on the significance of science and art-第5节

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physically　into　utterly　useless　parasites；　and　mentally　they
dislocate　their　brains　and　become　mental　eunuchs。　　And　in　precisely
the　same　manner；　according　to　the　measure　of　their　folly；　do　they
acquire　self…conceit；　which　deprives　them　forever　of　all　possibility
of　return　to　a　simple　life　of　toil；　to　a　simple；　clear；　and
universally　human　train　of　reasoning。

Division　of　labor　always　has　existed　in　human　communities；　and　will
probably　always　exist；　but　the　question　for　us　lies　not　in　the　fact
that　it　has　existed；　and　that　it　will　exist；　but　in　this；how　are
we　to　govern　ourselves　so　that　this　division　shall　be　right？　　But　if
we　take　investigation　as　our　rule　of　action；　we　by　this　very　act
repudiate　all　rule；　then　in　that　case　we　shall　regard　as　right　every
division　of　labor　which　we　shall　descry　among　men；　and　which　appears
to　us　to　be　rightto　which　conclusion　the　prevailing　scientific
science　also　leads。

Division　of　labor！

Some　are　busied　in　mental　or　moral；　others　in　muscular　or　physical；
labor。　　With　what　confidence　people　enunciate　this！　　They　wish　to
think　so；　and　it　seems　to　them　that；　in　point　of　fact；　a　perfectly
regular　exchange　of　services　does　take　place。

But　we；　in　our　blindness；　have　so　completely　lost　sight　of　the
responsibility　which　we　have　assumed；　that　we　have　even　forgotten　in
whose　name　our　labor　is　prosecuted；　and　the　very　people　whom　we　have
undertaken　to　serve　have　become　the　objects　of　our　scientific　and
artistic　activity。　　We　study　and　depict　them　for　our　amusement　and
diversion。　　We　have　totally　forgotten　that　what　we　need　to　do　is　not
to　study　and　depict　them；　but　to　serve　them。　　To　such　a　degree　have
we　lost　sight　of　this　duty　which　we　have　taken　upon　us；　that　we　have
not　even　noticed　that　what　we　have　undertaken　to　perform　in　the
realm　of　science　and　art　has　been　accomplished　not　by　us；　but　by
others；　and　that　our　place　has　turned　out　to　be　occupied。

It　proves　that　while　we　have　been　disputing；　one　about　the
spontaneous　origin　of　organisms；　another　as　to　what　else　there　is　in
protoplasm；　and　so　on；　the　common　people　have　been　in　need　of
spiritual　food；　and　the　unsuccessful　and　rejected　of　art　and
science；　in　obedience　to　the　mandate　of　adventurers　who　have　in　view
the　sole　aim　of　profit；　have　begun　to　furnish　the　people　with　this
spiritual　food；　and　still　so　furnish　them。　　For　the　last　forty　years
in　Europe；　and　for　the　last　ten　years　with　us　here　in　Russia；
millions　of　books　and　pictures　and　song…books　have　been　distributed；
and　stalls　have　been　opened；　and　the　people　gaze　and　sing　and
receive　spiritual　nourishment；　but　not　from　us　who　have　undertaken
to　provide　it；　while　we；　justifying　our　idleness　by　that　spiritual
food　which　we　are　supposed　to　furnish；　sit　by　and　wink　at　it。

But　it　is　impossible　for　us　to　wink　at　it；　for　our　last
justification　is　slipping　from　beneath　our　feet。　　We　have　become
specialized。　　We　have　our　particular　functional　activity。　　We　are
the　brains　of　the　people。　　They　support　us；　and　we　have　undertaken
to　teach　them。　　It　is　only　under　this　pretence　that　we　have　excused
ourselves　from　work。　　But　what　have　we　taught　them；　and　what　are　we
now　teaching　them？　　They　have　waited　for　yearsfor　tens；　for
hundreds　of　years。　　And　we　keep　on　diverting　our　minds　with　chatter；
and　we　instruct　each　other；　and　we　console　ourselves；　and　we　have
utterly　forgotten　them。　　We　have　so　entirely　forgotten　them；　that
others　have　undertaken　to　instruct　them；　and　we　have　not　even
perceived　it。　　We　have　spoken　of　the　division　of　labor　with　such
lack　of　seriousness；　that　it　is　obvious　that　what　we　have　said　about
the　benefits　which　we　have　conferred　on　the　people　was　simply　a
shameless　evasion。



CHAPTER　IV。



Science　and　art　have　arrogated　to　themselves　the　right　of　idleness；
and　of　the　enjoyment　of　the　labor　of　others；　and　have　betrayed　their
calling。　　And　their　errors　have　arisen　merely　because　their
servants；　having　set　forth　a　falsely　conceived　principle　of　the
division　of　labor；　have　recognized　their　own　right　to　make　use　of
the　labor　of　others；　and　have　lost　the　significance　of　their
vocation；　having　taken　for　their　aim；　not　the　profit　of　the　people；
but　the　mysterious　profit　of　science　and　art；　and　delivered
themselves　over　to　idleness　and　vicenot　so　much　of　the　senses　as
of　the　mind。

They　say；　〃Science　and　art　have　bestowed　a　great　deal　on　mankind。〃

Science　and　art　have　bestowed　a　great　deal　on　mankind；　not　because
the　men　of　art　and　science；　under　the　pretext　of　a　division　of
labor；　live　on　other　people；　but　in　spite　of　this。

