the origins of contemporary france-1-第61章

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the　monstrous　universe　but　an　indifferent　mass；　a　passing　accident；

the　corruption　of　a　few　epidermic　particles？　And　if　this　be　life；　what

is　that　humanity　which　is　so　small　a　fragment　of　it？　　…　　Such　is　Man

in　nature；　an　atom；　and　an　ephemeral　particle；　let　this　not　be　lost

sight　of　in　our　theories　concerning　his　origin；　his　importance；　and

his　destiny。



　〃A　mite　that　would　consider　itself　as　the　center　of　all　things

would　be　grotesque；　and　therefore　it　is　essential　that　an　insect

almost　infinitely　small　should　not　show　conceit　almost　infinitely

great。〃＇11＇　…



How　slow　has　been　the　evolution　of　the　globe　itself！　What　myriads

of　ages　between　the　first　cooling　of　its　mass　and　the　beginnings　of

life！＇12＇　Of　what　consequence　is　the　turmoil　of　our　ant…hill　compared

to　the　geological　tragedy　in　which　we　have　born　no　part；　the　strife

between　fire　and　water；　the　thickening　of　the　earth's　crust；　formation

of　the　universal　sea；　the　construction　and　separation　of　continents！

Previous　to　our　historical　record　what　a　long　history　of　vegetable　and

animal　existence！　What　a　succession　of　flora　and　fauna！　What

generations　of　marine　organisms　in　forming　the　strata　of　sediment！

What　generations　of　plans　in　forming　the　deposits　of　coal！　What

transformations　of　climate　to　drive　the　pachydermata　away　from　the

pole！　　…　　And　now　comes　Man；　the　latest　of　all；　he　is　like　the

uppermost　bud　on　the　top　of　a　tall　ancient　tree；　flourishing　there　for

a　while；　but；　like　the　tree；　destined　to　perish　after　a　few　seasons；

when　the　increasing　and　foretold　congelation　allowing　the　tree　to　live

shall　force　the　tree　to　die。　　He　is　not　alone　on　the　branch；　beneath

him；　around　him；　on　a　level　with　him；　other　buds　shoot　forth；　born　of

the　same　sap；　but　he　must　not　forget；　if　he　would　comprehend　his　own

being；　that；　along　with　himself；　other　lives　exist　in　his　vicinity；

graduated　up　to　him　and　issuing　from　the　same　trunk。　　If　he　is　unique

he　is　not　isolated；　being　an　animal　among　other　animals；＇13＇　in　him

and　with　them；　substance；　organization　and　birth；　the　formation　and

renewal　of　the　functions；　senses　and　appetites；　are　similar；　while　his

superior　intelligence；　like　their　rudimentary　intelligence；　has　for　an

indispensable　organ　a　nervous　matter　whose　structure　is　the　same　with

him　as　with　them。　　…　　Thus　surrounded；　brought　forth　and　borne　along

by　nature；　is　it　to　be　supposed　that　in　nature　he　is　an　empire　within

an　empire？　He　is　there　as　the　part　of　a　whole；　by　virtue　of　being　a

physical　body；　a　chemical　composition；　an　animated　organism；　a

sociable　animal；　among　other　bodies；　other　compositions；　other　social

animals；　all　analogous　to　him；　and　by　virtue　of　these　classifications；

he　is；　like　them；　subject　to　laws。　　…　　For；　if　the　first　cause　is

unknown　to　us；　and　we　dispute　among　ourselves　to　know　what　it　is；

whether　innate　or　external；　we　affirm　with　certainty　the　mode　of　its

action；　and　that　it　operates　only　according　to　fixed　and　general　laws。

Every　circumstance；　whatever　it　may　be；　is　conditioned；　and；　its

conditions　being　given；　it　never　fails　to　conform　to　them。　　Of　two

links　forming　a　chain；　the　first　always　draws　on　the　second。　　There　are

laws：



*　for　numbers；　forms；　and　motions；



*　for　the　revolution　of　the　planets　and　the　fall　of　bodies；



*　for　the　diffusion　of　light　and　the　radiation　of　heat；



*　for　the　attractions　and　repulsion　of　electricity；



*　for　chemical　combinations；　and



*　for　the　birth；　equilibrium　and　dissolution　of　organic　bodies。



They　exist　for　the　birth；　maintenance；　and　development　of　human

societies；　for　the　formation；　conflict；　and　direction　of　ideas；

passions　and　determinations　of　human　individuals。＇14＇　In　all　this；　Man

is　bound　up　with　nature；　hence；　if　we　would　comprehend　him；　we　must

observe　him　in　her；　after　her；　and　like　her；　with　the　same

independence；　the　same　precautions；　and　in　the　same　spirit。　　Through

