on the significance of science and art-第14章

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also　asked　so　long　as；　under　the　influence　of　my　exalted　idea　of　any
own　importance；　I　did　not　perceive　that　my　first　and　unquestionable
duty　was　to　feed　myself；　to　clothe　myself；　to　furnish　my　own　fuel；
to　do　my　own　building；　and；　by　so　doing；　to　serve　others；　because；
ever　since　the　would　has　existed；　the　first　and　indubitable　duty　of
every　man　has　consisted　and　does　consist　in　this。

In　fact；　no　matter　what　a　man　may　have　assumed　to　be　his　vocation；
whether　it　be　to　govern　people；　to　defend　his　fellow…countrymen；　to
divine　service；　to　instruct　others；　to　invent　means　to　heighten　the
pleasures　of　life；　to　discover　the　laws　of　the　world；　to　incorporate
eternal　truths　in　artistic　representations；the　duty　of　a
reasonable　man　is　to　take　part　in　the　struggle　with　nature；　for　the
sustenance　of　his　own　life　and　of　that　of　others。　　This　obligation
is　the　first　of　all；　because　what　people　need　most　of　all　is　their
life；　and　therefore；　in　order　to　defend　and　instruct　the　people；　and
render　their　lives　more　agreeable；　it　is　requisite　to　preserve　that
life　itself；　while　my　refusal　to　share　in　the　struggle；　my　monopoly
of　the　labors　of　others；　is　equivalent　to　annihilation　of　the　lives
of　others。　　And；　therefore；　it　is　not　rational　to　serve　the　lives　of
men　by　annihilating　the　lives　of　men；　and　it　is　impossible　to　say
that　I　am　serving　men；　when；　by　my　life；　I　am　obviously　injuring
them。

A　man's　obligation　to　struggle　with　nature　for　the　acquisition　of
the　means　of　livelihood　will　always　be　the　first　and　most
unquestionable　of　all　obligations；　because　this　obligation　is　a　law
of　life；　departure　from　which　entails　the　inevitable　punishment　of
either　bodily　or　mental　annihilation　of　the　life　of　man。　　If　a　man
living　alone　excuses　himself　from　the　obligation　of　struggling　with
nature；　he　is　immediately　punished；　in　that　his　body　perishes。　　But
if　a　man　excuses　himself　from　this　obligation　by　making　other　people
fulfil　it　for　him；　then　also　he　is　immediately　punished　by　the
annihilation　of　his　mental　life；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　life　which
possesses　rational　thought。

In　this　one　act；　man　receivesif　the　two　things　are　to　be
separatedfull　satisfaction　of　the　bodily　and　spiritual　demands　of
his　nature。　　The　feeding；　clothing；　and　taking　care　of　himself　and
his　family；　constitute　the　satisfaction　of　the　bodily　demands　and
requirements；　and　doing　the　same　for　other　people；　constitutes　the
satisfaction　of　his　spiritual　requirements。　　Every　other　employment
of　man　is　only　legal　when　it　is　directed　to　the　satisfaction　of　this
very　first　duty　of　man；　for　the　fulfilment　of　this　duty　constitutes
the　whole　life　of　man。

I　had　been　so　turned　about　by　my　previous　life；　this　first　and
indubitable　law　of　God　or　of　nature　is　so　concealed　in　our　sphere　of
society；　that　the　fulfilment　of　this　law　seemed　to　me　strange；
terrible；　even　shameful；　as　though　the　fulfilment　of　an　eternal；
unquestionable　law；　and　not　the　departure　from　it；　can　be　terrible；
strange；　and　shameful。

At　first　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　fulfilment　of　this　matter　required
some　preparation；　arrangement　or　community　of　men；　holding　similar
views；the　consent　of　one's　family；　life　in　the　country；　it　seemed
to　me　disgraceful　to　make　a　show　of　myself　before　people；　to
undertake　a　thing　so　improper　in　our　conditions　of　existence；　as
bodily　toil；　and　I　did　not　know　how　to　set　about　it。　　But　it　was
only　necessary　for　me　to　understand　that　this　is　no　exclusive
occupation　which　requires　to　be　invented　and　arranged　for；　but　that
this　employment　was　merely　a　return　from　the　false　position　in　which
I　found　myself；　to　a　natural　one；　was　only　a　rectification　of　that
lie　in　which　I　was　living。　　I　had　only　to　recognize　this　fact；　and
all　these　difficulties　vanished。　　It　was　not　in　the　least　necessary
to　make　preparations　and　arrangements；　and　to　await　the　consent　of
others；　for；　no　matter　in　what　position　I　had　found　myself；　there
had　always　been　people　who　had　fed；　clothed　and　warmed　me；　in
addition　to　themselves；　and　everywhere；　under　all　conditions；　I
could　do　the　same　for　myself　and　for　them；　if　I　had　the　time　and　the
strength。　　Neither　could　I　experience　false　shame　in　an　unwonted
occupation；　no　matter　how　surprising　it　might　be　to　people；　because；
through　not　doing　it；　I　had　already　experienced　not　false　but　real
shame。

