on the significance of science and art-第9章

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has　been　and　there　is　not　any　science　or　any　art。　　Thus　it　seemed　to
the　sophists；　the　scholastics；　the　alchemists；　the　cabalists；　the
talmudists；　and　thus　it　seems　to　our　own　scientific　science；　and　to
our　art　for　the　sake　of　art。



CHAPTER　V。



〃But　art；science！　　You　repudiate　art　and　science；　that　is；　you
repudiate　that　by　which　mankind　lives！〃　　People　are　constantly
making　thisit　is　not　a　replyto　me；　and　they　employ　this　mode　of
reception　in　order　to　reject　my　deductions　without　examining　into
them。　　〃He　repudiates　science　and　art；　he　wants　to　send　people　back
again　into　a　savage　state；　so　what　is　the　use　of　listening　to　him
and　of　talking　to　him？〃　　But　this　is　unjust。　　I　not　only　do　not
repudiate　art　and　science；　but；　in　the　name　of　that　which　is　true
art　and　true　science；　I　say　that　which　I　do　say；　merely　in　order
that　mankind　may　emerge　from　that　savage　state　into　which　it　will
speedily　fall；　thanks　to　the　erroneous　teaching　of　our　time；only
for　this　purpose　do　I　say　that　which　I　say。

Art　and　science　are　as　indispensable　as　food　and　drink　and
clothing；more　indispensable　even；　but　they　become　so；　not　because
we　decide　that　what　we　designate　as　art　and　science　are
indispensable；　but　simply　because　they　really　are　indispensable　to
people。

Surely；　if　hay　is　prepared　for　the　bodily　nourishment　of　men；　the
fact　that　we　are　convinced　that　hay　is　the　proper　food　for　man　will
not　make　hay　the　food　of　man。　　Surely　I　cannot　say；　〃Why　do　not　you
eat　hay；　when　it　is　the　indispensable　food？〃　　Food　is　indispensable；
but　it　may　happen　that　that　which　I　offer　is　not　food　at　all。　　This
same　thing　has　occurred　with　our　art　and　science。　　It　seems　to　us；
that　if　we　add　to　a　Greek　word　the　word　〃logy；〃　and　call　that　a
science；　it　will　be　a　science；　and；　if　we　call　any　abominable　thing…
…like　the　dancing　of　nude　femalesby　a　Greek　word；　choreography；
that　that　is　art；　and　that　it　will　be　art。　　But　no　matter　how　much
we　may　say　this；　the　business　with　which　we　occupy　ourselves　when　we
count　beetles；　and　investigate　the　chemical　constituents　of　the
stars　in　the　Milky　Way；　when　we　paint　nymphs　and　compose　novels　and
symphonies；our　business　will　not　become　either　art　or　science
until　such　time　as　it　is　accepted　by　those　people　for　whom　it　is
wrought。

If　it　were　decided　that　only　certain　people　should　produce　food；　and
if　all　the　rest　were　forbidden　to　do　this；　or　if　they　were　rendered
incapable　of　producing　food；　I　suppose　that　the　quality　of　food
would　be　lowered。　　If　the　people　who　enjoyed　the　monopoly　of
producing　food　were　Russian　peasants；　there　would　be　no　other　food
than　black　bread　and　cabbage…soup；　and　so　on；　and　kvas；nothing
except　what　they　like；　and　what　is　agreeable　to　them。　　The　same
thing　would　happen　in　the　case　of　that　loftiest　human　pursuit；　of
arts　and　sciences；　if　one　caste　were　to　arrogate　to　itself　a
monopoly　of　them：　　but　with　this　sole　difference；　that；　in　the
matter　of　bodily　food；　there　can　be　no　great　departure　from　nature；
and　bread　and　cabbage…soup；　although　not　very　savory　viands；　are　fit
for　consumption；　but　in　spiritual　food；　there　may　exist　the　very
greatest　departures　from　nature；　and　some　people　may　feed　themselves
for　a　long　time　on　poisonous　spiritual　nourishment；　which　is
directly　unsuitable　for；　or　injurious　to；　them；　they　may　slowly　kill
themselves　with　spiritual　opium　or　liquors；　and　they　may　offer　this
same　food　to　the　masses。

It　is　this　very　thing　that　is　going　on　among　us。　　And　it　has　come
about　because　the　position　of　men　of　science　and　art　is　a　privileged
one；　because　art　and　science　（in　our　day）；　in　our　world；　are　not　at
all　a　rational　occupation　of　all　mankind　without　exception；　exerting
their　best　powers　for　the　service　of　art　and　science；　but　an
occupation　of　a　restricted　circle　of　people　holding　a　monopoly　of
these　industries；　and　entitling　themselves　men　of　art　and　science；
and　who　have；　therefore；　perverted　the　very　idea　of　art　and　science；
and　have　lost　all　the　meaning　of　their　vocation；　and　who　are　only
concerned　in　amusing　and　rescuing　from　crushing　ennui　their　tiny
circle　of　idle　mouths。

