on the significance of science and art-第16章

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and　receive　proper　support　from　the　Emperor。　　This　peasant　now　calls
himself　〃the　Most　Serene　Warrior；　Prince　Blokhin；　purveyor　of　war
supplies　of　all　descriptions。〃　　He　says　of　himself　that　he　has
〃passed　through　all　the　ranks；〃　and　that　when　he　shall　have　served
out　his　term　in　the　army；　he　is　to　receive　from　the　Emperor　an
unlimited　bank　account；　clothes；　uniforms；　horses；　equipages；　tea；
pease　and　servants；　and　all　sorts　of　luxuries。　　This　man　is
ridiculous　in　the　eyes　of　many；　but　to　me　the　significance　of　his
madness　is　terrible。　　To　the　question；　whether　he　does　not　wish　to
work；　he　always　replies　proudly：　　〃I　am　much　obliged。　　The　peasants
will　attend　to　all　that。〃　　When　you　tell　him　that　the　peasants　do
not　wish　to　work；　either；　he　answers：　　〃It　is　not　difficult　for　the
peasant。〃

He　generally　talks　in　a　high…flown　style；　and　is　fond　of　verbal
substantives。　　〃Now　there　is　an　invention　of　machinery　for　the
alleviation　of　the　peasants；〃　he　says；　〃there　is　no　difficulty　for
them　in　that。〃　　When　he　is　asked　what　he　lives　for；　he　replies；　〃To
pass　the　time。〃　　I　always　look　on　this　man　as　on　a　mirror。　　I　behold
in　him　myself　and　all　my　class。　　To　pass　through　all　the　ranks
（tchini）　in　order　to　live　for　the　purpose　of　passing　the　time；　and
to　receive　an　unlimited　bank　account；　while　the　peasants；　for　whom
this　is　not　difficult；　because　of　the　invention　of　machinery；　do　the
whole　business；this　is　the　complete　formula　of　the　idiotic　creed
of　the　people　of　our　sphere　in　society。

When　we　inquire　precisely　what　we　are　to　do；　surely；　we　ask　nothing；
but　merely　assertonly　not　in　such　good　faith　as　the　Most　Serene
Prince　Blokhin；　who　has　been　promoted　through　all　ranks；　and　lost
his　mindthat　we　do　not　wish　to　do　any　thing。

He　who　will　reflect　for　a　moment　cannot　ask　thus；　because；　on　the
one　hand；　every　thing　that　he　uses　has　been　made；　and　is　made；　by
the　hands　of　men；　and；　on　the　other　side；　as　soon　as　a　healthy　man
has　awakened　and　eaten；　the　necessity　of　working　with　feet　and　hands
and　brain　makes　itself　felt。　　In　order　to　find　work　and　to　work；　he
need　only　not　hold　back：　　only　a　person　who　thinks　work　disgraceful…
…like　the　lady　who　requests　her　guest　not　to　take　the　trouble　to
open　the　door；　but　to　wait　until　she　can　call　a　man　for　this
purposecan　put　to　himself　the　question；　what　he　is　to　do。

The　point　does　not　lie　in　inventing　work；you　can　never　get　through
all　the　work　that　is　to　be　done　for　yourself　and　for　others；but
the　point　lies　in　weaning　one's　self　from　that　criminal　view　of　life
in　accordance　with　which　I　eat　and　sleep　for　my　own　pleasure；　and　in
appropriating　to　myself　that　just　and　simple　view　with　which　the
laboring　man　grows　up　and　lives；that　man　is；　first　of　all；　a
machine；　which　loads　itself　with　food　in　order　to　sustain　itself；
and　that　it　is　therefore　disgraceful；　wrong；　and　impossible　to　eat
and　not　to　work；　that　to　eat　and　not　to　work　is　the　most　impious；
unnatural；　and；　therefore；　dangerous　position；　in　the　nature　of　the
sin　of　Sodom。　　Only　let　this　acknowledgement　be　made；　and　there　will
be　work；　and　work　will　always　be　joyous　and　satisfying　to　both
spiritual　and　bodily　requirements。

The　matter　presented　itself　to　me　thus：　　The　day　is　divided　for
every　man；　by　food　itself；　into　four　parts；　or　four　stints；　as　the
peasants　call　it：　　（1）　before　breakfast；　（2）　from　breakfast　until
dinner；　（3）　from　dinner　until　four　o'clock；　（4）　from　four　o'clock
until　evening。

A　man's　employment；　whatever　it　may　be　that　he　feels　a　need　for　in
his　own　person；　is　also　divided　into　four　categories：　　（1）　the
muscular　employment　of　power；　labor　of　the　hands；　feet；　shoulders；
back；hard　labor；　from　which　you　sweat；　（2）　the　employment　of　the
fingers　and　wrists；　the　employment　of　artisan　skill；　（3）　the
employment　of　the　mind　and　imagination；　（4）　the　employment　of
intercourse　with　others。

