on the significance of science and art-第6章

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the　labor　of　others；　and　have　lost　the　significance　of　their
vocation；　having　taken　for　their　aim；　not　the　profit　of　the　people；
but　the　mysterious　profit　of　science　and　art；　and　delivered
themselves　over　to　idleness　and　vicenot　so　much　of　the　senses　as
of　the　mind。

They　say；　〃Science　and　art　have　bestowed　a　great　deal　on　mankind。〃

Science　and　art　have　bestowed　a　great　deal　on　mankind；　not　because
the　men　of　art　and　science；　under　the　pretext　of　a　division　of
labor；　live　on　other　people；　but　in　spite　of　this。

The　Roman　Republic　was　powerful；　not　because　her　citizens　had　the
power　to　live　a　vicious　life；　but　because　among　their　number　there
were　heroic　citizens。　　It　is　the　same　with　art　and　science。　　Art　and
science　have　bestowed　much　on　mankind；　but　not　because　their
followers　formerly　possessed　on　rare　occasions　（and　now　possess　on
every　occasion）　the　possibility　of　getting　rid　of　labor；　but　because
there　have　been　men　of　genius；　who；　without　making　use　of　these
rights；　have　led　mankind　forward。

The　class　of　learned　men　and　artists；　which　has　advanced；　on　the
fictitious　basis　of　a　division　of　labor；　its　demands　to　the　right　of
using　the　labors　of　others；　cannot　co…operate　in　the　success　of　true
science　and　true　art；　because　a　lie　cannot　bring　forth　the　truth。

We　have　become　so　accustomed　to　these；　our　tenderly　reared　or
weakened　representatives　of　mental　labor；　that　it　seems　to　us
horrible　that　a　man　of　science　or　an　artist　should　plough　or　cart
manure。　　It　seems　to　us　that　every　thing　would　go　to　destruction；
and　that　all　his　wisdom　would　be　rattled　out　of　him　in　the　cart；　and
that　all　those　grand　picturesque　images　which　he　bears　about　in　his
breast　would　be　soiled　in　the　manure；　but　we　have　become　so　inured
to　this；　that　it　does　not　strike　us　as　strange　that　our　servitor　of
sciencethat　is　to　say；　the　servant　and　teacher　of　the　truthby
making　other　people　do　for　him　that　which　he　might　do　for　himself；
passes　half　his　time　in　dainty　eating；　in　smoking；　in　talking；　in
free　and　easy　gossip；　in　reading　the　newspapers　and　romances；　and　in
visiting　the　theatres。　　It　is　not　strange　to　us　to　see　our
philosopher　in　the　tavern；　in　the　theatre；　and　at　the　ball。　　It　is
not　strange　in　our　eyes　to　learn　that　those　artists　who　sweeten　and
ennoble　our　souls　have　passed　their　lives　in　drunkenness；　cards；　and
women；　if　not　in　something　worse。

Art　and　science　are　very　beautiful　things；　but　just　because　they　are
so　beautiful　they　should　not　be　spoiled　by　the　compulsory
combination　with　them　of　vice：　　that　is　to　say；　a　man　should　not　get
rid　of　his　obligation　to　serve　his　own　life　and　that　of　other　people
by　his　own　labor。　　Art　and　science　have　caused　mankind　to　progress。
Yes；　but　not　because　men　of　art　and　science；　under　the　guise　of
division　of　labor；　have　rid　themselves　of　the　very　first　and　most
indisputable　of　human　obligations；to　labor　with　their　hands　in　the
universal　struggle　of　mankind　with　nature。

〃But　only　the　division　of　labor；　the　freedom　of　men　of　science　and
of　art　from　the　necessity　of　earning　them　living；　has　rendered
possible　that　remarkable　success　of　science　which　we　behold　in　our
day；〃　is　the　answer　to　this。　　〃If　all　were　forced　to　till　the　soil；
those　VAST　results　would　not　have　been　attained　which　have　been
attained　in　our　day；　there　would　have　been　none　of　those　STRIKING
successes　which　have　so　greatly　augmented　man's　power　over　nature；
were　it　not　for　these　astronomical　discoveries　WHICH　ARE　SO
ASTOUNDING　TO　THE　MIND　OF　MAN；　and　which　have　added　to　the　security
of　navigation；　there　would　be　no　steamers；　no　railways；　none　of
those　WONDERFUL　bridges；　tunnels；　steam…engines　and　telegraphs；
photography；　telephones；　sewing…machines；　phonographs；　electricity；
telescopes；　spectroscopes；　microscopes；　chloroform；　Lister's
bandages；　and　carbolic　acid。〃