And　when　I　had　reached　this　confession　and　the　practical　deduction
from　it；　I　was　fully　rewarded　for　not　having　quailed　before　the
deductions　of　reason；　and　for　following　whither　they　led　me。　　On
arriving　at　this　practical　deduction；　I　was　amazed　at　the　ease　and
simplicity　with　which　all　the　problems　which　had　previously　seemed
to　me　so　difficult　and　so　complicated；　were　solved。

To　the　question；　〃What　is　it　necessary　to　do？〃　the　most　indubitable
answer　presented　itself：　　first　of　all；　that　which　it　was　necessary
for　me　to　do　was；　to　attend　to　my　own　samovar；　my　own　stove；　my　own
water；　my　own　clothing；　to　every　thing　that　I　could　do　for　myself。
To　the　question；　〃Will　it　not　seem　strange　to　people　if　you　do
this？〃　it　appeared　that　this　strangeness　lasted　only　a　week；　and
after　the　lapse　of　that　week；　it　would　have　seemed　strange　had　I
returned　to　my　former　conditions　of　life。　　With　regard　to　the
question；　〃Is　it　necessary　to　organize　this　physical　labor；　to
institute　an　association　in　the　country；　on　my　land？〃　it　appeared
that　nothing　of　the　sort　was　necessary；　that　labor；　if　it　does　not
aim　at　the　acquisition　of　all　possible　leisure；　and　the　enjoyment　of
the　labor　of　others；like　the　labor　of　people　bent　on　accumulating
money；but　if　it　have　for　its　object　the　satisfaction　of
requirements；　will　itself　be　drawn　from　the　city　to　the　country；　to
the　land；　where　this　labor　is　the　most　fruitful　and　cheerful。　　But
it　is　not　requisite　to　institute　any　association；　because　the　man
who　labors；　naturally　and　of　himself；　attaches　himself　to　the
existing　association　of　laboring　men。

To　the　question；　whether　this　labor　would　not　monopolize　all　my
time；　and　deprive　me　of　those　intellectual　pursuits　which　I　love；　to
which　I　am　accustomed；　and　which；　in　my　moments　of　self…conceit；　I
regard　as　not　useless　to　others？　I　received　a　most　unexpected　reply。
The　energy　of　my　intellectual　activity　increased；　and　increased　in
exact　proportion　with　bodily　application；　while　freeing　itself　from
every　thing　superfluous。　　It　appeared　that　by　dedicating　to　physical
toil　eight　hours；　that　half　of　the　day　which　I　had　formerly　passed
in　the　oppressive　state　of　a　struggle　with　ennui；　eight　hours
remained　to　me；　of　which　only　five　of　intellectual　activity；
according　to　my　terms；　were　necessary　to　me。　　For　it　appeared；　that
if　I；　a　very　voluminous　writer；　who　had　done　nothing　for　nearly
forty　years　except　write；　and　who　had　written　three　hundred　printed
sheets；if　I　had　worked　during　all　those　forty　years　at　ordinary
labor　with　the　working…people；　then；　not　reckoning　winter　evenings
and　leisure　days；　if　I　had　read　and　studied　for　five　hours　every
day；　and　had　written　a　couple　of　pages　only　on　holidays　（and　I　have
been　in　the　habit　of　writing　at　the　rate　of　one　printed　sheet　a
day）；　then　I　should　have　written　those　three　hundred　sheets　in
fourteen　years。　　The　fact　seemed　startling：　　yet　it　is　the　most
simple　arithmetical　calculation；　which　can　be　made　by　a　seven…year…
old　boy；　but　which　I　had　not　been　able　to　make　up　to　this　time。
There　are　twenty…four　hours　in　the　day；　if　we　take　away　eight　hours；
sixteen　remain。　　If　any　man　engaged　in　intellectual　occupations
devote　five　hours　every　day　to　his　occupation；　he　will　accomplish　a
fearful　amount。　　And　what　is　to　be　done　with　the　remaining　eleven
hours？

It　proved　that　physical　labor　not　only　does　not　exclude　the
possibility　of　mental　activity；　but　that　it　improves　its　quality；
and　encourages　it。

In　answer　to　the　question；　whether　this　physical　toil　does　not
deprive　me　of　many　innocent　pleasures　peculiar　to　man；　such　as　the
enjoyment　of　the　arts；　the　acquisition　of　learning；　intercourse　with
people；　and　the　delights　of　life　in　general；　it　turned　out　exactly
the　reverse：　　the　more　intense　the　labor；　the　more　nearly　it
approached　what　is　considered　t