on the significance of science and art-第17章

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requirements　demands　that　same　succession　of　the　sorts　of　work　which
renders　work　not　a　burden　but　a　joy。　　Only　a　false　creed；　＇Greek
text　which　cannot　be　reproduced＇；　to　the　effect　that　labor　is　a
curse；　could　have　led　men　to　rid　themselves　of　certain　kinds　of
work；　i。e。；　to　the　appropriation　of　the　work　of　others；　demanding
the　forced　occupation　with　special　labor　of　other　people；　which　they
call　division　of　labor。

We　have　only　grown　used　to　our　false　comprehension　of　the　regulation
of　labor；　because　it　seems　to　us　that　the　shoemaker；　the　machinist；
the　writer；　or　the　musician　will　be　better　off　if　he　gets　rid　of　the
labor　peculiar　to　man。　　Where　there　is　no　force　exercised　over　the
labor　of　others；　or　any　false　belief　in　the　joy　of　idleness；　not　a
single　man　will　get　rid　of　physical　labor；　necessary　for　the
satisfaction　of　his　requirements；　for　the　sake　of　special　work；
because　special　work　is　not　a　privilege；　but　a　sacrifice　which　man
offers　to　inward　pressure　and　to　his　brethren。

The　shoemaker　in　the　country；　who　abandons　his　wonted　labor　in　the
field；　which　is　so　grateful　to　him；　and　betakes　himself　to　his
trade；　in　order　to　repair　or　make　boots　for　his　neighbors；　always
deprives　himself　of　the　pleasant　toil　of　the　field；　simply　because
he　likes　to　make　boots；　because　he　knows　that　no　one　else　can　do　it
so　well　as　he；　and　that　people　will　be　grateful　to　him　for　it；　but
the　desire　cannot　occur　to　him；　to　deprive　himself；　for　the　whole
period　of　his　life；　of　the　cheering　rotation　of　labor。

It　is　the　same　with　the　starosta　＇village　elder＇；　the　machinist；　the
writer；　the　learned　man。　　To　us；　with　our　corrupt　conception　of
things；　it　seems；　that　if　a　steward　has　been　relegated　to　the
position　of　a　peasant　by　his　master；　or　if　a　minister　has　been　sent
to　the　colonies；　he　has　been　chastised；　he　has　been　ill…treated。
But　in　reality　a　benefit　has　been　conferred　on　him；　that　is　to　say；
his　special；　hard　labor　has　been　changed　into　a　cheerful　rotation　of
labor。　　In　a　naturally　constituted　society；　this　is　quite　otherwise。
I　know　of　one　community　where　the　people　supported　themselves。　　One
of　the　members　of　this　society　was　better　educated　than　the　rest；
and　they　called　upon　him　to　read；　so　that　he　was　obliged　to　prepare
himself　during　the　day；　in　order　that　he　might　read　in　the　evening。
This　he　did　gladly；　feeling　that　he　was　useful　to　others；　and　that
he　was　performing　a　good　deed。　　But　he　grew　weary　of　exclusively
intellectual　work；　and　his　health　suffered　from　it。　　The　members　of
the　community　took　pity　on　him；　and　requested　him　to　go　to　work　in
the　fields。

For　men　who　regard　labor　as　the　substance　and　the　joy　of　life；　the
basis；　the　foundation　of　life　will　always　be　the　struggle　with
nature；labor　both　agricultural　and　mechanical；　and　intellectual；
and　the　establishment　of　communion　between　men。　　Departure　from　one
or　from　many　of　these　varieties　of　labor；　and　the　adoption　of
special　labor；　will　then　only　occur　when　the　man　possessed　of　a
special　branch；　and　loving　this　work；　and　knowing　that　he　can
perform　it　better　than　others；　sacrifices　his　own　profit　for　the
satisfaction　of　the　direct　demands　made　upon　him。　　Only　on　condition
of　such　a　view　of　labor；　and　of　the　natural　division　of　labor
arising　from　it；　is　that　curse　which　is　laid　upon　our　idea　of　labor
abrogated；　and　does　every　sort　of　work　becomes　always　a　joy；　because
a　man　will　either　perform　that　labor　which　is　undoubtedly　useful　and
joyous；　and　not　dull；　or　he　will　possess　the　consciousness　of　self…
abnegation　in　the　fulfilment　of　more　difficult　and　restricted　toil；
which　he　exercises　for　the　good　of　others。

