on the significance of science and art-第5章

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conscience。　　It　seems　to　men　of　scientific　science；　that　there　can
be　no　doubt　of　this；　and　that　their　activity　is　also　indubitably
organic；　they；　the　scientific　and　artistic　workers；　are　the　brain
cells；　and　the　most　precious　cells　in　the　whole　organism。

Ever　since　menreasoning　beingshave　existed；　they　have
distinguished　good　from　evil；　and　have　profited　by　the　fact　that　men
have　made　this　distinction　before　them；　they　have　warred　against
evil；　and　have　sought　the　good；　and　have　slowly　but　uninterruptedly
advanced　in　that　path。　　And　divers　delusions　have　always　stood
before　men；　hemming　in　this　path；　and　having　for　their　object　to
demonstrate　to　them；　that　it　was　not　necessary　to　do　this；　and　that
it　was　not　necessary　to　live　as　they　were　living。　　With　fearful
conflict　and　difficulty；　men　have　freed　themselves　from　many
delusions。　　And　behold；　a　new　and　a　still　more　evil　delusion　has
sprung　up　in　the　path　of　mankind；the　scientific　delusion。

This　new　delusion　is　precisely　the　same　in　nature　as　the　old　ones；
its　gist　lies　in　secretly　leading　astray　the　activity　of　our　reason
and　conscience；　and　of　those　who　have　lived　before　us；　by　something
external。　　In　scientific　science；　this　external　thing　is
investigation。

The　cunning　of　this　science　consists　in　this；that；　after　pointing
out　to　men　the　coarsest　false　interpretations　of　the　activity　of　the
reason　and　conscience　of　man；　it　destroys　in　them　faith　in　their　own
reason　and　conscience；　and　assures　them　that　every　thing　which　their
reason　and　conscience　say　to　them；　that　all　that　these　have　said　to
the　loftiest　representatives　of　man　heretofore；　ever　since　the　world
has　existed；that　all　this　is　conventional　and　subjective。　　〃All
this　must　be　abandoned；〃　they　say；　〃it　is　impossible　to　understand
the　truth　by　the　reason；　for　we　may　be　mistaken。　　But　there　exists
another　unerring　and　almost　mechanical　path：　　it　is　necessary　to
investigate　facts。〃

But　facts　must　be　investigated　on　the　foundation　of　scientific
science；　i。e。；　of　the　two　hypotheses　of　positivism　and　evolution；
which　are　not　borne　out　by　any　thing；　and　which　give　themselves　out
as　undoubted　truths。　　And　the　reigning　science　announces；　with
delusive　solemnity；　that　the　solution　of　all　problems　of　life　is
possible　only　through　the　study　of　facts；　of　nature；　and；　in
particular；　of　organisms。　　The　credulous　mass　of　young　people；
overwhelmed　by　the　novelty　of　this　authority；　which　has　not　yet　been
overthrown　or　even　touched　by　criticism；　flings　itself　into　the
study　of　natural　sciences；　into　that　sole　path；　which；　according　to
the　assertion　of　the　reigning　science；　can　lead　to　the　elucidation
of　the　problems　of　life。

But　the　farther　the　disciples　proceed　in　this　study；　the　farther　and
farther　does　not　only　the　possibility；　but　even　the　very　idea；　of
the　solution　of　the　problems　of　life　withdraw　from　them；　and　the
more　and　more　do　they　become　accustomed；　not　so　much　to　investigate；
as　to　believe　in　the　assertions　of　other　investigators　（to　believe
in　cells；　in　protoplasm；　in　the　fourth　condition　of　bodies；　and　so
forth）；　the　more　and　more　does　the　form　veil　the　contents　from　them；
the　more　and　more　do　they　lose　the　consciousness　of　good　and　evil；
and　the　capacity　of　understanding　those　expressions　and　definitions
of　good　and　evil　which　have　been　elaborated　through　the　whole
foregoing　life　of　mankind；　and　the　more　and　more　do　they　appropriate
to　themselves　the　special　scientific　jargon　of　conventional
expressions；　which　possesses　no　universally　human　significance；　and
the　deeper　and　deeper　do　they　plunge　into　the　debris　of　utterly
unilluminated　investigations；　the　more　and　more　do　they　lose　the
power；　not　only　of　independent　thought；　but　even　of　understanding
the　fresh　human　thought　of　others；　which　lies　beyond　the　bounds　of
their　Talmud。　　But　the　principal　thing　is；　that　they　pass　their　best
years　in　getting　disused　to　life；　they　grow　accustomed　to　consider
their　position　as　justifiable；　and　they　convert　themselves
physically　into　utterly　useless　parasites；　and　mentally　they
dislocate　their　brains　and　become　mental　eunuchs。　　And　in　precisely
the　same　manner；　according　to　the　measure　of　their　folly；　do　they
acquire　self…conceit；　which　deprives　them　forever　of　all　possibility
of　return　to　a　simple　life　of　toil；　to　a　simple；　clear；　and
universally　human　train　of　reasoning。