I　will　not　enumerate　every　thing　on　which　our　age　thus　prides
itself。　　This　enumeration　and　pride　of　enthusiasm　over　ourselves　and
our　exploits　can　be　found　in　almost　any　newspaper　and　popular
pamphlet。　　This　enthusiasm　over　ourselves　is　often　repeated　to　such
a　degree　that　none　of　us　can　sufficiently　rejoice　over　ourselves；
that　we　are　seriously　convinced　that　art　and　science　have　never　made
such　progress　as　in　our　own　time。　　And；　as　we　are　indebted　for　all
this　marvellous　progress　to　the　division　of　labor；　why　not
acknowledge　it？

Let　us　admit　that　the　progress　made　in　our　day　is　noteworthy；
marvellous；　unusual；　let　us　admit　that　we　are　fortunate　mortals　to
live　in　such　a　remarkable　epoch：　　but　let　us　endeavor　to　appraise
this　progress；　not　on　the　basis　of　our　self…satisfaction；　but　of
that　principle　which　defends　itself　with　this　progress；the
division　of　labor。　　All　this　progress　is　very　amazing；　but　by　a
peculiarly　unlucky　chance；　admitted　even　by　the　men　of　science；　this
progress　has　not　so　far　improved；　but　it　has　rather　rendered　worse；
the　position　of　the　majority；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　workingman。

If　the　workingman　can　travel　on　the　railway；　instead　of　walking；
still　that　same　railway　has　burned　down　his　forest；　has　carried　off
his　grain　under　his　very　nose；　and　has　brought　his　condition　very
near　to　slaveryto　the　capitalist。　　If；　thanks　to　steam…engines　and
machines；　the　workingman　can　purchase　inferior　calico　at　a　cheap
rate；　on　the　other　hand　these　engines　and　machines　have　deprived　him
of　work　at　home；　and　have　brought　him　into　a　state　of　abject　slavery
to　the　manufacturer。　　If　there　are　telephones　and　telescopes；　poems；
romances；　theatres；　ballets；　symphonies；　operas；　picture…galleries；
and　so　forth；　on　the　other　hand　the　life　of　the　workingman　has　not
been　bettered　by　all　this；　for　all　of　them；　by　the　same　unlucky
chance；　are　inaccessible　to　him。

So　that；　on　the　whole　（and　even　men　of　science　admit　this）；　up　to
the　present　time；　all　these　remarkable　discoveries　and　products　of
science　and　art　have　certainly　not　ameliorated　the　condition　of　the
workingman；　if；　indeed；　they　have　not　made　it　worse。　　So　that；　if　we
set　against　the　question　as　to　the　reality　of　the　progress　attained
by　the　arts　and　sciences；　not　our　own　rapture；　but　that　standard
upon　the　basis　of　which　the　division　of　labor　is　defended；the　good
of　the　laboring　man；we　shall　see　that　we　have　no　firm　foundations
for　that　self…satisfaction　in　which　we　are　so　fond　of　indulging。

The　peasant　travels　on　the　railway；　the　woman　buys　calico；　in　the
isba　（cottage）　there　will　be　a　lamp　instead　of　a　pine…knot；　and　the
peasant　will　light　his　pipe　with　a　match；this　is　convenient；　but
what　right　have　I　to　say　that　the　railway　and　the　factory　have
proved　advantageous　to　the　people？

If　the　peasant　rides　on　the　railway；　and　buys　calico；　a　lamp；　and
matches；　it　is　only　because　it　is　impossible　to　forbid　the　peasant's
buying　them；　but　surely　we　are　all　aware　that　the　construction　of
railways　and　factories　has　never　been　carried　out　for　the　benefit　of
the　lower　classes：　　so　why　should　a　casual　convenience　which　the
workingman　enjoys　lead　to　a　proof　of　the　utility　of　all　these
institutions　for　the　people？

There　is　something　useful　in　every　injurious　thing。　　After　a
conflagration；　one　can　warm　one's　self；　and　light　one's　pipe　with　a
firebrand；　but　why　declare　that　the　conflagration　is　beneficial？

Men　of　art　and　science　might　say　that　their　pursuits　are　beneficial
to　the　people；　only　when　men　of　art　and　science　have　assigned　to
themselves　the　object　of　serving　the　people；　as　they　now　assign
themselves　the　object　of　serving　the　authorities　and　the
capitalists。　　We　might　say　this　if　men　of　art　and　science　had　taken
as　their　aim　the　needs　of　the　people；　but　there　are　none　such。　　All
scientists　are　busy　with　their　priestly　avocations；　out　of　which
proceed　investigations　into　protoplasm；　the　spectral　analyses　of
stars；　and　so　on。　　But　science　has　never　once　thought　of　what　axe　or
what　hatchet　is　the　most　profitable　to　chop　with；　what　saw　is　the
most　handy；　what　is　the　best　way　to　mix　bread；　from　what　flour；　how
to　set　it；　how　to　build　and　heat　an　oven；　what　food　and　drink；　and
what　utensils；　are　the　most　convenient　and　advantageous　under
certain　conditions；　what　mushrooms　may　be　eaten；　ho