the origins of contemporary france-1-第75章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



balance；　a　sort　of　gold　ingot　of　preserved　tradition；　purified　by

Reason；　and　which　little　by　little；　freed　from　its　alloys；　elaborated

and　devoted　to　all　usage；　must　solely　provide　the　substance　of

religion　and　all　threads　of　the　social　warp。





V。　　THE　DREAM　OF　A　RETURN　TO　NATURE。



The　second　stage；　a　return　to　nature。　　…　Diderot；　d'Holbach　and　the

materialists。　　…　Theory　of　animated　matter　and　spontaneous

organization。　　…　The　moral　of　animal　instinct　and　self…interest

properly　understood。



　　Here　begins　the　second　philosophic　expedition。　　It　consists　of　two

armies：　the　first　composed　of　the　encyclopedists；　some　of　them

skeptics　like　d'Alembert；　others　pantheists　like　Diderot　and　Lamarck；

the　second　open　atheists　and　materialists　like　d'Holbach；　Lamettrie

and　Helvétius；　and　later　Condorcet；　Lalande　and　Volney；　all　different

and　independent　of　each　other；　but　unanimous　in　regarding　tradition　as

the　common　enemy。　　As　a　result　of　prolonged　hostilities　the　parties

become　increasingly　exasperated　and　feel　a　desire　to　be　master　of

everything；　to　push　the　adversary　to　the　wall；　to　drive　him　out　of　all

his　positions。　　They　refuse　to　admit　that　Reason　and　tradition　can

occupy　and　defend　the　same　citadel　together；　as　soon　as　one　enters　the

other　must　depart；　henceforth　one　prejudice　is　established　against

another　prejudice。　　　　In　fact；　Voltaire；　〃the　patriarch；　does　not

desire　to　abandon　his　redeeming　and　avenging　God；〃＇13＇　let　us　tolerate

in　him　this　remnant　of　superstition　on　account　of　his　great　services；

let　us　nevertheless　examine　this　phantom　in　man　which　he　regards　with

infantile　vision。　　We　admit　it　into　our　minds　through　faith；　and　faith

is　always　suspicious。　　It　is　forged　by　ignorance；　fear；　and

imagination；　which　are　all　deceptive　powers。　　At　first　it　was　simply

the　fetish　of　savages；　in　vain　have　we　striven　to　purify　and

aggrandize　it；　its　origin　is　always　apparent；　its　history　is　that　of　a

hereditary　dream　which；　arising　in　a　rude　and　doting　brain；　prolongs

itself　from　generation　to　generation；　and　still　lasts　in　the　healthy

and　cultivated　brain。　　Voltaire　wanted　that　this　dream　should　be　true

because；　otherwise；　he　could　not　explain　the　admirable　order　of　the

world。　　Since　a　watch　suggests　a　watchmaker　he　had　firstly　to　prove

that　the　world　is　a　watch　and；　then　see　if　the　half…finished

arrangement；　such　as　it　is　and　which　we　have　observed；　could　not

better　be　explained　by　a　simpler　theory；　more　in　conformity　with

experience；　that　of　eternal　matter　in　which　motion　is　eternal。　　Mobile

and　active　particles；　of　which　the　different　kinds　are　in　different

states　of　equilibrium；　these　are　minerals；　inorganic　substances；

marble；　lime；　air；　water　and　coal。＇14＇　I　form　humus　out　of　this；　〃I

sow　peas；　beans　and　cabbages；〃　plants　find　their　nourishment　in　the

humus；　and　〃I　find　my　nourishment　in　the　plants。〃　At　every　meal；

within　me；　and　through　me；　inanimate　matter　becomes　animate；　〃I

convert　it　into　flesh。　　I　animalize　it。　　I　render　it　sensitive。〃　It

harbors　latent；　imperfect　sensibility　rendered　perfect　and　made

manifest。　　Organization　is　the　cause；　and　life　and　sensation　are　the

effects；　I　need　no　spiritual　monad　to　account　for　effects　since　I　am

in　possession　of　the　cause。　　〃Look　at　this　egg；　with　which　all　schools

of　theology　and　all　the　temples　of　the　earth　can　be　overthrown。　　What

is　this　egg？　An　inanimate　mass　previous　to　the　introduction　of　　the

germ。　　And　what　is　it　after　the　introduction　of　the　germ？　An　insensible

mass；　an　inert　fluid。〃　Add　heat　to　it；　keep　it　in　an　oven；　and　let　the

operation　continue　of　itself；　and　we　have　a　chicken；　that　is　to　say；

〃sensibility；　life；　memory；　conscience；　passions　and　thought。〃　That

which　you　call　soul　is　the　nervous　center　in　which　all　sensitive

chords　concentrate。　　Their　vibrations　produce　sensations；　a　quickened

or　reviving　sensation　is　memory；　our　ideas　are　the　result　of

sensations；　memory　and　signs。　　Matter；　accordingly；　is　not　the　work　of

