the origins of contemporary france-4-第43章

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＇1＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXII；　354。　　（Speech　by　Robespierre　in　the

Convention；　Floréal　18；　year　II。）　〃　Sparta　gleams　like　a　flash　of

lightening　amidst　profoundest　darkness〃。



＇2＇　Milos　taken　by　the　Athenians；　Thebes；　after　Alexander's　victory；

Corinth；　after　its　capture　by　the　Romans。　　…　In　the　Peloponnesian　war；

the　Plateans；　who　surrender　at　discretion；　are　put　to　death。　　Nicias

is　murdered　in　cold　blood　after　his　defeat　in　Sicily。　　The　prisoners

at　？gos…Potamos　have　their　thumbs　cut　off。



＇3＇　Fustel　de　Coulanges；〃La　Cité　Antique〃；　ch。　　XVII。



＇4＇　Plato；　〃The　Apology　of　Socrates。〃　…　See　also　in　the　〃Crito〃

Socrates'　reasons　for　not　eluding　the　penalty　imposed　on　him。　　The

antique　conception　of　the　State　is　here　clearly　set　forth。



＇5＇　Cf。　　the　code　of　Manu；　the　Zendavesta；　the　Pentateuch　and　the

Tcheou…Li。　　In　this　last　code　（Biot's　translation）；　will　be　found　the

perfection　of　the　system；　particularly　in　vol。　　I。；　241；　247；　II。；

393；　III。；　9；　11；　21；　52。　　〃Every　district　chief；　on　the　twelfth　day

of　the　first　moon；　assembles　together　the　men　of　his　district　and

reads　to　them　the　table　of　rules；　he　examines　their　virtue；　their

conduct；　their　progress　in　the　right　path；　and　in　their　knowledge；　and

encourages　them；　he　investigates　their　errors；　their　failings　and

prevents　them　from　doing　evil。　　。　　。　　。　　Superintendents　of　marriages

see　that　young　people　marry　at　the　prescribed　age。〃　The　reduction　of

man　to　a　State　automaton　is　plain　enough　in　the　institution　of

〃Overseer　of　Gags。　　。　　。〃　At　all　grand　hunts；　at　all　gatherings　of

troops；　he　orders　the　application　of　gags。　　In　these　cases　gags　are

put　in　the　soldiers'　mouths；　they　then　fulfill　their　duties　without

tumult　or　shouting。〃



＇6＇　These　two　words　have　no　exact　equivalents　in　Greek　or　Latin；

Conscientia；　dignitas；　honos　denote　different　shade　of　meaning。　　This

difference　is　most　appreciable　in　the　combination　of　the　two　modern

terms　delicate　conscience；　scrupulous　conscience；　and　the　phrase　of

stake　one's　honour　on　this　or　that；　make　it　a　point　of　honor；　the　laws

of　honor；　etc。　　The　technical　terms　of　antique　morality：　the

beautiful；　truthfulness；　the　sovereign　good；　indicate　ideas　of　another

stamp　and　origin。



＇7＇　　Alas；　modern　20th　century　democratic　Man　has　given　up　honor　and

conscience；　all　he　has　got　to　do　is　to　be　correct　and　follow　the

thousands　of　rules　governing　his　life。　　And　；　of　course；　make　sure

that　he　is　following　orders　or　sure　of　not　being　caught　when　he　breaks

the　natural　rules　of　friendship；　honor　or　conscience。　　Conscience；　on

the　other　had；　will　always　lurk　somewhere　in　the　shadows　of　our　mind；

because　we　all　know　how　we　would　like　to　be　treated　by　others；　and

will　be　forced　not　to　transgress　certain　boundaries　in　case　an

intended　victim　might　be　in　a　position　to　take　his　revenge。　　That　I　am

not　alone　in　seeing　things　this　way　I　noted　in　an　interview　with　the

79　year　old　French　author　Michel　Déon　in　Le　Figaro　on　the　16th　of　May

1998　in　which　Mr。　　Déon　said：　〃　Everywhere　we　are　still　in　a　nursery。

A　great　movement　attempting　to　turn　us　all　into　half…wits　（une　grande

campagne　de　crétinisation　est　en　route）。　　When　these　are　the　only　ones

left；　the　governments　have　an　easy　job。　　It　is　very　clever。〃　（SR。）



＇8＇　Montaigne；　Essays；　book　I。；　ch。　　42：　〃　Observe　in　provinces　far

from　the　court；　in　Brittany　for　example；　the　retinue；　the　subjects；

the　duties；　the　ceremony；　of　a　seignior　living　alone　by　himself；

brought　up　among　his　dependents；　and　likewise　observe　the　flights　of

his　imagination；　there　is　nothing　which　is　more　royal；　he　may　allude

to　his　superior　once　a　year；　as　if　he　were　the　King　of　Persia。。。　　The

burden　of　sovereignty　scarcely　affects　the　French　gentilhomme　twice　in

his　life。。。　　he　who　lurks　in　his　own　place　avoiding　dispute　and　trial

is　as　free　as　the　Duke　of　Venice。〃



＇9＇　〃Mémoires　de　Chateaubriand；〃　vol。　　I。　　（〃Les　Soirées　au　Chateau　de

