on the significance of science and art-第8章

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arranged　this　matter；　that　only　wealthy　people　are　able　to　study
science；　and　teachers；　like　technologists　and　physicians；　cling　to
money。

And　this　cannot　be　otherwise；　because　a　school　built　on　a　model　plan
（as　a　general　rule；　the　more　scientifically　built　the　school；　the
more　costly　it　is）；　with　pivot　chains；　and　globes；　and　maps；　and
library；　and　petty　text…books　for　teachers　and　scholars　and
pedagogues；　is　a　sort　of　thing　for　which　it　would　be　necessary　to
double　the　taxes　in　every　village。　　This　science　demands。　　The
people　need　money　for　their　work；　and　the　more　there　is　needed；　the
poorer　they　are。

Defenders　of　science　say：　　〃Pedagogy　is　even　now　proving　of
advantage　to　the　people；　but　give　it　a　chance　to　develop；　and　then
it　will　do　still　better。〃　　Yes；　if　it　does　develop；　and　instead　of
twenty　schools　in　a　district　there　are　a　hundred；　and　all
scientific；　and　if　the　people　support　these　schools；　they　will　grow
poorer　than　ever；　and　they　will　more　than　ever　need　work　for　their
children's　sake。　　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　they　say　to　this。　　The
government　will　build　the　schools；　and　will　make　education
obligatory；　as　it　is　in　Europe；　but　again；　surely；　the　money　is
taken　from　the　people　just　the　same；　and　it　will　be　harder　to　work；
and　they　will　have　less　leisure　for　work；　and　there　will　be　no
education　even　by　compulsion。　　Again　the　sole　salvation　is　this：
that　the　teacher　should　live　under　the　conditions　of　the　working…
men；　and　should　teach　for　that　compensation　which　they　give　him
freely　and　voluntarily。

Such　is　the　false　course　of　science；　which　deprives　it　of　the　power
of　fulfilling　its　obligation；　which　is；　to　serve　the　people。

But　in　nothing　is　this　false　course　of　science　so　obviously
apparent；　as　in　the　vocation　of　art；　which；　from　its　very
significance；　ought　to　be　accessible　to　the　people。　　Science　may
fall　back　on　its　stupid　excuse；　that　science　acts　for　science；　and
that　when　it　turns　out　learned　men　it　is　laboring　for　the　people；
but　art；　if　it　is　art；　should　be　accessible　to　all　the　people；　and
in　particular　to　those　in　whose　name　it　is　executed。　　And　our
definition　of　art；　in　a　striking　manner；　convicts　those　who　busy
themselves　with　art；　of　their　lack　of　desire；　lack　of　knowledge；　and
lack　of　power；　to　be　useful　to　the　people。

The　painter；　for　the　production　of　his　great　works；　must　have　a
studio　of　at　least　such　dimensions　that　a　whole　association　of
carpenters　（forty　in　number）　or　shoemakers；　now　sickening　or
stifling　in　lairs；　would　be　able　to　work　in　it。　　But　this　is　not
all；　he　must　have　a　model；　costumes；　travels。　　Millions　are　expended
on　the　encouragement　of　art；　and　the　products　of　this　art　are　both
incomprehensible　and　useless　to　the　people。　　Musicians；　in　order　to
express　their　grand　ideas；　must　assemble　two　hundred　men　in　white
neckties；　or　in　costumes；　and　spend　hundreds　of　thousands　of　rubles
for　the　equipment　of　an　opera。　　And　the　products　of　this　art　cannot
evoke　from　the　peopleeven　if　the　latter　could　at　any　time　enjoy
itany　thing　except　amazement　and　ennui。

Writersauthorsit　appears；　do　not　require　surroundings；　studios；
models；　orchestras；　and　actors；　but　it　then　appears　that　the　author
needs　（not　to　mention　comfort　in　his　quarters）　all　the　dainties　of
life　for　the　preparation　of　his　great　works；　travels；　palaces；
cabinets；　libraries；　the　pleasures　of　art；　visits　to　theatres；
concerts；　the　baths；　and　so　on。　　If　he　does　not　earn　a　fortune　for
himself；　he　is　granted　a　pension；　in　order　that　he　may　compose　the
better。　　And　again；　these　compositions；　so　prized　by　us；　remain
useless　lumber　for　the　people；　and　utterly　unserviceable　to　them。

And　if　still　more　of　these　dealers　in　spiritual　nourishment　are
developed　further；　as　men　of　science　desire；　and　a　studio　is　erected
in　every　village；　if　an　orchestra　is　set　up；　and　authors　are
supported　in　those　conditions　which　artistic　people　regard　as
indispensable　for　themselves；I　imagine　that　the　working…classes
will　sooner　take　an　oath　never　to　look　at　any　pictures；　never　to
listen　to　a　symphony；　never　to　read　poetry　or　novels；　than　to　feed
all　these　persons。

