　to　part
company　with　all　those　who　surround　me；　and　to　remain　alone　in
company　with　reason　and　conscience；　not　to　fear　that　position　to
which　the　truth　shall　lead　me；　being　firmly　convinced　that　that
position　to　which　truth　and　conscience　shall　conduct　me；　however
singular　it　may　be；　cannot　be　worse　than　the　one　which　is　founded　on
a　lie。　　Not　to　lie；　in　our　position　of　privileged　persons　of　mental
labor；　means；　not　to　be　afraid　to　reckon　one's　self　up　wrongly。　　It
is　possible　that　you　are　already　so　deeply　indebted　that　you　cannot
take　stock　of　yourself；　but　to　whatever　extent　this　may　be　the　case；
however　long　may　be　the　account；　however　far　you　have　strayed　from
the　path；　it　is　still　better　than　to　continue　therein。　　A　lie　to
other　people　is　not　alone　unprofitable；　every　matter　is　settled　more
directly　and　more　speedily　by　the　truth　than　by　a　lie。　　A　lie　to
others　only　entangles　matters；　and　delays　the　settlement；　but　a　lie
to　one's　self；　set　forth　as　the　truth；　ruins　a　man's　whole　life。　　If
a　man；　having　entered　on　the　wrong　path；　assumes　that　it　is　the　true
one；　then　every　step　that　he　takes　on　that　path　removes　him　farther
from　his　goal。　　If　a　man　who　has　long　been　travelling　on　this　false
path　divines　for　himself；　or　is　informed　by　some　one；　that　his
course　is　a　mistaken　one；　but　grows　alarmed　at　the　idea　that　he　has
wandered　very　far　astray　and　tries　to　convince　himself　that　he　may；
possibly；　still　strike　into　the　right　road；　then　he　never　will　get
into　it。　　If　a　man　quails　before　the　truth；　and；　on　perceiving　it；
does　not　accept　it；　but　does　accept　a　lie　for　the　truth；　then　he
never　will　learn　what　he　ought　to　do。　　We；　the　not　only　wealthy；　but
privileged　and　so…called　cultivated　persons；　have　advanced　so　far　on
the　wrong　road；　that　a　great　deal　of　determination；　or　a　very　great
deal　of　suffering　on　the　wrong　road；　is　required；　in　order　to　bring
us　to　our　senses　and　to　the　acknowledgment　of　the　lie　in　which　we
are　living。　　I　have　perceived　the　lie　of　our　lives；　thanks　to　the
sufferings　which　the　false　path　entailed　upon　me；　and；　having
recognized　the　falseness　of　this　path　on　which　I　stood；　I　have　had
the　boldness　to　go　at　first　in　thought　onlywhither　reason　and
conscience　led　me；　without　reflecting　where　they　would　bring　me　out。
And　I　have　been　rewarded　for　this　boldness。

All　the　complicated；　broken；　tangled；　and　incoherent　phenomena　of
life　surrounding　me；　have　suddenly　become　clear；　and　my　position　in
the　midst　of　these　phenomena；　which　was　formerly　strange　and
burdensome；　has　become；　all　at　once；　natural；　and　easy　to　bear。

In　this　new　position；　my　activity　was　defined　with　perfect　accuracy；
not　at　all　as　it　had　previously　presented　itself　to　me；　but　as　a　new
and　much　more　peaceful；　loving；　and　joyous　activity。　　The　very　thing
which　had　formerly　terrified　me；　now　began　to　attract　me。　　Hence　I
think；　that　the　man　who　will　honestly　put　to　himself　the　question；
〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　and；　replying　to　this　query；　will　not　lie　to
himself；　but　will　go　whither　his　reason　leads；　has　already　solved
the　problem。

There　is　only　one　thing　that　can　hinder　him　in　his　search　for　an
issue；an　erroneously　lofty　idea　of　himself　and　of　his　position。
This　was　the　case　with　me；　and　then　another；　arising　from　the　first
answer　to　the　question：　　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　consisted　for　me　in
this；　that　it　was　necessary　for　me　to　repent；　in　the　full　sense　of
that　word；i。e。；　to　entirely　alter　my　conception　of　my　position　and
my　activity；　to　confess　the　hurtfulness　and　emptiness　of　my
activity；　instead　of　its　utility　and　gravity；　to　confess　my　own
ignorance　instead　of　culture；　to　confess　my　immorality　and　harshness
in　the　place　of　my　kindness　and　morality；　instead　of　my　elevation；
to　acknowledge　my　lowliness。　　I　say；　that　in　addition　to　not　lying
to　myself；　I　had　to　repent；　because；　although　the　one　flows　from　the
other；　a　false　conception　of　my　lofty　importance　had　so　grown　up
with　me；　that；　until　I　sincerely　repented　and　cut　myself　free　from
that　false　estimate　which　I　had　formed　of　myself；　I　did　not　perceive
the　greater　part　of　the　lie　of　which　I　had　been　guilty　to　myself。
Only　when　I　had　repented；　that　is　to　say；　when　I　had　ceased　to　look
upon　myself　as　a　regular　man；　and　had　begun　to　regard　myself　as　a
man　exactly　like　every　one　else；only　then　did　my　path　become　clear
before　me。　　Before　that　time　I　had　not　been　able　to　answer　the
question：　　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　because　I　had　stated　the　question
itself　wrongly。

As　long　as　I　did　not　repent；　I　put　the　question　thus：　　〃What　sphere
of　activity　should　I　choose；　I；　the　man　who　has　received　the
education　and　the　talents　which　have　fallen　to　my　shame？　　How；　in
this　fashion；　make　recompense　with　that　education　and　those　talents；
for　what　I　have　taken；　and　for　what　I　still　take；　from　the　people？〃
This　question　was　wrong；　because　it　contained　a　false
representation；　to　the　effect　that　I　was　not　a　man　just　like　them；
but　a　peculiar　man　called　to　serve　the　people　with　those　talents　and
with　that　education　which　I　had　won　by　the　efforts　of　forty　years。

I　propounded　the　query　to　myself；　but；　in　reality；　I　had　answered　it
in　advance；　in　that　I　had　in　advance　defined　the　sort　of　activity
which　was　agreeable　to　me；　and　by　which　I　was　called　upon　to　serve
the　people。　　I　had；　in　fact；　asked　myself：　　〃In　what　manner　could　I；
so