Cambourg〃。）



＇10＇　In　China；　the　moral　principle　is　just　the　opposite。　　The　Chinese；

amidst　obstacles　and　embarrassments；　always　enjoin　siao…sin；　which

means；　〃abate　thy　affections。〃　（Huc；　〃L'Empire　Chinoise；〃　I。；　204。）



＇11＇　In　the　United　states　the　moral　order　of　things　reposes　chiefly　on

puritan　ideas；　nevertheless　deep　traces　of　feudal　conceptions　are

found　there；　for　instance；　the　general　deference　for　women　which　is

quite　chivalric　there；　and　even　excessive。



＇12＇　Observe；　from　this　point　of　view；　in　the　woman　of　modern　times

the　defenses　of　female　virtue。　　The　（male）　sentiment　of　duty　is　the

first　safeguard　of　modesty；　but　this　has　a　much　more　powerful

auxiliary　in　the　sentiment　of　honor；　or　deep　innate　pride。



＇13＇　The　moral　standard　varies；　but　according　to　a　fixed　law；　the　same

as　a　mathematical　function。　　Each　community　has　its　own　moral

elements；　organization；　history　and　surroundings；　and　necessarily　its

peculiar　conditions　of　vitality。　　When　the　queen　been　in　a　hive　is

chosen　and　impregnated　this　condition　involves　the　massacre　of　useless

male　and　female　rivals　（Darwin）。　　In　China；　it　consists　of　paternal

authority；　literary　education　and　ritual　observances。　　In　the　antique

city；　it　consisted　of　the　omnipotence　of　the　State；　gymnastic

education；　and　slavery。　　In　each　century；　and　in　each　country；　these

vital　conditions　are　expressed　by　more　or　less　hereditary　passwords

which　set　forth　or　interdict　this　or　that　class　of　actions。　　When　the

individual　feels　the　inward　challenge　he　is　conscious　of　obligation；

the　moral　conflict　consists　in　the　struggle　within　himself　between　the

universal　password　and　personal　desire。　　In　our　European　society　the

vital　condition；　and　thus　the　general　countersign；　is　self…respect

coupled　with　respect　for　others　（including　women　and　children）。　　This

countersign；　new　in　history；　has　a　singular　advantage　over　all

preceding　ones：　each　individual　being　respected；　each　can　develop

himself　according　to　his　nature；　he　can　accordingly　invent　in　every

sense；　bring　forth　every　sort　of　production　and　be　useful　to　himself

and　others　in　every　way；　thus　enabling　society　to　develop

indefinitely。



＇14＇　Taine　is　probably　speaking　of　the　colonial　wars　in　China　and　the

conquest　of　Madagascar。　　（SR）。



＇15＇　Here　Taine　is　seeing　mankind　as　being　male；　strong　and　hardy；

however　I　feel　that　liberty　is　more　desirable　for　the　strong　and

confident　while　the　child；　the　lost；　the　sick；　the　ignorant　or　feeble

person　is　looking　for　protection；　reassurance　and　guidance。　　When

society　consisted　of　strong　independent　farmers；　hunters；　warriors；

nomads　or　artisans　backed　by　family　and　clan；　liberty　was　an　important

idea。　　Today　few　if　any　can　rise　above　the　horde　and　gain　the

insights；　the　wisdom　and　the　competence　which　once　was　such　a　common

thing。　　Today　the　strong　seek　promotion　inside　the　hierarchy　of　the

welfare　state　rest…house。　　（S。R。）



＇16＇　This　is　just　what　Lenin　could　not　believe　when　he　read　this

around　1906。　　Even　Taine　did　not　see　how　much　a　French　government

organization　depended　upon　staff　recruited　from　a　hardworking；　modest

and　honest　French　population。　　We　have　now　lived　to　see　how　the

nationalization　of　private　property　in　Egypt；　Argentina；　Algeria　not

to　speak　of　Ethiopia　and　India　proved　disastrous　and　how　40　years　of

government　ownership　should　degrade　and　corrupt　the　populations　of

Russia；　China；　Yugoslavia；　Albania　etc。　　（SR）。



＇17＇　When　the　function　to　be　performed　is　of　an　uncertain　or　mixed

character　the　following　rule　may　be　applied　in　deciding　whether　the

State　or　individuals　shall　be　entrusted　with　it；　also　in　determining；

in　the　case　of　cooperation；　what　portion　of　it　shall　be　assigned　to

individuals　and　what　portion　to　the　State。　　As　a　general　rule；　when

individuals；　either　singly　or　associated　together；　have　a　direct

interest　in；　or　are　drawn　toward；　a　special　function；　and　the

community　has　no　direct　interest　therein；　the　matter　belongs　to

individuals　and　not　to　the　Sta