01-economy-第3章

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contemplate；　but　it　is　a　miracle　which　is　taking　place　every

instant。　　Confucius　said；　〃To　know　that　we　know　what　we　know；　and

that　we　do　not　know　what　we　do　not　know；　that　is　true　knowledge。〃

When　one　man　has　reduced　a　fact　of　the　imagination　to　be　a　fact　to

his　understanding；　I　foresee　that　all　men　at　length　establish　their

lives　on　that　basis。

　　　　Let　us　consider　for　a　moment　what　most　of　the　trouble　and

anxiety　which　I　have　referred　to　is　about；　and　how　much　it　is

necessary　that　we　be　troubled；　or　at　least　careful。　　It　would　be

some　advantage　to　live　a　primitive　and　frontier　life；　though　in　the

midst　of　an　outward　civilization；　if　only　to　learn　what　are　the

gross　necessaries　of　life　and　what　methods　have　been　taken　to　obtain

them；　or　even　to　look　over　the　old　day…books　of　the　merchants；　to

see　what　it　was　that　men　most　commonly　bought　at　the　stores；　what

they　stored；　that　is；　what　are　the　grossest　groceries。　　For　the

improvements　of　ages　have　had　but　little　influence　on　the　essential

laws　of　man's　existence；　as　our　skeletons；　probably；　are　not　to　be

distinguished　from　those　of　our　ancestors。

　　　　By　the　words；　necessary　of　life；　I　mean　whatever；　of　all　that

man　obtains　by　his　own　exertions；　has　been　from　the　first；　or　from

long　use　has　become；　so　important　to　human　life　that　few；　if　any；

whether　from　savageness；　or　poverty；　or　philosophy；　ever　attempt　to

do　without　it。　　To　many　creatures　there　is　in　this　sense　but　one

necessary　of　life；　Food。　　To　the　bison　of　the　prairie　it　is　a　few

inches　of　palatable　grass；　with　water　to　drink；　unless　he　seeks　the

Shelter　of　the　forest　or　the　mountain's　shadow。　　None　of　the　brute

creation　requires　more　than　Food　and　Shelter。　　The　necessaries　of

life　for　man　in　this　climate　may；　accurately　enough；　be　distributed

under　the　several　heads　of　Food；　Shelter；　Clothing；　and　Fuel；　for

not　till　we　have　secured　these　are　we　prepared　to　entertain　the　true

problems　of　life　with　freedom　and　a　prospect　of　success。　　Man　has

invented；　not　only　houses；　but　clothes　and　cooked　food；　and　possibly

from　the　accidental　discovery　of　the　warmth　of　fire；　and　the

consequent　use　of　it；　at　first　a　luxury；　arose　the　present　necessity

to　sit　by　it。　　We　observe　cats　and　dogs　acquiring　the　same　second

nature。　　By　proper　Shelter　and　Clothing　we　legitimately　retain　our

own　internal　heat；　but　with　an　excess　of　these；　or　of　Fuel；　that　is；

with　an　external　heat　greater　than　our　own　internal；　may　not　cookery

properly　be　said　to　begin？　　Darwin；　the　naturalist；　says　of　the

inhabitants　of　Tierra　del　Fuego；　that　while　his　own　party；　who　were

well　clothed　and　sitting　close　to　a　fire；　were　far　from　too　warm；

these　naked　savages；　who　were　farther　off；　were　observed；　to　his

great　surprise；　〃to　be　streaming　with　perspiration　at　undergoing

such　a　roasting。〃　　So；　we　are　told；　the　New　Hollander　goes　naked

with　impunity；　while　the　European　shivers　in　his　clothes。　　Is　it

impossible　to　combine　the　hardiness　of　these　savages　with　the

intellectualness　of　the　civilized　man？　　According　to　Liebig；　man's

body　is　a　stove；　and　food　the　fuel　which　keeps　up　the　internal

combustion　in　the　lungs。　　In　cold　weather　we　eat　more；　in　warm　less。

The　animal　heat　is　the　result　of　a　slow　combustion；　and　disease　and

death　take　place　when　this　is　too　rapid；　or　for　want　of　fuel；　or

from　some　defect　in　the　draught；　the　fire　goes　out。　　Of　course　the

vital　heat　is　not　to　be　confounded　with　fire；　but　so　much　for

analogy。　　It　appears；　therefore；　from　the　above　list；　that　the

expression；　animal　life；　is　nearly　synonymous　with　the　expression；

animal　heat；　for　while　Food　may　be　regarded　as　the　Fuel　which　keeps

up　the　fire　within　us　　and　Fuel　serves　only　to　prepare　that　Food

or　to　increase　the　warmth　of　our　bodies　by　addition　from　without　

Shelter　and　Clothing　also　serve　only　to　retain　the　heat　thus

generated　and　absorbed。

　　　　The　grand　necessity；　then；　for　our　bodies；　is　to　keep　warm；　to