this　remark　alone　the　method　of　the　moral　sciences　is　fixed。　　In

history；　in　psychology；　in　morals；　in　politics；　the　thinkers　of　the

preceding　century；　Pascal；　Bossuet；　Descartes；　Fenelon；　Malebrance；

and　La　Bruyère；　all　based　their　thoughts　on　dogma；　It　is　plain　to

every　one　qualified　to　read　them　that　their　base　is　predetermined。

Religion　provided　them　with　a　complete　theory　of　the　moral　order　of

things；　according　to　this　theory；　latent　or　exposed；　they　described

Man　and　accommodated　their　observations　to　the　preconceived　model。　　The

writers　of　the　eighteenth　century　rejected　this　method：　they　dwell　on

Man；　on　the　observable　Man；　and　on　his　surroundings；　in　their　eyes；

conclusions　about　the　soul；　its　origin；　and　its　destiny；　must　come

afterwards　and　depend　wholly；　not　on　that　which　the　Revelation

provided；　but　on　that　which　observation　does　and　will　provide。　　The

moral　sciences　are　now　divorced　from　theology　and　attach　themselves；

as　if　a　prolongation　of　them；　to　the　physical　sciences。



III。　　　THE　TRANSFORMATION　OF　HISTORY。



Voltaire。　　…　Criticism　and　conceptions　of　unity。　　…　Montesquieu。　　…　An

outline　of　social　laws。



Through　the　separation　from　theology　and　the　attachment　to　natural

science　the　humanities　become　science。　　In　history；　every　foundation　on

which　we　now　build；　is　laid。　　Compare　Bossuet's　〃Discours　sur

l'histoire　universelle；〃　with　Voltaire's　〃Essai　sur　les　m？urs；〃　and　we

at　once　see　how　new　and　profound　these　foundations　were。　　…　　　The

critics　of　religious　dogma　here　establish　their　fundamental　principle：

in　view　of　the　fact　that　the　laws　of　nature　are　universal　and

permanent　it　follows　that；　in　the　moral　world；　as　in　the　physical

world；　there　can　be　no　exception　from　them；　and　that　no　arbitrary　or

foreign　force　intervenes　to　disturb　the　regular　scientific　procedures；

which　will　provide　a　sure　means　of　discerning　myth　from　truth。＇15＇

Biblical　exegesis　is　born　out　of　this　maxim；　and　not　alone　that　of

Voltaire；　but　also　the　critical　explanatory　methods　of　the　future。

＇16＇　　Meanwhile　they　skeptically　examine　the　annals　of　all　people；

carelessly　cutting　away　and　suppressing；　too　hastily；　extravagantly；

especially　where　the　ancients　are　concerned；　because　their　historical

expedition　is　simply　a　scouting　trip；　but　nevertheless　with　such　an

overall　insight　that　we　may　still　approve　almost　all　the　outlines　of

their　summary　chart。　　The　（newly　discovered）　primitive　Man　was　not　a

superior　being；　enlightened　from　above；　but　a　coarse　savage；　naked　and

miserable；　slow　of　growth；　sluggish　in　progress；　the　most　destitute

and　most　needy　of　all　animals；　and；　on　this　account；　sociable；　endowed

like　the　bee　and　the　beaver　with　an　instinct　for　living　in　groups；　and

moreover　an　imitator　like　the　monkey；　but　more　intelligent；　capable　of

passing　by　degrees　from　the　language　of　gesticulation　to　that　of

articulation；　beginning　with　a　monosyllabic　idiom　which　gradually

increases　in　richness；　precision　and　subtlety。＇17＇　How　many　centuries

are　requisite　to　attain　to　this　primitive　language！　How　many　centuries

more　to　the　discovery　of　the　most　necessary　arts；　the　use　of　fire；　the

fabrication　of　〃hatches　of　silex　and　jade〃；　the　melting　and　refining

of　metals；　the　domestication　of　animals；　the　production　and

modification　of　edible　plants；　the　formation　of　early　civilized　and

durable　communities；　the　discovery　of　writing；　figures　and

astronomical　periods。＇18＇　Only　after　a　dawn　of　vast　and　infinite

length　do　we　see　in　Chaldea　and　in　China　the　commencement　of　an

accurate　chronological　history。　　There　are　five　or　six　of　these　great

independent　centers　of　spontaneous　civilization；　China；　Babylon；

ancient　Persia；　India；　Egypt；　Phoenicia；　and　the　two　American　empires。

On　collecting　these　fragments　together；　on　reading　such　of　their　books

as　have　been　preserved；　and　which　travelers　bring　to　us；　the　five

Kings　of　the　Chinese；　the　Vedas　of　the　Hindus；　the　Zoroastrians　of　the

ancient　Persians；　we　find　that　all　contain　religions；　moral　theories；

philosophies　and　institu