on the significance of science and art-第11章

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teachers　and　artists　and　learned　men；　the　purveyors　of　spiritual
nourishment；　are　rare。　　And　it　is　not　without　reason　that　mankind
has　valued　and　still　values　them　so　highly。

But　it　now　appears；　that　all　these　great　factors　in　the　science　and
art　of　the　past　are　no　longer　of　use　to　us。　　Nowadays；　scientific
and　artistic　authorities　can；　in　accordance　with　the　law　of　division
of　labor；　be　turned　out　by　factory　methods；　and；　in　one　decade；　more
great　men　have　been　manufactured　in　art　and　science；　than　have　ever
been　born　of　such　among　all　nations；　since　the　foundation　of　the
world。　　Nowadays　there　is　a　guild　of　learned　men　and　artists；　and
they　prepare；　by　perfected　methods；　all　that　spiritual　food　which
man　requires。　　And　they　have　prepared　so　much　of　it；　that　it　is　no
longer　necessary　to　refer　to　the　elder　authorities；　who　have
preceded　them；not　only　to　the　ancients；　but　to　those　much　nearer
to　us。　　All　that　was　the　activity　of　the　theological　and
metaphysical　period；all　that　must　be　wiped　out：　　but　the　true；　the
rational　activity　began；　say；　fifty　years　ago；　and　in　the　course　of
those　fifty　years　we　have　made　so　many　great　men；　that　there　are
about　ten　great　men　to　every　branch　of　science。　　And　there　have　come
to　be　so　many　sciences；　that；　fortunately；　it　is　easy　to　make　them。
All　that　is　required　is　to　add　the　Greek　word　〃logy〃　to　the　name；
and　force　them　to　conform　to　a　set　rubric；　and　the　science　is　all
complete。　　They　have　created　so　many　sciences；　that　not　only　can　no
one　man　know　them　all；　but　not　a　single　individual　can　remember　all
the　titles　of　all　the　existing　sciences；　the　titles　alone　form　a
thick　lexicon；　and　new　sciences　are　manufactured　every　day。　　They
have　been　manufactured　on　the　pattern　of　that　Finnish　teacher　who
taught　the　landed　proprietor's　children　Finnish　instead　of　French。
Every　thing　has　been　excellently　inculcated；　but　there　is　one
objection；that　no　one　except　ourselves　can　understand　any　thing　of
it；　and　all　this　is　reckoned　as　utterly　useless　nonsense。　　However；
there　is　an　explanation　even　for　this。　　People　do　not　appreciate　the
full　value　of　scientific　science；　because　they　are　under　the
influence　of　the　theological　period；　that　profound　period　when　all
the　people；　both　among　the　Hebrews；　and　the　Chinese；　and　the
Indians；　and　the　Greeks；　understood　every　thing　that　their　great
teachers　said　to　them。

But；　from　whatever　cause　this　has　come　about；　the　fact　remains；　that
sciences　and　arts　have　always　existed　among　mankind；　and；　when　they
really　did　exist；　they　were　useful　and　intelligible　to　all　the
people。　　But　we　practise　something　which　we　call　science　and　art；
but　it　appears　that　what　we　do　is　unnecessary　and　unintelligible　to
man。　　And　hence；　however　beautiful　may　be　the　things　that　we
accomplish；　we　have　no　right　to　call　them　arts　and　sciences。



CHAPTER　VI。



〃But　you　only　furnish　a　different　definition　of　arts　and　sciences；
which　is　stricter；　and　is　incompatible　with　science；〃　I　shall　be
told　in　answer　to　this；　〃nevertheless；　scientific　and　artistic
activity　does　still　exist。　　There　are　the　Galileos；　Brunos；　Homers；
Michael　Angelos；　Beethovens；　and　all　the　lesser　learned　men　and
artists；　who　have　consecrated　their　entire　lives　to　the　service　of
science　and　art；　and　who　were；　and　will　remain；　the　benefactors　of
mankind。〃

Generally　this　is　what　people　say；　striving　to　forget　that　new
principle　of　the　division　of　labor；　on　the　basis　of　which　science
and　art　now　occupy　their　privileged　position；　and　on　whose　basis　we
are　now　enabled　to　decide　without　grounds；　but　by　a　given　standard：
Is　there；　or　is　there　not；　any　foundation　for　that　activity　which
calls　itself　science　and　art；　to　so　magnify　itself？

When　the　Egyptian　or　the　Grecian　priests　produced　their　mysteries；
which　were　unintelligible　to　any　one；　and　stated　concerning　these
mysteries　that　all　science　and　all　art　were　contained　in　them；　I
could　not　verify　the　reality　of　their　science　on　the　basis　of　the
benefit　procured　by　them　to　the　people；　because　science；　according
to　their　assertions；　was　supernatural。　　But　now　we　all　possess　a
very　simple　and　clear　definition　of　the　activity　of　art　and　science；
which　excludes　every　thing　supernatural：　　science　and　art　promise　to
carry　out　the　mental　activity　of　mankind；　for　the　welfare　of
society；　or　of　all　the　human　race。

