on the significance of science and art-第6节

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still　that　same　railway　has　burned　down　his　forest；　has　carried　off
his　grain　under　his　very　nose；　and　has　brought　his　condition　very
near　to　slaveryto　the　capitalist。　　If；　thanks　to　steam…engines　and
machines；　the　workingman　can　purchase　inferior　calico　at　a　cheap
rate；　on　the　other　hand　these　engines　and　machines　have　deprived　him
of　work　at　home；　and　have　brought　him　into　a　state　of　abject　slavery
to　the　manufacturer。　　If　there　are　telephones　and　telescopes；　poems；
romances；　theatres；　ballets；　symphonies；　operas；　picture…galleries；
and　so　forth；　on　the　other　hand　the　life　of　the　workingman　has　not
been　bettered　by　all　this；　for　all　of　them；　by　the　same　unlucky
chance；　are　inaccessible　to　him。

So　that；　on　the　whole　（and　even　men　of　science　admit　this）；　up　to
the　present　time；　all　these　remarkable　discoveries　and　products　of
science　and　art　have　certainly　not　ameliorated　the　condition　of　the
workingman；　if；　indeed；　they　have　not　made　it　worse。　　So　that；　if　we
set　against　the　question　as　to　the　reality　of　the　progress　attained
by　the　arts　and　sciences；　not　our　own　rapture；　but　that　standard
upon　the　basis　of　which　the　division　of　labor　is　defended；the　good
of　the　laboring　man；we　shall　see　that　we　have　no　firm　foundations
for　that　self…satisfaction　in　which　we　are　so　fond　of　indulging。

The　peasant　travels　on　the　railway；　the　woman　buys　calico；　in　the
isba　（cottage）　there　will　be　a　lamp　instead　of　a　pine…knot；　and　the
peasant　will　light　his　pipe　with　a　match；this　is　convenient；　but
what　right　have　I　to　say　that　the　railway　and　the　factory　have
proved　advantageous　to　the　people？

If　the　peasant　rides　on　the　railway；　and　buys　calico；　a　lamp；　and
matches；　it　is　only　because　it　is　impossible　to　forbid　the　peasant's
buying　them；　but　surely　we　are　all　aware　that　the　construction　of
railways　and　factories　has　never　been　carried　out　for　the　benefit　of
the　lower　classes：　　so　why　should　a　casual　convenience　which　the
workingman　enjoys　lead　to　a　proof　of　the　utility　of　all　these
institutions　for　the　people？

There　is　something　useful　in　every　injurious　thing。　　After　a
conflagration；　one　can　warm　one's　self；　and　light　one's　pipe　with　a
firebrand；　but　why　declare　that　the　conflagration　is　beneficial？

Men　of　art　and　science　might　say　that　their　pursuits　are　beneficial
to　the　people；　only　when　men　of　art　and　science　have　assigned　to
themselves　the　object　of　serving　the　people；　as　they　now　assign
themselves　the　object　of　serving　the　authorities　and　the
capitalists。　　We　might　say　this　if　men　of　art　and　science　had　taken
as　their　aim　the　needs　of　the　people；　but　there　are　none　such。　　All
scientists　are　busy　with　their　priestly　avocations；　out　of　which
proceed　investigations　into　protoplasm；　the　spectral　analyses　of
stars；　and　so　on。　　But　science　has　never　once　thought　of　what　axe　or
what　hatchet　is　the　most　profitable　to　chop　with；　what　saw　is　the
most　handy；　what　is　the　best　way　to　mix　bread；　from　what　flour；　how
to　set　it；　how　to　build　and　heat　an　oven；　what　food　and　drink；　and
what　utensils；　are　the　most　convenient　and　advantageous　under
certain　conditions；　what　mushrooms　may　be　eaten；　how　to　propagate
them；　and　how　to　prepare　them　in　the　most　suitable　manner。　　And　yet
all　this　is　the　province　of　science。

I　am　aware；　that；　according　to　its　own　definition；　science　ought　to
be　useless；　i。e。；　science　for　the　sake　of　science；　but　surely　this
is　an　obvious　evasion。　　The　province　of　science　is　to　serve　the
people。　　We　have　invented　telegraphs；　telephones；　phonographs；　but
what　advances　have　we　effected　in　the　life；　in　the　labor；　of　the
people？　　We　have　reckoned　up　two　millions　of　beetles！　　And　we　have
not　tamed　a　single　animal　since　biblical　times；　when　all　our　animals
were　already　domesticated；　but　the　reindeer；　the　stag；　the
partridge；　the　heath…cock；　all　remain　wild。

Our　botanists　have　discovered　the　cell；　and　in　the　cell　protoplasm；
and　in　that　protoplasm　still　something　more；　and　in　that　atom　yet
another　thing。　　It　is　evident　that　these　occupations　will　not　end
for　a　long　time　to　come；　because　it　is　obvious　that　there　can　be　no
end　to　them；　and　therefore　the　scientist　has　no　time　to　devote　to
those　things　which　are　necessary　to　the　people。　　And　therefore；
again；　from　the　time　of　Egyptian　and　Hebrew　antiquity；　when　wheat
and　lentils　had　already　been　cultivated；　down　to　our　own　times；　not
a　single　plant　has　been　added　to　the　food　of　the　people；　with　the
exception　of　the　potato；　and　that　was　not　obtained　by　science。

