notes from the underground-第7章

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was　rather　frightened。　　I　was　just　going　to　say　that　the　devil

only　knows　what　choice　depends　on；　and　that　perhaps　that　was　a

very　good　thing；　but　I　remembered　the　teaching　of　science　。。。　and

pulled　myself　up。　　And　here　you　have　begun　upon　it。　　Indeed；　if

there　really　is　some　day　discovered　a　formula　for　all　our　desires

and　capricesthat　is；　an　explanation　of　what　they　depend　upon；

by　what　laws　they　arise；　how　they　develop；　what　they　are　aiming

at　in　one　case　and　in　another　and　so　on；　that　is　a　real

mathematical　formulathen；　most　likely；　man　will　at　once　cease

to　feel　desire；　indeed；　he　will　be　certain　to。　　For　who　would

want　to　choose　by　rule？　　Besides；　he　will　at　once　be　transformed

from　a　human　being　into　an　organ…stop　or　something　of　the　sort；

for　what　is　a　man　without　desires；　without　free　will　and　without

choice；　if　not　a　stop　in　an　organ？　　What　do　you　think？　　Let　us

reckon　the　chancescan　such　a　thing　happen　or　not？



〃H'm！〃　you　decide。　　〃Our　choice　is　usually　mistaken　from　a　false

view　of　our　advantage。　　We　sometimes　choose　absolute　nonsense

because　in　our　foolishness　we　see　in　that　nonsense　the　easiest

means　for　attaining　a　supposed　advantage。　　But　when　all　that　is

explained　and　worked　out　on　paper　（which　is　perfectly　possible；

for　it　is　contemptible　and　senseless　to　suppose　that　some　laws　of

nature　man　will　never　understand）；　then　certainly　so…called

desires　will　no　longer　exist。　　For　if　a　desire　should　come　into

conflict　with　reason　we　shall　then　reason　and　not　desire；　because

it　will　be　impossible　retaining　our　reason　to　be　_senseless_　in

our　desires；　and　in　that　way　knowingly　act　against　reason　and

desire　to　injure　ourselves。　　And　as　all　choice　and　reasoning　can

be　really　calculatedbecause　there　will　some　day　be　discovered

the　laws　of　our　so…called　free　willso；　joking　apart；　there　may

one　day　be　something　like　a　table　constructed　of　them；　so　that　we

really　shall　choose　in　accordance　with　it。　　If；　for　instance；

some　day　they　calculate　and　prove　to　me　that　I　made　a　long　nose

at　someone　because　I　could　not　help　making　a　long　nose　at　him　and

that　I　had　to　do　it　in　that　particular　way；　what　_freedom_　is

left　me；　especially　if　I　am　a　learned　man　and　have　taken　my

degree　somewhere？　　Then　I　should　be　able　to　calculate　my　whole

life　for　thirty　years　beforehand。　　In　short；　if　this　could　be

arranged　there　would　be　nothing　left　for　us　to　do；　anyway；　we

should　have　to　understand　that。　　And；　in　fact；　we　ought

unwearyingly　to　repeat　to　ourselves　that　at　such　and　such　a　time

and　in　such　and　such　circumstances　nature　does　not　ask　our　leave；

that　we　have　got　to　take　her　as　she　is　and　not　fashion　her　to

suit　our　fancy；　and　if　we　really　aspire　to　formulas　and　tables　of

rules；　and　well；　even　。。。　to　the　chemical　retort；　there's　no　help

for　it；　we　must　accept　the　retort　too；　or　else　it　will　be

accepted　without　our　consent　。。。。〃



Yes；　but　here　I　come　to　a　stop！　　Gentlemen；　you　must　excuse　me

for　being　over…philosophical；　it's　the　result　of　forty　years

underground！　　Allow　me　to　indulge　my　fancy。　　You　see；　gentlemen；

reason　is　an　excellent　thing；　there's　no　disputing　that；　but

reason　is　nothing　but　reason　and　satisfies　only　the　rational　side

of　man's　nature；　while　will　is　a　manifestation　of　the　whole　life；

that　is；　of　the　whole　human　life　including　reason　and　all　the

impulses。　　And　although　our　life；　in　this　manifestation　of　it；　is

often　worthless；　yet　it　is　life　and　not　simply　extracting　square

roots。　　Here　I；　for　instance；　quite　naturally　want　to　live；　in

order　to　satisfy　all　my　capacities　for　life；　and　not　simply　my

capacity　for　reasoning；　that　is；　not　simply　one　twentieth　of　my

capacity　for　life。　　What　does　reason　know？　　Reason　only　knows

what　it　has　succeeded　in　learning　（some　things；　perhaps；　it　will

never　learn；　this　is　a　poor　comfort；　but　why　not　say　so　frankly？）

and　human　nature　acts　as　a　whole；　with　everything　that　is　in　it；

