the origins of contemporary france-1-第82章

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and　good　morals；　in　intelligent　zeal　for　your　service　and　for　the

country；　it　will　rise　above　all　other　nations。　　Children　who　are　now

ten　years　of　age　will　then　be　men　prepared　for　the　state；　loving　their

country；　submissive　to　authority；　not　through　fear　but　through　Reason；

aiding　their　fellow…citizens；　and　accustomed　to　recognizing　and

respecting　justice。〃　…　In　the　months　of　January；　1789；＇10＇　Necker；　to

whom　M。　de　Bouillé　pointed　out　the　imminent　danger　arising　from　the

unswerving　efforts　of　the　Third…Estate　；　〃coldly　replied；　turning　his

eyes　upward；　'reliance　must　be　placed　on　the　moral　virtues　of　man。'　〃

…　In　the　main；　on　the　imagination　forming　any　conception　of　human

society；　this　consists　of　a　vague；　semi…bucolic；　semi…theatrical

scene；　somewhat　resembling　those　displayed　on　the　frontispieces　of

illustrated　works　on　morals　and　politics。　　Half…naked　men　with　others

clothed　in　skins；　assemble　together　under　a　large　oak　tree；　in　the

center　of　the　group　a　venerable　old　man　arises　and　makes　an　address；

using　〃the　language　of　nature　and　Reason；〃　proposing　that　all　should

be　united；　and　explaining　how　men　are　bound　together　by　mutual

obligations；　he　shows　them　the　harmony　of　private　and　of　public

interests；　and　ends　by　making　them　appreciate　of　the　beauty　of

virtue。＇11＇　All　utter　shouts　of　joy；　embrace　each　other；　gather　round

the　speaker　and　elect　him　chief　magistrate；　dancing　is　going　on　under

the　branches　in　the　background；　and　henceforth　happiness　on　earth　is

fully　established。　　…　This　is　no　exaggeration。　　The　National　Assembly

addresses　the　nation　in　harangues　of　this　style。　　For　many　years　the

government　speaks　to　the　people　as　it　would　to　one　of　Gessner's

shepherds。　　The　peasants　are　entreated　not　to　burn　castles　because　it

is　painful　for　their　good　king　to　see　such　sights。　　They　are　exhorted

〃to　surprise　him　with　their　virtues　in　order　that　he　may　be　the　sooner

rewarded　for　his　own。〃＇12＇　At　the　height　of　the　Jacquerie　tumults　the

sages　of　the　day　seem　to　think　they　are　living　in　a　state　of　pastoral

simplicity；　and　that　with　an　air　on　the　flute　they　may　restore　to　its

fold　the　howling　pack　of　bestial　animosities　and　unchained　appetites



III。　　OUR　TRUE　HUMAN　NATURE。



The　inadequacy　and　fragility　of　reason　in　man。　　…　The　rarity　and

inadequacy　of　reason　in　humanity。　　…　Subordination　of　reason　in　human

conduct。　　…　Brutal　and　dangerous　forces。　　…　The　nature　and　utility　of

government。　　Government　impossible　under　the　new　theory。



　　It　is　a　sad　thing　to　fall　asleep　in　a　sheep…shed　and；　on

awakening；　to　find　the　sheep　transformed　into　wolves；　and　yet；　in　the

event　of　a　revolution　that　is　what　we　may　expect。　　What　we　call　reason

in　Man　is　not　an　innate　endowment；　basic　and　enduring；　but　a　tardy

acquisition　and　a　fragile　composition。　　The　slightest　physiological

knowledge　will　tell　us　that　it　is　a　precarious　act　of　balance；

dependent　on　the　no　less　greater　instability　of　the　brain；　nerves；

circulation　and　digestion。　　Take　women　that　are　hungry　and　men　that

have　been　drinking；　place　a　thousand　of　these　together；　and　let　them

excite　each　other　with　their　cries；　their　anxieties；　and　the

contagious　reaction　of　their　ever…deepening　emotions；　it　will　not　be

long　before　you　find　them　a　crowd　of　dangerous　maniacs。　　This　becomes

evident；　and　abundantly　so；　after　1789。　　…　　Now；　consult　psychology。

The　simplest　mental　operation；　a　sensuous　perception；　is　an　act　of

memory；　the　appliance　of　a　name；　an　ordinary　act　of　judgment　is　the

play　of　complicated　mechanism；　the　joint　and　final　result　of　several

millions　of　wheels　which；　like　those　of　a　clock；＇13＇　turn　and　propel

blindly；　each　for　itself；　each　through　its　own　force；　and　each　kept　in

place　and　in　functional　activity　by　a　system　of　balance　and

compensation。＇14＇　If　the　hands　mark　the　hour　with　any　degree　of

accuracy　it　is　due　to　a　wonderful　if　not　miraculous　conjunction；　while

hallucination；　delirium　and　monomania；　ever　at　the　door；　are　always