Torpedoes　have　been　invented；　and　apparatus　for　taxation；　and　so
forth。　　But　the　spinning…whined；　the　woman's　weaving…loom；　the
plough；　the　hatchet；　the　chain；　the　rake；　the　bucket；　the　well…
sweep；　are　exactly　the　same　as　they　were　in　the　days　of　Rurik；　and
if　there　has　been　any　change；　then　that　change　has　not　been　effected
by　scientific　people。

And　it　is　the　same　with　the　arts。　　We　have　elevated　a　lot　of　people
to　the　rank　of　great　writers；　we　have　picked　these　writers　to
pieces；　and　have　written　mountains　of　criticism；　and　criticism　on
the　critics；　and　criticism　on　the　critics　of　the　critics。　　And　we
have　collected　picture…galleries；　and　have　studied　different　schools
of　art　in　detail；　and　we　have　so　many　symphonies　and　orchestras　and
operas；　that　it　is　becoming　difficult　even　for　us　to　listen　to　them。
But　what　have　we　added　to　the　popular　bylini　＇the　epic　songs＇；
legends；　tales；　songs？　　What　music；　what　pictures；　have　we　given　to
the　people？

On　the　Nikolskaya　books　are　manufactured　for　the　people；　and
harmonicas　in　Tula；　and　in　neither　have　we　taken　any　part。　　The
falsity　of　the　whole　direction　of　our　arts　and　sciences　is　more
striking　and　more　apparent　in　precisely　those　very　branches；　which；
it　would　seem；　should；　from　their　very　nature；　be　of　use　to　the
people；　and　which；　in　consequence　of　their　false　attitude；　seem
rather　injurious　than　useful。　　The　technologist；　the　physician；　the
teacher；　the　artist；　the　author；　should；　in　virtue　of　their　very
callings；　it　would　seem；　serve　the　people。　　And；　what　then？　　Under
the　present　regime；　they　can　do　nothing　but　harm　to　the　people。

The　technologist　or　the　mechanic　has　to　work　with　capital。　　Without
capital　he　is　good　for　nothing。　　All　his　acquirements　are　such　that
for　their　display　he　requires　capital；　and　the　exploitation　of　the
laboring…man　on　the　largest　scale；　andnot　to　mention　that　he　is
trained　to　live；　at　the　lowest；　on　from　fifteen　hundred　to　two
thousand　a　year；　and　that；　therefore；　he　cannot　go　to　the　country；
where　no　one　can　give　him　such　wages；he　is；　by　virtue　of　his　very
occupation；　unfitted　for　serving　the　people。　　He　knows　how　to
calculate　the　highest　mathematical　arch　of　a　bridge；　how　to
calculate　the　force　and　transfer　of　the　motive　power；　and　so　on；　but
he　is　confounded　by　the　simplest　questions　of　a　peasant：　　how　to
improve　a　plough　or　a　cart；　or　how　to　make　irrigating　canals。　　All
this　in　the　conditions　of　life　in　which　the　laboring　man　finds
himself。　　Of　this；　he　neither　knows　nor　understands　any　thing；
less；　indeed；　than　the　very　stupidest　peasant。　　Give　him　workshops；
all　sorts　of　workmen　at　his　desire；　an　order　for　a　machine　from
abroad；　and　he　will　get　along。　　But　how　to　devise　means　of
lightening　toil；　under　the　conditions　of　labor　of　millions　of　men；
this　is　what　he　does　not　and　can　not　know；　and　because　of　his
knowledge；　his　habits；　and　his　demands　on　life；　he　is　unfitted　for
this　business。

In　a　still　worse　predicament　is　the　physician。　　His　fancied　science
is　all　so　arranged；　that　he　only　knows　how　to　heal　those　persons　who
do　nothing。　　He　requires　an　incalculable　quantity　of　expensive
preparations；　instruments；　drugs；　and　hygienic　apparatus。

He　has　studied　with　celebrities　in　the　capitals；　who　only　retain
patients　who　can　be　cured　in　the　hospital；　or　who；　in　the　course　of
their　cure；　can　purchase　the　appliances　requisite　for　healing；　and
even　go　at　once　from　the　North　to　the　South；　to　some　baths　or　other。
Science　is　of　such　a　nature；　that　every　rural　physic…man　laments
because　there　are　no　means　of　curing　working…men；　because　he　is　so
poor　that　he　has　not　the　means　to　place　the　sick　man　in　the　proper
hygienic　conditions；　and　at　the　same　time　this　physician　complains
that　there　are　no　hospitals；　and　that　he　cannot　get　through　with　his
work；　that　he　needs　assistants；　more　doctors　and　practitioners。

What　is　the　inference？　　This：　　that　the　people's　principal　lack；
from　which　diseases　arise；　and　spread　abroad；　and　refuse　to　be
healed；　is　the　lack　of　means　of　subsistence。　　And　here　Science；
under　the　banner　of　the　division　of　labor；　summons　her　warriors　to
the　aid　of　the　people。　　Science　is　entirely　arranged　for　the　wealthy
classes；　and　it　has　adopted　for　its　task　the　healing　of　the　people
who　can　obtain　every　thing　for　themselves；　and　it　attempts　to　heal
those　who　possess　no　superfluity；　by　the　same　means。

But　there　are　no　means；　and　therefore　it　is　necessary　to　take　them
from　the　people　who　are　ailing；　and　pest…stricken；　and　who　cannot
recover　for　lack　of　means。　　And　now　the　defenders　of　medicine　for
the　people　say　that　this　matter　has　been；　as　yet；　but　little
developed。　　Evidently　it　has　been　but　lit