Ever　since　men　have　existed；　they　have　always　had　science　and　art　in
the　simplest　and　broadest　sense　of　the　term。　　Science；　in　the　sense
of　the　whole　of　knowledge　acquired　by　mankind；　exists　and　always　has
existed；　and　life　without　it　is　not　conceivable；　and　there　is　no
possibility　of　either　attacking　or　defending　science；　taken　in　this
sense。

But　the　point　lies　here；that　the　scope　of　the　knowledge　of　all
mankind　as　a　whole　is　so　multifarious；　ranging　from　the　knowledge　of
how　to　extract　iron　to　the　knowledge　of　the　movements　of　the
planets；　that　man　loses　himself　in　this　multitude　of　existing
knowledge；knowledge　capable　of　ENDLESS　possibilities；　if　he　have
no　guiding　thread；　by　the　aid　of　which　he　can　classify　this
knowledge；　and　arrange　the　branches　according　to　the　degrees　of
their　significance　and　importance。

Before　a　man　undertakes　to　learn　any　thing　whatever；　he　must　make　up
his　mind　that　that　branch　of　knowledge　is　of　weight　to　him；　and　of
more　weight　and　importance　than　the　countless　other　objects　of　study
with　which　he　is　surrounded。　　Before　undertaking　the　study　of　any
thing；　a　man　decides　for　what　purpose　he　is　studying　this　subject；
and　not　the　others。　　But　to　study　every　thing；　as　the　men　of
scientific　science　in　our　day　preach；　without　any　idea　of　what　is　to
come　out　of　such　study；　is　downright　impossible；　because　the　number
of　subjects　of　study　is　ENDLESS；　and　hence；　no　matter　how　many
branches　we　may　acquire；　their　acquisition　can　possess　no
significance　or　reason。　　And；　therefore；　in　ancient　times；　down　to
even　a　very　recent　date；　until　the　appearance　of　scientific　science；
man's　highest　wisdom　consisted　in　finding　that　guiding　thread；
according　to　which　the　knowledge　of　men　should　be　classified　as
being　of　primary　or　of　secondary　importance。　　And　this　knowledge；
which　forms　the　guide　to　all　other　branches　of　knowledge；　men　have
always　called　science　in　the　strictest　acceptation　of　the　word。　　And
such　science　there　has　always　been；　even　down　to　our　own　day；　in　all
human　communities　which　have　emerged　from　their　primal　state　of
savagery。

Ever　since　mankind　has　existed；　teachers　have　always　arisen　among
peoples；　who　have　enunciated　science　in　this　restricted　sense；the
science　of　what　it　is　most　useful　for　man　to　know。　　This　science　has
always　had　for　its　object　the　knowledge　of　what　is　the　true　ground
of　the　well…being　of　each　individual　man；　and　of　all　men；　and　why。
Such　was　the　science　of　Confucius；　of　Buddha；　of　Socrates；　of
Mahomet；　and　of　others；　such　is　this　science　as　they　understood　it；
and　as　all　menwith　the　exception　of　our　little　circle　of　so…called
cultured　peopleunderstand　it。　　This　science　has　not　only　always
occupied　the　highest　place；　but　has　been　the　only　and　sole　science；
from　which　the　standing　of　the　rest　has　been　determined。　　And　this
was　the　case；　not　in　the　least　because；　as　the　so…called　scientific
people　of　our　day　think；　cunning　priestly　teachers　of　this　science
attributed　to　it　such　significance；　but　because　in　reality；　as　every
one　knows；　both　by　personal　experience　and　by　reflection；　there　can
be　no　science　except　the　science　of　that　in　which　the　destiny　and
welfare　of　man　consist。　　For　the　objects　of　science　are　INCALCULABLE
in　number；I　undermine　the　word　〃incalculable〃　in　the　exact　sense
in　which　I　understand　it；and　without　the　knowledge　of　that　in
which　the　destiny　and　welfare　of　all　men　consist；　there　is　no
possibility　of　making　a　choice　amid　this　interminable　multitude　of
subjects；　and　therefore；　without　this　knowledge；　all　other　arts　and
branches　of　learning　will　become；　as　they　have　become　among　us；　an
idle　and　hurtful　diversion。

Mankind　has　existed　and　existed；　and　never　has　it　existed　without
the　science　of　that　in　which　the　destiny　and　the　welfare　of　men
consist。　　It　is　true　that　the　science　of　the　welfare　of　men　appears
different　on　superficial　observation；　among　the　Buddhists；　the
Brahmins；　the　Hebrews；　the　Confucians；　the　Tauists；　but
nevertheless；　wherever　we　hear　of　men　who　have　emerged　from　a　state
of　s