the origins of contemporary france-4-第19节

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type；　we　refashion　his　intellect；　his　conscience　and　his

sensibilities。



III。



The　object　of　the　State　is　the　regeneration　of　man。　　…　Two　sides　to

this　undertaking。　　…　Restoration　of　the　Natural　man。　　…　Formation　of

the　Social　man。　　…　Grandeur　of　the　undertaking。　　…　To　carry　it　out；

the　use　of　force　is　a　right　and　a　duty。



There　is　nothing　arbitrary　in　this　operation；　for　the　ideal　model　is

traced　beforehand。　　If　the　State　is　omnipotent；　it　is　for　the　purpose

of　〃regenerating　Mankind；〃　and　the　theory　which　confers　its　rights；　at

the　same　time　assigns　to　it　its　object。　　In　what　does　this

regeneration　of　Man　consist？　…　Consider　a　domestic　animal　such　as　a

dog　or　a　horse。　　Scrawny；　battered；　tied　up　or　chained；　a　thousand　are

strained　and　overworked　compared　to　the　few　basking　in　idleness；　dying

from　rich　living；　and　with　all　of　them；　whether　fat　or　lean；　the　soul

is　more　spoiled　than　the　body。　　　A　superstitious　respect　keeps　them

cowed　under　their　burden；　or　makes　them　cringe　before　their　master。

Servile；　slothful；　gluttonous；　feeble；　incapable　of　resisting

adversity；　if　they　have　acquired　the　miserable　skills　of　slavery；　they

have　also　contracted　its　needs；　weaknesses　and　vices。　　A　crust　of

absurd　habits　and　perverse　inclinations；　a　sort　of　artificial　and

supplementary　being；　has　covered　over　their　original　nature。　　…　　And；

on　the　other　hand；　the　better　side　of　their　original　nature　has　had　no

chance　to　develop　itself；　for　lack　of　use。　　Separated　from　the　other；

these　two　parts　of　its　nature　have　not　acquired　the　sentiment　of

community；　they　do　not　know；　like　their　brethren　of　the　prairies；　how

to　help　each　other　and　subordinate　private　interests　to　the　interests

of　the　flock。　　Each　pulls　his　own　way；　nobody　cares　for　others；　all

are　egoists；　social　interests　have　miscarried。　　…　Such　is　Man

nowadays；　a　disfigured　slave　that　has　to　be　restored。　　Our　task；

accordingly　is　two…fold：　we　have　to　demolish　and　we　have　to　construct；

we　must　first　set　free　the　natural　Man　that　we　may　afterwards　build　up

the　social　Man。



It　is　a　vast　enterprise　and　we　are　conscious　of　its　vastness。



　〃It　is　necessary；〃　says　Billaud…Varennes；＇20＇　〃that　the　people　to

which　one　desires　to　restore　their　freedom　should　in　some　way　be

created　anew；　since　old　prejudices　must　be　destroyed；　old　habits

changed；　depraved　affections　improved；　superfluous　wants　restricted；

and　inveterate　vices　extirpated。〃



But　the　task　is　sublime；　as　the　aim　is　〃to　fulfill　the　desires　of

nature；＇21＇　accomplish　the　destinies　of　humanity；　and　fulfill　the

promises　of　philosophy〃。…



〃Our　purpose；〃　says　Robespierre；＇22＇　〃is　to　substitute　morality　for

egoism；　honesty　for　honor；　principles　for　custom；　duties　for

etiquette；　the　empire　of　reason　for　the　tyranny　of　fashion；　contempt

of　vice　for　indifference　to　misfortune；　pride　for　arrogance；　a　noble

mind　for　vanity；　love　of　glory　for　the　love　of　profit；　good　people　for

high　society；　merit　for　intrigue；　genius　for　intellectual　brilliancy；

the　charm　of　contentment　for　the　boredom　of　voluptuous　pleasure；　the

majesty　of　Man　for　the　high…breeding　of　the　great；　a　magnanimous；

powerful　and　happy　people　for　an　amiable；　frivolous　and　wretched

people；　that　is　to　say；　every　virtue　and　miracle　of　the　Republic　in

the　place　of　the　vices　and　absurdities　of　the　monarchy。〃



We　will　do　this；　the　whole　of　it；　whatever　the　cost。　　Little　do　we

care　for　the　present　generation：　we　are　working　for　generations　to

come。



　〃Man；　forced　to　isolate　himself　from　society；　anchors　himself　in　the

future　and　presses　to　his　heart　a　posterity　innocent　of　existing

evils。〃＇23＇



　He　sacrifices　to　this　work　his　own　and　the　lives　of　others。



　〃On　the　day　that　I　am　persuaded；〃　writes　Saint…Just；　〃that　it　is

impossible　to　render　the　French　people　kind；　energetic；　tender　and

relentless　against　tyranny　and　injustice；　I　will　stab　myself。〃



…　〃What　I　have　done　in　the　South　I　will　do　in　the　North；〃　says　Baudot；

〃I　will　convert　them　into　patriots；　either　they　or　I　must　die。〃　…



〃We　will　make　France　a　cemetery；〃　says　Carrier；　〃rather　than　not

regenerate　it　our　own　way。〃



In　vain　may　the　ignorant　or　the　vicious　protest；　they　protest　because

they　are　ignorant　or　vicious。　　In　vain　may　the　individual　plead　his

personal　rights；　he　has　none：　through　the　social　contract；　which　is

obligatory　and　solely　valid；　he　has　surrendered　his　entire　being；