Division　of　labor　always　has　existed　in　human　communities；　and　will
probably　always　exist；　but　the　question　for　us　lies　not　in　the　fact
that　it　has　existed；　and　that　it　will　exist；　but　in　this；how　are
we　to　govern　ourselves　so　that　this　division　shall　be　right？　　But　if
we　take　investigation　as　our　rule　of　action；　we　by　this　very　act
repudiate　all　rule；　then　in　that　case　we　shall　regard　as　right　every
division　of　labor　which　we　shall　descry　among　men；　and　which　appears
to　us　to　be　rightto　which　conclusion　the　prevailing　scientific
science　also　leads。

Division　of　labor！

Some　are　busied　in　mental　or　moral；　others　in　muscular　or　physical；
labor。　　With　what　confidence　people　enunciate　this！　　They　wish　to
think　so；　and　it　seems　to　them　that；　in　point　of　fact；　a　perfectly
regular　exchange　of　services　does　take　place。

But　we；　in　our　blindness；　have　so　completely　lost　sight　of　the
responsibility　which　we　have　assumed；　that　we　have　even　forgotten　in
whose　name　our　labor　is　prosecuted；　and　the　very　people　whom　we　have
undertaken　to　serve　have　become　the　objects　of　our　scientific　and
artistic　activity。　　We　study　and　depict　them　for　our　amusement　and
diversion。　　We　have　totally　forgotten　that　what　we　need　to　do　is　not
to　study　and　depict　them；　but　to　serve　them。　　To　such　a　degree　have
we　lost　sight　of　this　duty　which　we　have　taken　upon　us；　that　we　have
not　even　noticed　that　what　we　have　undertaken　to　perform　in　the
realm　of　science　and　art　has　been　accomplished　not　by　us；　but　by
others；　and　that　our　place　has　turned　out　to　be　occupied。

It　proves　that　while　we　have　been　disputing；　one　about　the
spontaneous　origin　of　organisms；　another　as　to　what　else　there　is　in
protoplasm；　and　so　on；　the　common　people　have　been　in　need　of
spiritual　food；　and　the　unsuccessful　and　rejected　of　art　and
science；　in　obedience　to　the　mandate　of　adventurers　who　have　in　view
the　sole　aim　of　profit；　have　begun　to　furnish　the　people　with　this
spiritual　food；　and　still　so　furnish　them。　　For　the　last　forty　years
in　Europe；　and　for　the　last　ten　years　with　us　here　in　Russia；
millions　of　books　and　pictures　and　song…books　have　been　distributed；
and　stalls　have　been　opened；　and　the　people　gaze　and　sing　and
receive　spiritual　nourishment；　but　not　from　us　who　have　undertaken
to　provide　it；　while　we；　justifying　our　idleness　by　that　spiritual
food　which　we　are　supposed　to　furnish；　sit　by　and　wink　at　it。

But　it　is　impossible　for　us　to　wink　at　it；　for　our　last
justification　is　slipping　from　beneath　our　feet。　　We　have　become
specialized。　　We　have　our　particular　functional　activity。　　We　are
the　brains　of　the　people。　　They　support　us；　and　we　have　undertaken
to　teach　them。　　It　is　only　under　this　pretence　that　we　have　excused
ourselves　from　work。　　But　what　have　we　taught　them；　and　what　are　we
now　teaching　them？　　They　have　waited　for　yearsfor　tens；　for
hundreds　of　years。　　And　we　keep　on　diverting　our　minds　with　chatter；
and　we　instruct　each　other；　and　we　console　ourselves；　and　we　have
utterly　forgotten　them。　　We　have　so　entirely　forgotten　them；　that
others　have　undertaken　to　instruct　them；　and　we　have　not　even
perceived　it。　　We　have　spoken　of　the　division　of　labor　with　such
lack　of　seriousness；　that　it　is　obvious　that　what　we　have　said　about
the　benefits　which　we　have　conferred　on　the　people　was　simply　a
shameless　evasion。



CHAPTER　IV。



Science　and　art　have　arrogated　to　themselves　the　right　of　idleness；
and　of　the　enjoyment　of　the　labor　of　others；　and　have　betrayed　their
calling。　　And　their　errors　have　arisen　merely　because　their
servants；　having　set　forth　a　falsely　conceived　principle　of　the
division　of　labor；　have　recognized　their　own　right　to　make　use　of
the　labor　of　others；　and　have　lost　the　significance　of　their
vocation；　having　taken　for　their　aim；　not　the　profit　o