But　the　division　of　labor　is　more　profitable。　　More　profitable　for
whom？　　It　is　more　profitable　in　making　the　greatest　possible
quantity　of　calico；　and　boots　in　the　shortest　possible　time。　　But
who　will　make　these　boots　and　this　calico？　　There　are　people　who；
for　whole　generations；　make　only　the　heads　of　pins。　　Then　how　can
this　be　more　profitable　for　men？　　If　the　point　lies　in　manufacturing
as　much　calico　and　as　many　pins　as　possible；　then　this　is　so。　　But
the　point　concerns　men　and　their　welfare。　　And　the　welfare　of　men
lies　in　life。　　And　life　is　work。　　How；　then；　can　the　necessity　for
burdensome；　oppressive　toil　be　more　profitable　for　people？　　For　all
men；　that　one　thing　is　more　profitable　which　I　desire　for　myself；
the　utmost　well…being；　and　the　gratification　of　all　those
requirements；　both　bodily　and　spiritual；　of　the　conscience　and　of
the　reason；　which　are　imposed　upon　me。　　And　in　my　own　case　I　have
found；　that　for　my　own　welfare；　and　for　the　satisfaction　of　these
needs　of　mine；　all　that　I　require　is　to　cure　myself　of　that　folly　in
which　I　had　been　living；　in　company　with　the　Krapivensky　madman；　and
which　consisted　in　presupposing　that　some　people　need　not　work；　and
that　certain　other　people　should　direct　all　this；　and　that　I　should
therefore　do　only　that　which　is　natural　to　man；　i。e。；　labor　for　the
satisfaction　of　their　requirements；　and；　having　discovered　this；　I
convinced　myself　that　labor　for　the　satisfaction　of　one's　own　needs
falls　of　itself　into　various　kinds　of　labor；　each　one　of　which
possesses　its　own　charm；　and　which　not　only　do　not　constitute　a
burden；　but　which　serve　as　a　respite　to　one　another。　　I　have　made　a
rough　division　of　this　labor　（not　insisting　on　the　justice　of　this
arrangement）；　in　accordance　with　my　own　needs　in　life；　into　four
parts；　corresponding　to　the　four　stints　of　labor　of　which　the　day　is
composed；　and　I　seek　in　this　manner　to　satisfy　my　requirements。

These；　then；　are　the　answers　which　I　have　found　for　myself　to　the
question；　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃

First；　Not　to　lie　to　myself；　however　far　removed　my　path　in　life　may
be　from　the　true　path　which　my　reason　discloses　to　me。

Second；　To　renounce　my　consciousness　of　my　own　righteousness；　my
superiority　especially　over　other　people；　and　to　acknowledge　my
guilt。

Third；　To　comply　with　that　eternal　and　indubitable　law　of　humanity；…
…the　labor　of　my　whole　being；　feeling　no　shame　at　any　sort　of　work；
to　contend　with　nature　for　the　maintenance　of　my　own　life　and　the
lives　of　others。






Footnote：

｛1｝　　An　omission　by　the　censor；　which　I　am　unable　to　supply。　　TRANS。

｛2｝　　We　designate　as　organisms　the　elephant　and　the　bacterian；　only
because　we　assume　by　analogy　in　those　creatures　the　same　conjunction
of　feeling　and　consciousness　that　we　know　to　exist　in　ourselves。
But　in　human　societies　and　in　humanity；　this　actual　sign　is　absent；
and　therefore；　however　many　other　signs　we　may　discover　in　humanity
and　in　organism；　without　this　substantial　token　the　recognition　of
humanity　as　an　organism　is　incorrect。

｛3｝　　v　prikusku；　when　a　lump　of　sugar　is　held　in　the　teeth　instead
or　being　put　into　the　tea。







End