the origins of contemporary france-1-第76章

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

〃Live　then　for　them；　that　they　may　live　for　you。〃　　〃Be　good；　because

goodness　links　hearts　together；　be　gentle；　because　gentleness　wins

affection；　be　modest；　because　pride　repels　beings　full　of　their　self…

importance。　　。　　。　　。　　Be　citizens；　because　your　country　is　necessary　to

ensure　your　safety　and　well…being。　　Defend　your　country；　because　it

renders　you　happy　and　contains　your　possessions。〃



Virtue　thus　is　simply　egotism　furnished　with　a　telescope；　man　has

no　other　reason　for　doing　good　but　the　fear　of　doing　himself　harm；

while　self…devotion　consists　of　self…interest。



One　goes　fast　and　far　on　this　road。　　When　the　sole　law　for　each

person　is　to　be　happy；　each　wishes　to　be　so　immediately　and　in　his　own

way；　the　herd　of　appetites　is　let　loose；　rushing　ahead　and　breaking

down　all　barriers。　　And　the　more　readily　because　it　has　been

demonstrated　to　them　that　every　barrier　is　an　evil；　invented　by

cunning　and　malicious　shepherds；　the　better　to　milk　and　shear　them：



〃The　state　of　society　is　a　state　of　warfare　of　the　sovereign

against　all；　and　of　each　member　against　the　rest。＇25＇　。　　。　　We　see　on

the　face　of　the　globe　only　incapable；　unjust　sovereigns；　enervated　by

luxury；　corrupted　by　flattery；　depraved　through　unpunished　license；

and　without　talent；　morals；　or　good　qualities。　　。　　。　　。　　Man　is　wicked　not

because　he　is　wicked；　but　because　he　has　been　made　so。〃…〃Would　you

know　the　story；　in　brief；　of　almost　all　our　wretchedness？　Here　it　is。

There　existed　the　natural　man；　and　into　this　man　was　introduced　an

artificial　man；　whereupon　a　civil　war　arose　within　him；　lasting

through　life。　　＇26＇　。　　。　　If　you　propose　to　become　a　tyrant　over　him；　。　　。

。　　do　your　best　to　poison　him　with　a　theory　of　morals　against　nature；

impose　every　kind　of　fetter　on　him；　embarrass　his　movements　with　a

thousand　obstacles；　place　phantoms　around　him　to　frighten　him。　　。　　。　　。

Would　you　see　him　happy　and　free？　Do　not　meddle　with　his　affairs　。　　。　　。

Remain　convinced　of　this；　（wrote　Diderot）　that　these　wise　legislators

have　formed　and　shaped　you　as　they　have　done；　not　for　your　benefit；

but　for　their　own。　　I　appeal　to　every　civil；　religious；　and　political

institution；　examine　these　closely；　and；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　you