The　Roman　Republic　was　powerful；　not　because　her　citizens　had　the
power　to　live　a　vicious　life；　but　because　among　their　number　there
were　heroic　citizens。　　It　is　the　same　with　art　and　science。　　Art　and
science　have　bestowed　much　on　mankind；　but　not　because　their
followers　formerly　possessed　on　rare　occasions　（and　now　possess　on
every　occasion）　the　possibility　of　getting　rid　of　labor；　but　because
there　have　been　men　of　genius；　who；　without　making　use　of　these
rights；　have　led　mankind　forward。

The　class　of　learned　men　and　artists；　which　has　advanced；　on　the
fictitious　basis　of　a　division　of　labor；　its　demands　to　the　right　of
using　the　labors　of　others；　cannot　co…operate　in　the　success　of　true
science　and　true　art；　because　a　lie　cannot　bring　forth　the　truth。

We　have　become　so　accustomed　to　these；　our　tenderly　reared　or
weakened　representatives　of　mental　labor；　that　it　seems　to　us
horrible　that　a　man　of　science　or　an　artist　should　plough　or　cart
manure。　　It　seems　to　us　that　every　thing　would　go　to　destruction；
and　that　all　his　wisdom　would　be　rattled　out　of　him　in　the　cart；　and
that　all　those　grand　picturesque　images　which　he　bears　about　in　his
breast　would　be　soiled　in　the　manure；　but　we　have　become　so　inured
to　this；　that　it　does　not　strike　us　as　strange　that　our　servitor　of
sciencethat　is　to　say；　the　servant　and　teacher　of　the　truthby
making　other　people　do　for　him　that　which　he　might　do　for　himself；
passes　half　his　time　in　dainty　eating；　in　smoking；　in　talking；　in
free　and　easy　gossip；　in　reading　the　newspapers　and　romances；　and　in
visiting　the　theatres。　　It　is　not　strange　to　us　to　see　our
philosopher　in　the　tavern；　in　the　theatre；　and　at　the　ball。　　It　is
not　strange　in　our　eyes　to　learn　that　those　artists　who　sweeten　and
ennoble　our　souls　have　passed　their　lives　in　drunkenness；　cards；　and
women；　if　not　in　something　worse。

Art　and　science　are　very　beautiful　things；　but　just　because　they　are
so　beautiful　they　should　not　be　spoiled　by　the　compulsory
combination　with　them　of　vice：　　that　is　to　say；　a　man　should　not　get
rid　of　his　obligation　to　serve　his　own　life　and　that　of　other　people
by　his　own　labor。　　Art　and　science　have　caused　mankind　to　progress。
Yes；　but　not　because　men　of　art　and　science；　under　the　guise　of
division　of　labor；　have　rid　themselves　of　the　very　first　and　most
indisputable　of　human　obligations；to　labor　with　their　hands　in　the
universal　struggle　of　mankind　with　nature。

〃But　only　the　division　of　labor；　the　freedom　of　men　of　science　and
of　art　from　the　necessity　of　earning　them　living；　has　rendered
possible　that　remarkable　success　of　science　which　we　behold　in　our
day；〃　is　the　answer　to　this。　　〃If　all　were　forced　to　till　the　soil；
those　VAST　results　would　not　have　been　attained　which　have　been
attained　in　our　day；　there　would　have　been　none　of　those　STRIKING
successes　which　have　so　greatly　augmented　man's　power　over　nature；
were　it　not　for　these　astronomical　discoveries　WHICH　ARE　SO
ASTOUNDING　TO　THE　MIND　OF　MAN；　and　which　have　added　to　the　security
of　navigation；　there　would　be　no　steamers；　no　railways；　none　of
those　WONDERFUL　bridges；　tunnels；　steam…engines　and　telegraphs；
photography；　telephones；　sewing…machines；　phonographs；　electricity；
telescopes；　spectroscopes；　microscopes；　chloroform；　Lister's
bandages；　and　carbolic　acid。〃

I　will　not　enumerate　every　thing　on　which　our　age　thus　prides
itself。　　This　enumeration　and　pride　of　enthusiasm　over　ourselves　and
our　exploits　can　be　found　in　almost　any　newspaper　and　popular
pamphlet。　　This　enthusiasm　over　ourselves　is　often　repeated　to　such
a　degree　that　none　of　us　can　sufficiently　rejoice　over　ourselves；
that　we　are　seriously　convinced　that　art　and　science　have　never　made
such　progress　as　in　our　own　time。　　And；　as　we　are　indebted　for　all
this　marvellous　progress　to　the　division　of　labor；　why　not
acknowledge　it？

Let　us　admit　that　the　progress　made　in　our　day　is　noteworthy；
marvellous；　unusual；　let　us　admit　that　we　are　fortunate　mortals　to
live　in　such　a　remarkable　epoch：　　but　let　us　endeavor　to　appraise
this　progress；　not　on　the　basis　of　our　self…satisfaction；　but　of
that　principle　which　defends　itself　with　this　progress；the
division　of　labor。　　All　this　progress　is　very　amazing；　but　by　a
peculiarly　unlucky　chance；　admitted　even　by　the　men　of　science；　this
progress　has　not　so　far　improved；　but　it　has　rather　rendered　worse；
the　position　of　the　majority；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　workingman。

If　the　workingman　can　travel　on　the　railway；　instead　of　walking；
still　that　same　railway　has　burned　down　his　forest；　has　carried　off
his　grain　under　his　very