the moscow census-第15章

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myself。

In　the　domain　of　morals；　one　very　remarkable　and　too　little　noted
phenomenon　presents　itself。

If　I　tell　a　man　who　knows　nothing　about　it；　what　I　know　about
geology；　astronomy；　history；　physics；　and　mathematics；　that　man
receives　entirely　new　information；　and　he　never　says　to　me：　　〃Well；
what　is　there　new　in　that？　　Everybody　knows　that；　and　I　have　known　it
this　long　while。〃　　But　tell　that　same　man　the　most　lofty　truth；
expressed　in　the　clearest；　most　concise　manner；　as　it　has　never
before　been　expressed；　and　every　ordinary　individual；　especially　one
who　takes　no　particular　interest　in　moral　questions；　or；　even　more；
one　to　whom　the　moral　truth　stated　by　you　is　displeasing；　will
infallibly　say　to　you：　　〃Well；　who　does　not　know　that？　　That　was
known　and　said　long　ago。〃　　It　really　seems　to　him　that　this　has　been
said　long　ago　and　in　just　this　way。　　Only　those　to　whom　moral　truths
are　dear　and　important　know　how　important　and　precious　they　are；　and
with　what　prolonged　labor　the　elucidation；　the　simplification；　of
moral　truths；　their　transit　from　the　state　of　a　misty；　indefinitely
recognized　supposition；　and　desire；　from　indistinct；　incoherent
expressions；　to　a　firm　and　definite　expression；　unavoidably　demanding
corresponding　concessions；　are　attained。

We　have　all　become　accustomed　to　think　that　moral　instruction　is　a
most　absurd　and　tiresome　thing；　in　which　there　can　be　nothing　new　or
interesting；　and　yet　all　human　life；　together　with　all　the　varied　and
complicated　activities；　apparently　independent；　of　morality；　both
governmental　and　scientific；　and　artistic　and　commercial；　has　no
other　aim　than　the　greater　and　greater　elucidation；　confirmation；
simplification；　and　accessibility　of　moral　truth。

I　remember　that　I　was　once　walking　along　the　street　in　Moscow；　and　in
front　of　me　I　saw　a　man　come　out　and　gaze　attentively　at　the　stones
of　the　sidewalk；　after　which　he　selected　one　stone；　seated　himself　on
it；　and　began　to　plane　（as　it　seemed　to　me）　or　to　rub　it　with　the
greatest　diligence　and　force。　　〃What　is　he　doing　to　the　sidewalk？〃　I
said　to　myself。　　On　going　close　to　him；　I　saw　what　the　man　was　doing。
He　was　a　young　fellow　from　a　meat…shop；　he　was　whetting　his　knife　on
the　stone　of　the　pavement。　　He　was　not　thinking　at　all　of　the　stones
when　he　scrutinized　them；　still　less　was　he　thinking　of　them　when　he
was　accomplishing　his　task：　　he　was　whetting　his　knife。　　He　was
obliged　to　whet　his　knife　so　that　he　could　cut　the　meat；　but　to　me　it
seemed　as　though　he　were　doing　something　to　the　stones　of　the
sidewalk。　　Just　so　it　appears　as　though　humanity　were　occupied　with
commerce；　conventions；　wars；　sciences；　arts；　but　only　one　business　is
of　importance　to　it；　and　with　only　one　business　is　it　occupied：　　it
is　elucidating　to　itself　those　moral　laws　by　which　it　lives。　　The
moral　laws　are　already　in　existence；　humanity　is　only　elucidating
them；　and　this　elucidation　seems　unimportant　and　imperceptible　for
any　one　who　has　no　need　of　moral　laws；　who　does　not　wish　to　live　by
them。　　But　this　elucidation　of　the　moral　law　is　not　only　weighty；　but
the　only　real　business　of　all　humanity。　　This　elucidation　is
imperceptible　just　as　the　difference　between　the　dull　and　the　sharp
knife　is　imperceptible。　　The　knife　is　a　knife　all　the　same；　and　for　a
person　who　is　not　obliged　to　cut　any　thing　with　this　knife；　the
difference　between　the　dull　and　the　sharp　one　is　imperceptible。　　For
the　man　who　has　come　to　an　understanding　that　his　whole　life　depends
on　the　greater　or　less　degree　of　sharpness　in　the　knife；for　such　a
man；　every　whetting　of　it　is　weighty；　and　that　man　knows　that　the
knife　is　a　knife　only　when　it　is　sharp；　when　it　cuts　that　which　needs
cutting。