consciously　or　unconsciously；　and；　even　it　if　goes　wrong；　it

lives。　　I　suspect；　gentlemen；　that　you　are　looking　at　me　with

compassion；　you　tell　me　again　that　an　enlightened　and　developed

man；　such；　in　short；　as　the　future　man　will　be；　cannot

consciously　desire　anything　disadvantageous　to　himself；　that　that

can　be　proved　mathematically。　　I　thoroughly　agree；　it　canby

mathematics。　　But　I　repeat　for　the　hundredth　time；　there　is　one

case；　one　only；　when　man　may　consciously；　purposely；　desire　what

is　injurious　to　himself；　what　is　stupid；　very　stupidsimply　in

order　to　have　the　right　to　desire　for　himself　even　what　is　very

stupid　and　not　to　be　bound　by　an　obligation　to　desire　only　what

is　sensible。　　Of　course；　this　very　stupid　thing；　this　caprice　of

ours；　may　be　in　reality；　gentlemen；　more　advantageous　for　us　than

anything　else　on　earth；　especially　in　certain　cases。　　And　in

particular　it　may　be　more　advantageous　than　any　advantage　even

when　it　does　us　obvious　harm；　and　contradicts　the　soundest

conclusions　of　our　reason　concerning　our　advantagefor　in　any

circumstances　it　preserves　for　us　what　is　most　precious　and　most

importantthat　is；　our　personality；　our　individuality。　　Some；

you　see；　maintain　that　this　really　is　the　most　precious　thing　for

mankind；　choice　can；　of　course；　if　it　chooses；　be　in　agreement

with　reason；　and　especially　if　this　be　not　abused　but　kept　within

bounds。　　It　is　profitable　and　some…　times　even　praiseworthy。　　But

very　often；　and　even　most　often；　choice　is　utterly　and　stubbornly

opposed　to　reason　。。。　and　。。。　and　。。。　do　you　know　that　that；　too；

is　profitable；　sometimes　even　praiseworthy？　　Gentlemen；　let　us

suppose　that　man　is　not　stupid。　（Indeed　one　cannot　refuse　to

suppose　that；　if　only　from　the　one　consideration；　that；　if　man　is

stupid；　then　who　is　wise？）　But　if　he　is　not　stupid；　he　is

monstrously　ungrateful！　　Phenomenally　ungrateful。　　In　fact；　I

believe　that　the　best　definition　of　man　is　the　ungrateful　biped。　

But　that　is　not　all；　that　is　not　his　worst　defect；　his　worst

defect　is　his　perpetual　moral　obliquity；　perpetualfrom　the　days

of　the　Flood　to　the　Schleswig…Holstein　period。　　Moral　obliquity

and　consequently　lack　of　good　sense；　for　it　has　long　been

accepted　that　lack　of　good　sense　is　due　to　no　other　cause　than

moral　obliquity。　　Put　it　to　the　test　and　cast　your　eyes　upon　the

history　of　mankind。　　What　will　you　see？　　Is　it　a　grand　spectacle？　

　Grand；　if　you　like。　　Take　the　Colossus　of　Rhodes；　for　instance；

that's　worth　something。　　With　good　reason　Mr。　Anaevsky　testifies

of　it　that　some　say　that　it　is　the　work　of　man's　hands；　while

others　maintain　that　it　has　been　created　by　nature　herself。　　Is

it　many…coloured？　　　May　be　it　is　many…coloured；　too：　if　one　takes

the　dress　uniforms；　military　and　civilian；　of　all　peoples　in　all

agesthat　alone　is　worth　something；　and　if　you　take　the　undress

uniforms　you　will　never　get　to　the　end　of　it；　no　historian　would

be　equal　to　the　job。　　Is　it　monotonous？　　　May　be　it's　monotonous

too：　it's　fighting　and　fighting；　they　are　fighting　now；　they

fought　first　and　they　fought　lastyou　will　admit；　that　it　is

almost　too　monotonous。　　In　short；　one　may　say　anything　about　the

history　of　the　worldanything　that　might　enter　the　most

disordered　imagination。　　The　only　thing　one　can't　say　is　that

it's　rational。　　The　very　word　sticks　in　one's　throat。　　And；

indeed；　this　is　the　odd　thing　that　is　continually　happening：

there　are　continually　turning　up　in　life　moral　and　rational

persons；　sages　and　lovers　of　humanity　who　make　it　their　object　to

live　all　their　lives　as　morally　and　rationally　as　possible；　to

be；　so　to　speak；　a　light　to　their　neighbours　simply　in　order　to

show　them　that　it　is　possible　to　live　morally　and　rationally　in

this　world。　　And　yet　we　all　know　that　those　very　people　sooner　or

later　have　been　false　to　themselves；　playing　some　queer　trick；

often　a　most　unseemly　one。　　Now　I　ask　you：　what　can　be　expected

of　man　since　he　is　a　being　endowed　with　strange　qualities？　

Shower　upon　him　every　earthly　blessing；　drown