The　benefits　which　man　enjoys　are　also　divided　into　four　categories。
Every　man　enjoys；　in　the　first　place；　the　product　of　hard　labor；
grain；　cattle；　buildings；　wells；　ponds；　and　so　forth；　in　the　second
place；　the　results　of　artisan　toil；clothes；　boots；　utensils；　and
so　forth；　in　the　third　place；　the　products　of　mental　activity；
science；　art；　and；　in　the　forth　place；　established　intercourse
between　people。

And　it　struck　me；　that　the　best　thing　of　all　would　be　to　arrange　the
occupations　of　the　day　in　such　a　manner　as　to　exercise　all　four　of
man's　capacities；　and　myself　produce　all　these　four　sorts　of
benefits　which　men　make　use　of；　so　that　one　portion　of　the　day；　the
first；　should　be　dedicated　to　hard　labor；　the　second；　to
intellectual　labor；　the　third；　to　artisan　labor；　and　the　forth；　to
intercourse　with　people。　　It　struck　me；　that　only　then　would　that
false　division　of　labor；　which　exists　in　our　society；　be　abrogated；
and　that　just　division　of　labor　established；　which　does　not　destroy
man's　happiness。

I；　for　example；　have　busied　myself　all　my　life　with　intellectual
labor。　　I　said　to　myself；　that　I　had　so　divided　labor；　that　writing；
that　is　to　say；　intellectual　labor；　is　my　special　employment；　and
the　other　matters　which　were　necessary　to　me　I　had　left　free　（or
relegated；　rather）　to　others。　　But　this；　which　would　appear　to　have
been　the　most　advantageous　arrangement　for　intellectual　toil；　was
precisely　the　most　disadvantageous　to　mental　labor；　not　to　mention
its　injustice。

All　my　life　long；　I　have　regulated　my　whole　life；　food；　sleep；
diversion；　in　view　of　these　hours　of　special　labor；　and　I　have　done
nothing　except　this　work。　　The　result　of　this　has　been；　in　the　first
place；　that　I　have　contracted　my　sphere　of　observations　and
knowledge；　and　have　frequently　had　no　means　for　the　study　even　of
problems　which　often　presented　themselves　in　describing　the　life　of
the　people　（for　the　life　of　the　common　people　is　the　every…day
problem　of　intellectual　activity）。　　I　was　conscious　of　my　ignorance；
and　was　obliged　to　obtain　instruction；　to　ask　about　things　which　are
known　by　every　man　not　engaged　in　special　labor。　　In　the　second
place；　the　result　was；　that　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　sitting　down
to　write　when　I　had　no　inward　impulse　to　write；　and　when　no　one
demanded　from　me　writing；　as　writing；　that　is　to　say；　my　thoughts；
but　when　my　name　was　merely　wanted　for　journalistic　speculation。　　I
tried　to　squeeze　out　of　myself　what　I　could。　　Sometimes　I　could
extract　nothing；　sometimes　it　was　very　wretched　stuff；　and　I　was
dissatisfied　and　grieved。　　But　now　that　I　have　learned　the
indispensability　of　physical　labor；　both　hard　and　artisan　labor；　the
result　is　entirely　different。　　My　time　has　been　occupied；　however
modestly；　at　least　usefully　and　cheerfully；　and　in　a　manner
instructive　to　me。　　And　therefore　I　have　torn　myself　from　that
indubitably　useful　and　cheerful　occupation　for　my　special　duties
only　when　I　felt　an　inward　impulse；　and　when　I　saw　a　demand　made
upon　me　directly　for　my　literary　work。

And　these　demands　called　into　play　only　good　nature；　and　therefore
the　usefulness　and　the　joy　of　my　special　labor。　　Thus　it　turned　out；
that　employment　in　those　physical　labors　which　are　indispensable　to
me；　as　they　are　to　every　man；　not　only　did　not　interfere　with　my
special　activity；　but　was　an　indispensable　condition　of　the
usefulness；　worth；　and　cheerfulness　of　that　activity。

The　bird　is　so　constructed；　that　it　is　indispensable　that　it　should
fly；　walk；　peek；　combine；　and　when　it　does　all　this；　it　is　satisfied
and　happy；then　it　is　a　bird。　　Just　so　man；　when　he　walks；　turns；
raises；　drags；　works　with　his　fingers；　with　his　eyes；　with　his　ears；
with　his　tongue；　with　his　brain；only　then　is　he　satisfied；　only
then　is　he　a　man。

A　man　who　acknowledges　his　appointment　to　labor　will　naturally
strive　towards　that　rotation　of　labor　which　is　peculiar　to　him；　for
the　satisfaction　of　his　inward　requirements；　and　he　can　alter　this
labor　in　no　other　way　than　when　he　feels　within　himself　an
irresistible　summons　to　some　exclusive　form　of　labor；　and　when　the
demands　of　other　men　for　that　labor　are　expressed。

The　character　of　labor　is　such；　that　the　satisfaction　of　all　a　man's
requirements　demands　that　same　succession　of　the　sorts　of　work