This　is　what　happened　to　me；　when　I　began　to　write　my　essay。　　It
seemed　to　me　that　I　knew　all　about　it；　that　I　understood　every　thing
connected　with　those　questions　which　had　produced　on　me　the
impressions　of　the　Lyapinsky　house；　and　the　census；　but　when　I
attempted　to　take　account　of　them　and　to　demonstrate　them；　it　turned
out　that　the　knife　would　not　cut；　and　that　it　must　be　whetted。　　And
it　is　only　now；　after　the　lapse　of　three　years；　that　I　have　felt　that
my　knife　is　sufficiently　sharp；　so　that　I　can　cut　what　I　choose。　　I
have　learned　very　little　that　is　new。　　My　thoughts　are　all　exactly
the　same；　but　they　were　duller　then；　and　they　all　scattered　and　would
not　unite　on　any　thing；　there　was　no　edge　to　them；　they　would　not
concentrate　on　one　point；　on　the　simplest　and　clearest　decision；　as
they　have　now　concentrated　themselves。



CHAPTER　XIII。



I　remember　that　during　the　entire　period　of　my　unsuccessful　efforts
at　helping　the　inhabitants　of　the　city；　I　presented　to　myself　the
aspect　of　a　man　who　should　attempt　to　drag　another　man　out　of　a　swamp
while　he　himself　was　standing　on　the　same　unstable　ground。　　Every
attempt　of　mine　had　made　me　conscious　of　the　untrustworthy　character
of　the　soil　on　which　I　stood。　　I　felt　that　I　was　in　the　swamp　myself；
but　this　consciousness　did　not　cause　me　to　look　more　narrowly　at　my
own　feet；　in　order　to　learn　upon　what　I　was　standing；　I　kept　on
seeking　some　external　means；　outside　myself；　of　helping　the　existing
evil。

I　then　felt　that　my　life　was　bad；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　live
in　that　manner。　　But　from　the　fact　that　my　life　was　bad；　and　that　it
was　impossible　to　live　in　that　manner；　I　did　not　draw　the　very　simple
and　clear　deduction　that　it　was　necessary　to　amend　my　life　and　to
live　better；　but　I　knew　the　terrible　deduction　that　in　order　to　live
well　myself；　I　must　needs　reform　the　lives　of　others；　and　so　I　began
to　reform　the　lives　of　others。　　I　lived　in　the　city；　and　I　wished　to
reform　the　lives　of　those　who　lived　in　the　city；　but　I　soon　became
convinced　that　this　I　could　not　by　any　possibility　accomplish；　and　I
began　to　meditate　on　the　inherent　characteristics　of　city　life　and
city　poverty。

〃What　are　city　life　and　city　poverty？　　Why；　when　I　am　living　in　the
city；　cannot　I　help　the　city　poor？〃

I　asked　myself。　　I　answered　myself　that　I　could　not　do　any　thing　for
them；　in　the　first　place；　because　there　were　too　many　of　them　here　in
one　spot；　in　the　second　place；　because　all　the　poor　people　here　were
entirely　different　from　the　country　poor。　　Why　were　there　so　many　of
them　here？　and　in　what　did　their　peculiarity；　as　opposed　to　the
country　poor；　consist？　　There　was　one　and　the　same　answer　to　both
questions。　　There　were　a　great　many　of　them　here；　because　here　all
those　people　who　have　no　means　of　subsistence　in　the　country　collect
around　the　rich；　and　their　peculiarity　lies　in　this；　that　they　are
not　people　who　have　come　from　the　country　to　support　themselves　in
the　city　（if　there　are　any　city　paupers；　those　who　have　been　born
here；　and　whose　fathers　and　grandfathers　were　born　here；　then　those
fathers　and　grandfathers　came　hither　for　the　purpose　of　earning　their
livelihood）。　　What　is　the　meaning　of　this：　　TO　EARN　ONE'S　LIVELIHOOD
IN　THE　CITY？　　In　the　words　〃to　earn　one's　livelihood　in　the　city；〃
there　is　something　strange；　resembling　a　jest；　when　you　reflect　on
their　significance。　　How　is　it　that　people　go　from　the　country；that
is　to　say；　from　the　places　where　there　are　forests；　meadows；　grain；
and　cattle；　where　all　the　wealth　of　the　earth　lies；to　earn　their
livelihood　in　a　place　where　there　are　neither　trees；　nor　grass；　nor
even　land；　and　only　stones　and　dust？　　What　is　the　significance　of　the
words　〃to　earn　a　livelihood　in　the　city；〃　which　are　in　such　constant
use；　both　by　those　who　earn　the　livelihood；　and　by　those　who　furnish
it；　as　though　it　were　something　perfectly　clear　and　comprehensible？

I　recall　the　hundreds　and　thousands　of　city　people；　both　those　who
live　well　and　the　needy；　with　whom　I　have　conversed　on　the　reason　why
they　came　hither：　　and　all　without　exception　said；　that　they　had　come
from　the　country　to　earn　their　living；　that　in　Moscow；　where　people
neither　sow　nor　reap；that　in　Moscow　there　is　plenty　of　every　thing；
and　that；　therefore；　it　is　only　in　Moscow　that　they　can　earn　the
money　which　they　require　in　the　country　for　bread　and　a　cottage　and　a
horse；　and　articles　of　prime　necessity。　　But　assuredly；