on the significance of science and art-第12章

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science　will　fulfil　his　vocation；　not　for　profit　but　with　self…
sacrifice；　and　the　second；　an　external　sign；his　productions　will
be　intelligible　to　all　the　people　whose　welfare　he　has　in　view。

No　matter　what　people　have　fixed　upon　as　their　vocation　and　their
welfare；　science　will　be　the　doctrine　of　this　vocation　and　welfare；
and　art　will　be　the　expression　of　that　doctrine。　　That　which　is
called　science　and　art；　among　us；　is　the　product　of　idle　minds　and
feelings；　which　have　for　their　object　to　tickle　similar　idle　minds
and　feelings。　　Our　arts　and　sciences　are　incomprehensible；　and　say
nothing　to　the　people；　for　they　have　not　the　welfare　of　the　common
people　in　view。

Ever　since　the　life　of　men　has　been　known　to　us；　we　find；　always　and
everywhere；　the　reigning　doctrine　falsely　designating　itself　as
science；　not　manifesting　itself　to　the　common　people；　but　obscuring
for　them　the　meaning　of　life。　　Thus　it　was　among　the　Greeks　the
sophists；　then　among　the　Christians　the　mystics；　gnostics；
scholastics；　among　the　Hebrews　the　Talmudists　and　Cabalists；　and　so
on　everywhere；　down　to　our　own　times。

How　fortunate　it　is　for　us　that　we　live　in　so　peculiar　an　age；　when
that　mental　activity　which　calls　itself　science；　not　only　does　not
err；　but　finds　itself；　as　we　are　assured；　in　a　remarkably
flourishing　condition！　　Does　not　this　peculiar　good　fortune　arise
from　the　fact　that　man　can　not　and　will　not　see　his　own　hideousness？
Why　is　there　nothing　left　of　those　sciences；　and　sophists；　and
Cabalists；　and　Talmudists；　but　words；　while　we　are　so　exceptionally
happy？　　Surely　the　signs　are　identical。　　There　is　the　same　self…
satisfaction　and　blind　confidence　that　we；　precisely　we；　and　only
we；　are　on　the　right　path；　and　that　the　real　thing　is　only　beginning
with　us。　　There　is　the　same　expectation　that　we　shall　discover
something　remarkable；　and　that　chief　sign　which　leads　us　astray
convicts　us　of　our　error：　　all　our　wisdom　remains　with　us；　and　the
common　people　do　not　understand；　and　do　not　accept；　and　do　not　need
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　th