will　find　the　human　species；　century　after　century；　subject　to　a　yoke

which　a　mere　handful　of　knaves　chose　to　impose　on　it。。。。　　Be　wary　of

him　who　seeks　to　establish　order；　to　order　is　to　obtain　the　mastery　of

others　by　giving　them　trouble。〃



There　nothing　any　more　to　be　ashamed　of；　the　passions　are　good；　and

if　the　herd　would　eat　freely；　its　first　care　must　be　to　trample　under

its　wooden　shoes　the　mitered　and　crowned　animals　who　keep　it　in　the

fold　for　their　own　advantage。＇27＇







VI。　　THE　ABOLITION　OF　SOCIETY。　　ROUSSEAU。



Rousseau　and　the　spiritualists。　　…　The　original　goodness　of　man。　　…

The　mistake　committed　by　civilization。　　…　The　injustice　of　property

and　of　society。



A　return　to　nature；　meaning　by　this　the　abolition　of　society；　is

the　war…cry　of　the　whole　encyclopedic　battalion。　　The　same　shout　is

heard　in　another　quarter；　coming　the　battalion　of　Rousseau　and　the

socialists　who；　in　their　turn；　march　up　to　the　assault　of　the

established　régime。　　The　mining　and　the　sapping　of　the　walls　practiced

by　the　latter　seems　less　extensive；　but　are　nevertheless　more

effective；　and　the　destructive　machinery　it　employs　consists　of　a　new

conception　of　human　nature。　　This　Rousseau　has　drawn　exclusively　from

the　spectacle　in　his　own　heart：　＇28＇　Rousseau；　a　strange；　original　and

superior　man；　who；　from　his　infancy；　harbored　within　him　a　germ　of

insanity；　and　who　finally　became　wholly　insane；　a　wonderful；　ill…

balanced　mind　in　which　sensations；　emotions　and　images　are　too

powerful：　at　once　blind　and　perspicacious；　a　veritable　poet　and　a

morbid　poet；　who；　instead　of　things　and　events　beheld　reveries；　living

in　a　romance　and　dying　in　a　nightmare　of　his　own　creation；　incapable

of　controlling　and　of　behaving　himself；　confounding　resolution　with

action；　vague　desire　with　resolution；　and　the　role　he　assumed　with　the

character　he　thought　he　possessed　；　wholly　disproportionate　to　the

ordinary　ways　of　society；　hitting；　wounding　and　soiling　himself

against　every　hindrance　on　his　way；　at　times　extravagant；　mean　and

criminal；　yet　preserving　up　to　the　end　a　delicate　and　profound

sensibility；　a　humanity；　pity；　the　gift　of　tears；　the　faculty　of

living；　the　passion　for　justice；　the　sentiment　of　religion　and　of

enthusiasm；　like　so　many　vigorous　roots　in　which　generous　sap　is

always　fermenting；　whilst　the　stem　and　the　branches　prove　abortive　and

become　deformed　or　wither　under　the　inclemency　of　the　atmosphere。　　How

explain　such　a　contrast？　How　did　Rousseau　himself　account　for　it？　A

critic；　a　psychologist　would　merely　regard　him　as　a　singular　case；　the

effect　of　an　extraordinarily　discordant　mental　formation；　analogous　to

that　of　Hamlet；　Chatterton；　René　or　Werther；　adopted　to　poetic

spheres；　but　unsuitable　for　real　life。　　Rousseau　generalizes；　occupied

with　himself；　even　to　infatuation；　and；　seeing　only　himself；　he

imagines　mankind　to　be　like　himself；　and　〃describes　it　as　the　feels　it

inside　himself〃。　　His　pride；　moreover；　finds　this　profitable；　he　is

gratified　at　considering　himself　the　prototype　of　humanity　；　the

statue　he　erects　of　himself　becomes　more　important；　he　rises　in　his

own　estimation　when；　in　confessing　to　himself；　he　thinks　he　is

confessing　the　human　species。　　Rousseau　convokes　the　assembly　of

generations　with　the　trumpet　of　the　day　of　judgment；　and　boldly　stands

up　in　the　eyes　of　all　men　and　of　the　Supreme　Judge；　exclaiming；　〃Let

anyone　say；　if　he　dares：　'I　was　a　better　man　than　Thou！'　〃＇29＇　All　his

blemishes　must　be　the　fault　of　society；　his　vices　and　his　baseness

must　be　attributed　to　circumstances：



〃If　I　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　better　master。。。。I　should　have

been　a　good　Christian；　a　good　father；　a　good　friend；　a　good　workman；　a

good　man　in　all　things。〃



The　wrong　is　thus　all　on　the　side　of　society。　　　　In　the　same　way；

with　Man　in　general；　his　nature　is　good。



　〃His　first　impulses　are　always　right。。。。。　　The　fundamental

principle　of　all　moral　questions　which　I　have　argued　in　all　my

writings；　is　that　Man　is　naturally　good；　and　loving　justice　and

order。。。。。　　'Emile；'　especially；　is　a　treatise　on　the　natural　goodness

of　Man；　intended　to　show　how　vice　and　error；　foreign　to　his

constitution；　gradually　find　their　way　into　it　from　without　and

insensibly　change　him。。。。。Nature　created　Man　happy　and　good；　while

society　has　depraved　him　and　made　him　miserable。〃＇30＇



Imagine　him　divested　of　his　factitious　habits；　of　his　superadded

necessities；　of　his　false　prejudices；　put　aside　systems；　study　your

own　heart；　listen　to　the　inward　dictates　of　feeling；　let　yourself　be

guided　by　the　light　of　instinct　and　of　conscience；　and　you　will　again

find　the　first　Adam；　like　an　incorruptible　marble　statue　that　has

fallen　into　a　marsh；　a　long　time　lost　under　a　crust　of　slime　and　mud；

but　which；　released　from　its　foul　covering；　may　be　replaced　on　its

pedestal　in　the　completeness　of　its　form　and　in　the　perfect　purity　of

its　whiteness。



Around　this　central　idea　a　reform　occurs　in　the　spiritualistic

doctrine。　　　　　A　being　so　noble　cannot　possibly　consist　of　a　simple

collection　of　organs；　he　is　something　more　than　mere　matter；　the

impression　he　derives　from　his　senses　do　not　constitute　his　full

being。



〃I　am　not　merely　a　sensitive　and　passive　being；　but　an　active　and

intelligent　being；　and；　whatever　philosophy　may　say；　I　dare　claim　the

honor　of　thinking。〃



And　better　still；　this　thinking　principle；　in　Man；　at　least；　is　of

a　superior　kind。



　〃Show　me　another　animal　on　the　globe　capable　of　producing　fire　and

of　admiring　the　sun。　　What？　I　who　am　able　to　observe；　to　comprehend

beings　and　their　associations；　who　can　ap