The　definition　of　scientific　science　and　art　is　entirely　correct；
but；　unfortunately；　the　activity　of　the　present　arts　and　sciences
does　not　come　under　this　head。　　Some　of　them　are　directly　injurious；
others　are　useless；　others　still　are　worthless；good　only　for　the
wealthy。　　They　do　not　fulfil　that　which；　by　their　own　definition；
they　have　undertaken　to　accomplish；　and　hence　they　have　as　little
right　to　regard　themselves　as　men　of　art　and　science；　as　a　corrupt
priesthood；　which　does　not　fulfil　the　obligations　which　it　has
assumed；　has　the　right　to　regard　itself　as　the　bearer　of　divine
truth。

And　it　can　be　understood　why　the　makers　of　the　present　arts　and
sciences　have　not　fulfilled；　and　cannot　fulfil；　their　vocation。
They　do　not　fulfil　it；　because　out　of　their　obligations　they　have
erected　a　right。

Scientific　and　artistic　activity；　in　its　real　sense；　is　only
fruitful　when　it　knows　no　rights；　but　recognizes　only　obligations。
Only　because　it　is　its　property　to　be　always　thus；　does　mankind　so
highly　prize　this　activity。　　If　men　really　were　called　to　the
service　of　others　through　artistic　work；　they　would　see　in　that　work
only　obligation；　and　they　would　fulfil　it　with　toil；　with
privations；　and　with　self…abnegation。

The　thinker　or　the　artist　will　never　sit　calmly　on　Olympian　heights；
as　we　have　become　accustomed　to　represent　them　to　ourselves。　　The
thinker　or　the　artist　should　suffer　in　company　with　the　people；　in
order　that　he　may　find　salvation　or　consolation。　　Besides　this；　he
will　suffer　because　he　is　always　and　eternally　in　turmoil　and
agitation：　　he　might　decide　and　say　that　that　which　would　confer
welfare　on　men；　would　free　them　from　suffering；　would　afford　them
consolation；　but　he　has　not　said　so；　and　has　not　presented　it　as　he
should　have　done；　he　has　not　decided；　and　he　has　not　spoken；　and　to…
morrow；　possibly；　it　will　be　too　late；he　will　die。　　And　therefore
suffering　and　self…sacrifice　will　always　be　the　lot　of　the　thinker
and　the　artist。

Not　of　this　description　will　be　the　thinker　and　artist　who　is　reared
in　an　establishment　where；　apparently；　they　manufacture　the　learned
man　or　the　artist　（but　in　point　of　fact；　they　manufacture　destroyers
of　science　and　of　art）；　who　receives　a　diploma　and　a　certificate；
who　would　be　glad　not　to　think　and　not　to　express　that　which　is
imposed　on　his　soul；　but　who　cannot　avoid　doing　that　to　which　two
irresistible　forces　draw　him；an　inward　prompting；　and　the　demand
of　men。

There　will　be　no　sleek；　plump；　self…satisfied　thinkers　and　artists。
Spiritual　activity；　and　its　expression；　which　are　actually　necessary
to　others；　are　the　most　burdensome　of　all　man's　avocations；　a　cross；
as　the　Gospels　phrase　it。　　And　the　sole　indubitable　sign　of　the
presence　of　a　vocation　is　self…devotion；　the　sacrifice　of　self　for
the　manifestation　of　the　power　that　is　imposed　upon　man　for　the
benefit　of　others。

It　is　possible　to　study　out　how　many　beetles　there　are　in　the　world；
to　view　the　spots　on　the　sun；　to　write　romances　and　operas；　without
suffering；　but　it　is　impossible；　without　self…sacrifice；　to　instruct
people　in　their　true　happiness；　which　consists　solely　in
renunciation　of　self　and　the　service　of　others；　and　to　give　strong
expression　to　this　doctrine；　without　self…sacrifice。

Christ　did　not　die　on　the　cross　in　vain；　not　in　vain　does　the
sacrifice　of　suffering　conquer　all　things。

But　our　art　and　science　are　provided　with　certificates　and　diplomas；
and　the　only　anxiety　of　all　men　is；　how　to　still　better　guarantee
them；　i。e。；　how　to　render　the　service　of　the　people　impracticable
for　them。

True　art　and　true　science　possess　two　unmistakable　marks：　　the
first；　an　inward　mark；　which　is　this；　that　the　servitor　of　art　and
science　will　fulfil　his　vocation；　not　for　profit　but　with　self…
sacrifice；　and　the　second；