the origins of contemporary france-4-第35章

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able…bodied　man　without　ruining　itself；　nor　put　too　many　obstacles　in

the　way　of　the　free　industry　which；　through　taxation；　provides　for　its

expenses；　however　short…sighted　the　State　may　be；　it　consults　civil

interests；　even　in　its　military　interest。　　…　Thus；　of　the　two　nets　in

which　it　has　enveloped　all　human　activity；　one　is　rent　asunder　and　the

other　has　slackened　its　meshes。　　There　is　no　longer　any　reason　for

making　the　community　omnipotent；　the　individual　need　not　alienate

himself　entirely；　he　may；　without　inconvenience；　reserve　to　himself　a

part　of　himself；　and；　if　now　called　upon　to　sign　a　social　contract；

you　may　be　sure　that　he　would　make　this　reservation。





II



Changed　minds。　　…　Conscience　and　its　Christian　origin。　　…　Honor　and

its　feudal　origin。　　…　The　individual　of　to…day　refuses　to　surrender

himself　entirely。　　…　His　motives。　　…　Additional　motives　in　modern

democracy。　　…　Character　of　the　elective　process　and　the　quality　of　the

representative。



And　so　have　not　only　outward　circumstances　changed；　but　the　very　human

attitudes　are　now　different。　　In　the　mind　of　modern　man　a　feeling；

distasteful　to　the　antique　pact；　has　evolved。　　…　Undoubtedly；　in

extreme　cases　and　under　the　pressure　of　brutal　necessity　I　may；

momentarily；　sign　a　blank　check。　　But；　never；　if　I　understand　what　I

am　doing；　will　I　sign　away　in　good　faith　the　complete　and　permanent

abandonment　of　myself：　it　would　be　against　conscience　and　against

honor；　which　two　possessions　are　not　to　be　alienated。　　My　honor　and　my

conscience　are　not　to　go　out　of　my　keeping；　I　am　their　sole　guardian

and　depositary；　I　would　not　even　entrust　them　to　my　father。　　…　Both

these　terms　are　recent　and　express　two　conceptions　unknown　to　the

ancients；＇6＇　both　being　of　profound　import　and　of　infinite　reach。

Through　them；　like　a　bud　separated　from　its　stem　and　taking　root

apart；　the　individual　has　separated　himself　from　the　primitive　body；

clan；　family；　caste　or　city　in　which　he　has　lived　indistinguishable

and　lost　in　the　crowd；　he　has　ceased　to　be　an　organ　and　appendage；　he

has　become　a　personality。　　…　The　first　of　these　concepts　is　of

Christian　origin　the　second　of　feudal　origin；　both；　following　each

other　and　conjoined；　measure　the　enormous　distance　which　separates　an

antique　soul　from　a　modern　soul。＇7＇



Alone；　in　the　presence　of　God；　the　Christian　has　felt　melting；　like

wax；　all　the　ties　binding　him　to　his　group；　this　because　he　is　in

front　of　the　Great　Judge；　and　because　this　infallible　judge　sees　all

souls　as　they　are；　not　confusedly　and　in　masses；　but　clearly；　each　by

itself。　　At　the　bar　of　His　tribunal　no　one　is　answerable　for　another；

each　answers　for　himself　alone；　one　is　responsible　only　for　one's　own

acts。　　But　those　acts　are　of　infinite　consequence；　for　the　soul；

redeemed　by　the　blood　of　a　God；　is　of　immeasurable　value；　hence；

according　as　it　has　or　has　not　profited　by　the　divine　sacrifice；　so

will　the　reward　or　punishment　be　infinite；　at　the　final　judgment；　an

eternity　of　torment　or　bliss　opens　before　it。　　All　other　interests

vanish　alongside　of　a　vision　of　such　vastness。　　Thenceforth；

righteousness　is　the　most　serious　of　all　aims；　not　in　the　eyes　of　man；

but　of　God　and　again；　day　after　day；　the　soul　renews　within　itself

that　tragic　questioning　in　which　the　Judge　interrogates　and　the　sinner

responds。…　Through　this　dialogue；　which　has　been　going　on　for　eighteen

centuries；　and　which　is　yet　to　continue；　conscience　has　grown　more　and

more　sensitive；　and　man　has　conceived　the　idea　of　absolute　justice。

Whether　this　is　vested　in　an　all…powerful　master；　or　whether　it　is　a

self…existent　truth；　like　mathematical　truths；　in　no　way　diminishes

its　sacredness　nor；　consequently；　from　its　authority。　　It　commands

with　a　superior　voice　and　its　commands　must　be　obeyed；　irrespective　of

cost：　there　are　strict　duties　to　which　every　man　is　rigorously　bound。

No　pledge　may　relieve　him　of　these　duties；　if　not　fulfilled　because　he