having　made　no　reservation；　〃he　has　nothing　to　claim。〃　Undoubtedly；

some　will　grumble；　because；　with　them；　the　old　wrinkle　remains　and

artificial　habits　still　cover　over　the　original　instinct。　　Untie　the

mill…horse；　and　he　will　still　go　round　in　the　same　track；　let　the

mountebank's　dog　be　turned　loose；　and　he　will　still　raise　himself　on

his　hind…legs；　if　we　would　bring　them　back　to　their　natural　gait　we

must　handle　them　roughly。　　In　like　manner；　to　restore　Man　to　his

normal　attitude；　you　must　handle　him　roughly。　　But；　in　this　respect；

have　no　scruples；＇24＇　for　we　do　not　bow　him　down；　we　raise　him　up　；　as

Rousseau　says；　〃we　compel　him　to　be　free；〃　we　confer　on　him　the

greatest　boon　a　human　being　can　receive；　we　bring　him　back　to　nature

and　to　justice。　　For　this　reason；　now　that　he　is　warned；　if　he

persists　in　his　resistance；　he　is　a　criminal　and　merits　every　kind　of

chastisements＇25＇；　for；　he　declares　himself　a　rebel　and　a　perjurer；

inimical　to　humanity；　and　a　traitor　to　the　social　compact。



IV。



Two　distortions　of　the　natural　man。　　…　Positive　religion。　　…

Proscription　of　the　orthodox　cult。　　…　Measures　against　unsworn

priests。　　…　Measures　against　the　loyal　orthodox。　　…　Destruction　of　the

constitutional　cult。　　…　Pressure　on　the　sworn　priests。　　…　Churches

closed　and　ceremonies　suppressed。　　…　Continuation　of　these

persecutions　until　the　Consulate。



Let　us　（Taine　lets　the　Jacobin　say）　begin　by　figuring　to　ourselves　the

natural　man；　certainly　we　of　to…day　have　some　difficulty　in

recognizing　him；　he　bears　but　little　resemblance　to　the　artificial

being　who　（in　1789）　stands　in　his　shoes；　the　creature　which　an

antiquated　system　of　constraint　and　fraud　has　deformed；　held　fast　in

his　hereditary　harness　of　thralldom　and　superstition；　blinded　by　his

religion　and　held　in　check　by　prestige；　exploited　by　his　government

and　tamed　by　dint　of　blows；　always　with　a　halter　on；　always　put　to

work　in　the　wrong　way　and　against　nature；　whatever　stall　he　may

occupy；　high　or　low；　however　full　or　empty　his　crib　may　be；　now　in

menial　service　like　the　blinded　hack…horse　turning　the　mill…wheel；　and

now　on　parade　like　a　trained　dog　which；　decked　with　flags；　shows　off

its　antics　before　the　public。＇26＇　　But　imagine　all　these　out　of　the

way；　the　flags　and　the　bands；　the　fetters　and　compartments　in　the

social　stable；　and　you　will　see　a　new　man　appearing；　the　original　man；

intact　and　healthy　in　mind；　soul　and　body。　　…　In　this　condition；　he　is

free　of　prejudice；　he　is　not　ensnared　in　a　net　of　lies；　he　is　neither

Jew；　Protestant　nor　Catholic；　if　he　tries　to　imagine　the　universe　as　a

whole　and　the　principle　of　events；　he　will　not　let　himself　be　duped　by

a　pretended　revelation；　he　will　listen　only　to　his　own　reason；　he　may

chance；　now　and　then；　to　become　an　atheist；　but；　generally；　he　will

settle　down　into　a　deist。　　…　In　this　condition　of　things　he　is　not

fettered　by　a　hierarchy；　he　is　neither　noble　nor　commoner；　land…owner

nor　tenant；　inferior　nor　superior。　　Independent　of　the　others；　all　are

equal；　and；　if　all　agree　in　the　forming　of　an　association；　their

common…sense　will　stipulate　that　its　first　article　shall　secure　the

maintenance　of　this　primordial　equality。　　…　Such　is　man；　as　nature

made　him；　as　history　has　unmade　him；　and　as　the　Revolution　is　to　re…

make　him。＇27＇　　One　cannot　batter　away　too　vigorously　against　the　two

casings　that　hold　him　tight；　one　the　positive　religion　which　narrows

and　perverts　his　intellect；　and　the　other　the　social　inequality　which

perverts　and　weakens　his　will；＇28＇　for；　at　every　effort；　some　band　is

loosened；　and；　as　each　band　gives　way；　the　paralyzed　limbs　recover

their　action。



Let　us　trace；　（say　the　Jacobins）；　the　progress　of　this　liberating

operation。　　　Always　timid　and　at　loggerheads　with　the　ecclesiastical

organization；　the　Constituent　Assembly　could　take　only　half…measures；

it　cut　into　the　bark　without　daring　to　drive　the　ax　into　the　solid

trunk。　　Its　work　reduced　itself　down　to　the　confiscation　of　clerical

property；　to　a　dissolution　of　the　religious　orders；　and　to　a　check

upon　the　authority　of　the　pope；　its　object　was　to　establish　a　new

church　and　transform　priests　into　sworn　functionaries　of　the　State；

and　this　was　all。　　As　if　Catholicism；　even　administrative；　would　cease

to　be　Catholicism！　As　if　the　noxious　tree；　once　stamped　with　the

public　seal；　would　cease　to　be　noxious！　Instead　of　the　old　laboratory

of　falsehoods　being　destroyed　another　one　is　officially　established

alongside　of　it；　so　that　there　are　now