an　intelligence；　but　matter；　through　its　own　arrangement；　produces

intelligence。　　Let　us　fix　intelligence　where　it　is；　in　the　organized

body；　we　must　not　detach　it　from　its　support　to　perch　it　in　the　sky　on

an　imaginary　throne。　　This　disproportionate　conception；　once　introduced

into　our　minds；　ends　in　perverting　the　natural　play　of　our　sentiments；

and；　like　a　monstrous　parasite；　abstracts　for　itself　all　our

substance。＇15＇　The　first　interest　of　a　sane　person　is　to　get　rid　of

it；　to　discard　every　superstition；　every　〃fear　of　invisible

powers。〃＇16＇　　　　Then　only　can　he　establish　a　moral　order　of　things

and　distinguish　〃the　natural　law。〃　The　sky　consisting　of　empty　space；

we　have　no　need　to　seek　commands　from　on　high。　　Let　us　look　down　to　the

ground；　let　us　consider　man　in　himself；　as　he　appears　in　the　eyes　of

the　naturalist；　namely；　an　organized　body；　a　sensitive　animal

possessing　wants；　appetites　and　instincts。　　Not　only　are　these

indestructible　but　they　are　legitimate。　　Let　us　throw　open　the　prison

in　which　prejudice　confines　them；　let　us　give　them　free　air　and　space；

let　them　be　displayed　in　all　their　strength　and　all　will　go　well。

According　to　Diderot；＇17＇　a　lasting　marriage　is　an　abuse；　being　〃the

tyranny　of　a　man　who　has　converted　the　possession　of　a　woman　into

property。〃　Purity　is　an　invention　and　conventional；　like　a　dress；＇18＇

happiness　and　morals　go　together　only　in　countries　where　instinct　is

sanctioned；　as　in　Tahiti；　for　instance；　where　marriage　lasts　but　a

month；　often　only　a　day；　and　sometimes　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　where；　in

the　evening　and　with　hospitable　intent；　a　host　offers　his　daughters

and　wife　to　his　guests；　where　the　son　espouses　his　mother　out　of

politeness；　where　the　union　of　the　sexes　is　a　religious　festivity

celebrated　in　public。　　　　And；　pushing　things　to　extremes；　the

logician　ends　with　five　or　six　pages　calculated　〃to　make　one's　hair

stand　on　end；〃＇19＇　himself　avowing　that　his　doctrine　is　〃neither

suited　for　children　nor　for　adults。〃　With　Diderot；　to　say　the　least；

these　paradoxes　have　their　correctives。　　In　his　pictures　of　modern　ways

and　habits；　he　is　the　moralist。　　He　not　only　is　familiar　with　all　the

chords　of　the　human　keyboard；　but　he　classifies　each　according　to　its

rank。　　He　loves　fine　and　pure　tones；　and　is　full　of　enthusiasm　for

noble　harmonies；　his　heart　is　equal　to　his　genius。＇20＇　And　better

still；　on　the　question　of　primitive　impulses　arising；　he　assigns；　side

by　side　with　vanity；　an　independent　and　superior　position　to　pity；

friendship；　kindness　and　charity；　to　every　generous　affection　of　the

heart　displaying　sacrifice　and　devotion　without　calculation　or

personal　benefit。　　　　　But　associated　with　him　are　others；　cold　and

narrow；　who　form　moral　systems　according　to　the　mathematical　methods

of　the　ideologists；　＇21＇　after　the　style　of　Hobbes。　　One　motive　alone

satisfies　these；　the　simplest　and　most　palpable；　utterly　gross；　almost

mechanical；　completely　physiological；　the　natural　animal　tendency　of

avoiding　pain　and　seeking　pleasure：



　〃Pain　and　pleasure；〃　says　Helvétius；　〃form　the　only　springs　of　the

moral　universe；　while　the　sentiment　of　vanity　is　the　only　basis　on

which　we　can　lay　the　foundations　of　moral　usefulness。　　What　motive　but

that　of　self…interest　could　lead　a　man　to　perform　a　generous　action？

He　can　as　little　love　good　for　the　sake　of　good　as　evil　for　the　sake

of　evil。〃＇22＇　　〃The　principles　of　natural　law；　say　the　disciples；　are

reduced　to　one　unique　and　fundamental　principle；　self…

preservation。〃＇23＇　〃To　preserve　oneself；　to　be　happy；〃　is　instinct；

right　and　duty。　　〃Oh；　yea；〃＇24＇　says　nature；　〃who；　through　the

impulsion　I　bestow　on　you；　tending　towards　happiness　at　every　moment

of　your　being；　resist　not　my　sovereign　law；　strive　for　your　own

felicity；　enjoy　fearlessly　and　be　happy！〃　But　to　be　happy；　contribute

to　the　happiness　of　others；　if　you　wish　them　to　be　useful　to　you；　be

useful　to　them。　　〃every　man；　from　birth　to　death；　has　need　of　mankin