has　given　contrary　pledges　he　is　no　less　culpable　on　this　account；　and

besides；　he　is　culpable　for　having　pledged　himself；　the　pledging　of

himself　to　crimes　was　in　itself　a　crime。　　His　fault　thus　appears　to

himself　twofold；　and　the　inward　prick　galls　him　twice　instead　of　once。

Hence；　the　more　sensitive　the　conscience；　the　more　loath　it　is　to　give

up；　it　rejects　any　promise　which　may　lead　to　wrong…doing；　and　refuses

to　give　to　give　others　any　right　of　imposing　remorse。



At　the　same　time　another　sentiment　has　arisen；　not　less　valuable；　but

hardier；　more　energetic；　more　human　and　more　effective。　　On　his　own　in

his　stronghold；　the　feudal　chieftain；　at　the　head　of　his　band；　could

depend　on　nobody　but　himself；　for　a　public　force　did　not　then　exist。

It　was　necessary　that　he　should　protect　himself；　and；　indeed；　over…

protect　himself。　　Whoever；　in　the　anarchical　and　military　society　in

which　he　lived；　allowed　the　slightest　encroachment；　or　left　unpunished

the　slightest　approach　to　insult；　was　regarded　as　weak　or　craven　and

at　once　became　a　prey；　one　had　to　be　proud…spirited；　if　not；　one

risked　death。　　This　was　not　difficult　either。　　Sole　proprietor　and

nearly　absolute　sovereign；　with　neither　equals　or　peers　on　his　domain；

here　he　was　unique　being；　superior　and　incomparable　to　every　one

else。＇8＇　　On　that　subject　revolved　his　long　monologue　during　his　hours

of　gloomy　solitude；　which　soliloquy　has　lasted　for　nine　centuries。＇9＇

Thus　in　his　own　eyes；　his　person　and　all　that　depends　on　him　are

inviolable；　rather　than　tolerate　the　slightest　infringement　on　his

prerogatives　he　will　dare　all　and　sacrifice　all。＇10＇　A　sensitive　pride

（orgueil　exalté）　is　the　best　of　sentinels　to　protect　a　right；　for；　not

only　does　it　mount　guard　over　the　right　to　preserve　it；　but；　again；

and　especially；　for　its　own　satisfaction；　the　imagination　has

conceived　a　personality　appropriate　for　his　rank；　and　this　character

the　man　imposes　on　himself　as　his　role。　　Henceforth；　he　not　only

forces　the　respect　of　others；　but　he　respects　himself；　he　possesses

the　sentiment　of　honor；　a　generous　self…esteem　which　makes　him　regard

himself　as　noble　and　incapable　of　doing　anything　mean。　　In

discriminating　between　his　actions；　he　may　err；　fashion　or　vanity　may

sometimes　lead　him　too　far；　or　lead　him　astray；　either　on　the　path　of

recklessness　or　on　that　of　puerility；　his　point　of　honor　may　be　fixed

in　the　wrong　direction。　　But；　in　sum；　and　thanks　to　this　being　a　fixed

point；　he　will　maintain　himself　erect　even　under　an　absolute　monarchy；

under　a　Philip　II。　　in　Spain；　under　a　Louis　XIV。　　in　France；　under　a

Frederick　II。　　in　Prussia。　　From　the　feudal　baron　or　gentleman　of　the

court　to　the　modern　gentleman；　this　tradition　persists　and　descends

from　story　to　story　down　to　lowest　social　substratum：　to…day；　every

man　of　spirit；　the　bourgeois；　the　peasant；　the　workman；　has　his　point

of　honor　like　the　noble。　　He　likewise；　in　spite　of　the　social

encroachments　that　gain　on　him；　reserves　to　himself　his　private　nook；

a　sort　of　moral　stronghold　wherein　he　preserves　his　faiths；　his

opinions；　his　affections；　his　obligations　as　son；　husband　and　father；

it　is　the　sacred　treasury　of　his　innermost　being。　　This　stronghold

belongs　to　him　alone；　no　one；　even　in　the　name　of　the　public；　has　a

right　to　enter　it；　to　surrender　it　would　be　cowardice；　rather　than

give　up　its　keys　he　would　die　in　the　breach；＇11＇　when　this　militant

sentiment　of　honor　is　enlisted　on　the　side　of　conscience　it　becomes

virtue　itself。＇12＇　…　Such　are；　in　these　days；　（1870）　the　two　central

themes　of　our　European　morality。＇13＇　　Through　the　former　the

individual　recognizes　duties　from　which　nothing　can　exempt　him；

through　the　latter；　he　claims　rights　of　which　nothing　can　deprive　him：

our　civilization　has　vegetated　from　these　two　roots；　and　still

vegetates。　　Consider　the　depth　and　the　extent　of　the　historical　soil

in　which　they　penetrate；　and　you　may　judge　of　their　vigor。　　Consider

the　height　and　unlimited　growth　of　the　trees