ready　to　enter　it。　　Properly　speaking　Man　is　mad；　as　the　body　is　sick；

by　nature；　the　health　of　our　mind；　like　the　health　of　our　organs；　is

simply　a　repeated　achievement　and　a　happy　accident。　　If　such　happens　to

be　the　case　with　the　coarse　woof　and　canvas；　with　the　large　and

approximately　strong　threads　of　our　intellect；　what　are　the　chances

for　the　ulterior　and　superadded　embroidery；　the　subtle　and　complicated

netting　forming　reason　properly　so　called；　and　which　is　composed　of

general　ideas？　Formed　by　a　slow　and　delicate　process　of　weaving；

through　a　long　system　of　signs；　amidst　the　agitation　of　pride；　of

enthusiasm　and　of　dogmatic　obstinacy；　what　risk；　even　in　the　most

perfect　brain；　for　these　ideas　only　inadequately　to　correspond　with

outward　reality！　All　that　we　require　in　this　connection　is　to　witness

the　operation　of　the　idyll　in　vogue　with　the　philosophers　and

politicians。　　…　　These　being　the　superior　minds；　what　can　be　said　of

the　masses　of　the　people；　of　the　uncultivated　or　semi…cultivated

brains？　According　as　reason　is　crippled　in　man　so　is　it　rare　in

humanity。　　General　ideas　and　accurate　reasoning　are　found　only　in　a

select　few。　　The　comprehension　of　abstract　terms　and　the　habit　of

making　accurate　deductions　requires　previous　and　special　preparation；

a　prolonged　mental　exercise　and　steady　practice；　and　besides　this；

where　political　matters　are　concerned；　a　degree　of　composure　which；

affording　every　facility　for　reflection；　enables　a　man　to　detach

himself　for　a　moment　from　himself　for　the　consideration　of　his

interests　as　a　disinterested　observer。　　If　one　of　these　conditions　is

wanting；　reason；　especially　in　relation　to　politics；　is　absent。　　…　　In

a　peasant　or　a　villager；　in　any　man　brought　up　from　infancy　to　manual

labor；　not　only　is　the　network　of　superior　conceptions　defective；　but

again　the　internal　machinery　by　which　they　are　woven　is　not　perfected。

Accustomed　to　the　open　air；　to　the　exercise　of　his　limbs；　his

attention　flags　if　he　stands　inactive　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；

generalized　expressions　find　their　way　into　his　mind　only　as　sound；

the　mental　combination　they　ought　to　excite　cannot　be　produced。　　He

becomes　drowsy　unless　a　powerful　vibrating　voice　contagiously　arouses

in　him　the　instincts　of　flesh　and　blood；　the　personal　cravings；　the

secret　enmities　which；　restrained　by　outward　discipline；　are　always

ready　to　be　set　free。　　…　　　In　the　half…cultivated　mind；　even　with　the

man　who　thinks　himself　cultivated　and　who　reads　the　newspapers；

principles　are　generally　disproportionate　guests；　they　are　above　his

comprehension；　he　does　not　measure　their　bearings；　he　does　not

appreciate　their　limitations；　he　is　insensible　to　their　restrictions

and　he　falsifies　their　application。　　They　are　like　those　preparations

of　the　laboratory　which；　harmless　in　the　chemist's　hands；　become

destructive　in　the　street　under　the　feet　of　passing　people。　　…　Too　soon

will　this　be　apparent　when；　in　the　name　of　popular　sovereignty；　each

commune；　each　mob；　shall　regard　itself　as　the　nation　and　act

accordingly；　when　Reason；　in　the　hands　of　its　new　interpreters；　shall

inaugurate　riots　in　the　streets　and　peasant　insurrections　in　the

fields。＇15＇



This　is　owing　to　the　philosophers　of　the　age　having　been　mistaken

in　two　ways。　　Not　only　is　reason　not　natural　to　Man　nor　universal　in

humanity；　but　again；　in　the　conduct　of　Man　and　of　humanity；　its

influence　is　small。　　Except　with　a　few　cool　and　clear　intellects；　a

Fontenelle；　a　Hume；　a　Gibbon；　with　whom　it　may　prevail　because　it

encounters　no　rivals；　it　is　very　far　from　playing　a　leading　part；　it

belongs　to　other　forces　born　within　us；　and　which；　by　virtue　of　being

the　first　comers；　remain　in　possession　of　the　field。　　The　place

obtained　by　reason　is　always　restricted；　the　office　it　fulfills　is

generally　secondary。　　Openly　or　secretly；　it　is　only　a　convenient

subaltern；　a　domestic　advocate　constantly　suborned；　employed　by　the

proprietors　to　plead　in　their　behalf；　if　they　y