keep　the　vital　heat　in　us。　　What　pains　we　accordingly　take；　not　only

with　our　Food；　and　Clothing；　and　Shelter；　but　with　our　beds；　which

are　our　night…clothes；　robbing　the　nests　and　breasts　of　birds　to

prepare　this　shelter　within　a　shelter；　as　the　mole　has　its　bed　of

grass　and　leaves　at　the　end　of　its　burrow！　　The　poor　man　is　wont　to

complain　that　this　is　a　cold　world；　and　to　cold；　no　less　physical

than　social；　we　refer　directly　a　great　part　of　our　ails。　　The

summer；　in　some　climates；　makes　possible　to　man　a　sort　of　Elysian

life。　　Fuel；　except　to　cook　his　Food；　is　then　unnecessary；　the　sun

is　his　fire；　and　many　of　the　fruits　are　sufficiently　cooked　by　its

rays；　while　Food　generally　is　more　various；　and　more　easily

obtained；　and　Clothing　and　Shelter　are　wholly　or　half　unnecessary。

At　the　present　day；　and　in　this　country；　as　I　find　by　my　own

experience；　a　few　implements；　a　knife；　an　axe；　a　spade；　a

wheelbarrow；　etc。；　and　for　the　studious；　lamplight；　stationery；　and

access　to　a　few　books；　rank　next　to　necessaries；　and　can　all　be

obtained　at　a　trifling　cost。　　Yet　some；　not　wise；　go　to　the　other

side　of　the　globe；　to　barbarous　and　unhealthy　regions；　and　devote

themselves　to　trade　for　ten　or　twenty　years；　in　order　that　they　may

live　　that　is；　keep　comfortably　warm　　and　die　in　New　England　at

last。　　The　luxuriously　rich　are　not　simply　kept　comfortably　warm；

but　unnaturally　hot；　as　I　implied　before；　they　are　cooked；　of　course

a　la　mode。

　　　　Most　of　the　luxuries；　and　many　of　the　so…called　comforts　of

life；　are　not　only　not　indispensable；　but　positive　hindrances　to　the

elevation　of　mankind。　　With　respect　to　luxuries　and　comforts；　the

wisest　have　ever　lived　a　more　simple　and　meagre　life　than　the　poor。

The　ancient　philosophers；　Chinese；　Hindoo；　Persian；　and　Greek；　were

a　class　than　which　none　has　been　poorer　in　outward　riches；　none　so

rich　in　inward。　　We　know　not　much　about　them。　　It　is　remarkable　that

we　know　so　much　of　them　as　we　do。　　The　same　is　true　of　the　more

modern　reformers　and　benefactors　of　their　race。　　None　can　be　an

impartial　or　wise　observer　of　human　life　but　from　the　vantage　ground

of　what　we　should　call　voluntary　poverty。　　Of　a　life　of　luxury　the

fruit　is　luxury；　whether　in　agriculture；　or　commerce；　or　literature；

or　art。　　There　are　nowadays　professors　of　philosophy；　but　not

philosophers。　　Yet　it　is　admirable　to　profess　because　it　was　once

admirable　to　live。　　To　be　a　philosopher　is　not　merely　to　have　subtle

thoughts；　nor　even　to　found　a　school；　but　so　to　love　wisdom　as　to

live　according　to　its　dictates；　a　life　of　simplicity；　independence；

magnanimity；　and　trust。　　It　is　to　solve　some　of　the　problems　of

life；　not　only　theoretically；　but　practically。　　The　success　of　great

scholars　and　thinkers　is　commonly　a　courtier…like　success；　not

kingly；　not　manly。　　They　make　shift　to　live　merely　by　conformity；

practically　as　their　fathers　did；　and　are　in　no　sense　the

progenitors　of　a　noble　race　of　men。　　But　why　do　men　degenerate　ever？

What　makes　families　run　out？　　What　is　the　nature　of　the　luxury　which

enervates　and　destroys　nations？　　Are　we　sure　that　there　is　none　of

it　in　our　own　lives？　　The　philosopher　is　in　advance　of　his　age　even

in　the　outward　form　of　his　life。　　He　is　not　fed；　sheltered；　clothed；

warmed；　like　his　contemporaries。　　How　can　a　man　be　a　philosopher　and

not　maintain　his　vital　heat　by　better　methods　than　other　men？

　　　　When　a　man　is　warmed　by　the　several　modes　which　I　have

described；　what　does　he　want　next？　　Surely　not　more　warmth　of　the

same　kind；　as　more　and　richer　food；　larger　and　more　splendid　houses；

finer　and　more　abundant　clothing；　more　numerous；　incessant；　and

hotter　fires；　and　the　like。　　When　he　has　obtained　those　things　which

are　necessary　to　life；　there　is　another　alternative　than　to　obtain

the　superfluities；　and　that　is；　to　adventure　on　life　now；　his

vacation　from　humbler　toil　having　commenced。　　The　soil；　it　appears；

is　suited　to　the　seed；　for　it　has　sent　its　radicle　downward；　and　it

may　now　send　its　shoot　upward　also　with