And　why；　apparently；　should　art　not　be　of　service　to　the　people？　　In
every　cottage　there　are　images　and　pictures；　every　peasant　man　and
woman　sings；　many　own　harmonicas；　and　all　recite　stories　and　verses；
and　many　read。　　It　is　as　if　those　two　things　which　are　made　for　each
otherthe　lock　and　the　keyhad　parted　company；　they　have　sprung　so
far　apart；　that　not　even　the　possibility　of　uniting　them　presents
itself。　　Tell　the　artist　that　he　should　paint　without　a　studio；
model；　or　costumes；　and　that　he　should　paint　five…kopek　pictures；
and　he　will　say　that　that　is　tantamount　to　abandoning　his　art；　as　he
understands　it。　　Tell　the　musician　that　he　should　play　on　the
harmonica；　and　teach　the　women　to　sing　songs；　say　to　the　poet；　to
the　author；　that　he　ought　to　cast　aside　his　poems　and　romances；　and
compose　song…books；　tales；　and　stories；　comprehensible　to　the
uneducated　people；they　will　say　that　you　are　mad。

The　service　of　the　people　by　science　and　art　will　only　be　performed
when　people；　dwelling　in　the　midst　of　the　common　folk；　and；　like　the
common　folk；　putting　forward　no　demands；　claiming　no　rights；　shall
offer　to　the　common　folk　their　scientific　and　artistic　services；　the
acceptance　or　rejection　of　which　shall　depend　wholly　on　the　will　of
the　common　folk。

It　is　said　that　the　activity　of　science　and　art　has　aided　in　the
forward　march　of　mankind；meaning　by　this　activity；　that　which　is
now　called　by　that　name；　which　is　the　same　as　saying　that　an
unskilled　banging　of　oars　on　a　vessel　that　is　floating　with　the
tide；　which　merely　hinders　the　progress　of　the　vessel；　is　assisting
the　movement　of　the　ship。　　It　only　retards　it。　　The　so…called
division　of　labor；　which　has　become　in　our　day　the　condition　of
activity　of　men　of　science　and　art；　was；　and　has　remained；　the　chief
cause　of　the　tardy　forward　movement　of　mankind。

The　proofs　of　this　lie　in　that　confession　of　all　men　of　science；
that　the　gains　of　science　and　art　are　inaccessible　to　the　laboring
masses；　in　consequence　of　the　faulty　distribution　of　riches。　　The
irregularity　of　this　distribution　does　not　decrease　in　proportion　to
the　progress　of　science　and　art；　but　only　increases。　　Men　of　art　and
science　assume　an　air　of　deep　pity　for　this　unfortunate　circumstance
which　does　not　depend　upon　them。　　But　this　unfortunate　circumstance
is　produced　by　themselves；　for　this　irregular　distribution　of　wealth
flows　solely　from　the　theory　of　the　division　of　labor。

　Science　maintains　the　division　of　labor　as　a　unalterable　law；　it
sees　that　the　distribution　of　wealth；　founded　on　the　division　of
labor；　is　wrong　and　ruinous；　and　it　affirms　that　its　activity；　which
recognizes　the　division　of　labor；　will　lead　people　to　bliss。　　The
result　is；　that　some　people　make　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　but
that；　if　they　shall　make　use　of　the　labor　of　others　for　a　very　long
period　of　time；　and　in　still　larger　measure；　then　this　wrongful
distribution　of　wealth；　i。e。；　the　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　will
come　to　an　end。

Men　stand　beside　a　constantly　swelling　spring　of　water；　and　are
occupied　with　the　problem　of　diverting　it　to　one　side；　away　from　the
thirsty　people；　and　they　assert　that　they　are　producing　this　water；
and　that　soon　enough　will　be　collected　for　all。　　But　this　water
which　has　flowed；　and　which　still　flows　unceasingly；　and　nourishes
all　mankind；　not　only　is　not　the　result　of　the　activity　of　the　men
who；　standing　at　its　source；　turn　it　aside；　but　this　water　flows　and
gushes　out；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　these　men　to　obstruct　its
flow。

There　have　always　existed　a　true　science；　and　a　true　art；　but　true
science　and　art　are　not　such　because　they　called　themselves　by　that
name。　　It　always　seems　to　those　who　claim　at　any　given　period　to　be
the　representatives　of　science　and　art；　that　they　have　performed；
and　are　performing；　andmost　of　allthat　they　will　presently
perform；　the　most　amazing　marvels；　and　that　beside　them　there　never
has　been　and　there　is　not　any　science　or　any　art。　　Thus　it　seemed　to
the　sophists；　the　scholastics；　the　alchem