on the significance of science and art-第7部分

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listen　to　a　symphony；　never　to　read　poetry　or　novels；　than　to　feed
all　these　persons。

And　why；　apparently；　should　art　not　be　of　service　to　the　people？　　In
every　cottage　there　are　images　and　pictures；　every　peasant　man　and
woman　sings；　many　own　harmonicas；　and　all　recite　stories　and　verses；
and　many　read。　　It　is　as　if　those　two　things　which　are　made　for　each
otherthe　lock　and　the　keyhad　parted　company；　they　have　sprung　so
far　apart；　that　not　even　the　possibility　of　uniting　them　presents
itself。　　Tell　the　artist　that　he　should　paint　without　a　studio；
model；　or　costumes；　and　that　he　should　paint　five…kopek　pictures；
and　he　will　say　that　that　is　tantamount　to　abandoning　his　art；　as　he
understands　it。　　Tell　the　musician　that　he　should　play　on　the
harmonica；　and　teach　the　women　to　sing　songs；　say　to　the　poet；　to
the　author；　that　he　ought　to　cast　aside　his　poems　and　romances；　and
compose　song…books；　tales；　and　stories；　comprehensible　to　the
uneducated　people；they　will　say　that　you　are　mad。

The　service　of　the　people　by　science　and　art　will　only　be　performed
when　people；　dwelling　in　the　midst　of　the　common　folk；　and；　like　the
common　folk；　putting　forward　no　demands；　claiming　no　rights；　shall
offer　to　the　common　folk　their　scientific　and　artistic　services；　the
acceptance　or　rejection　of　which　shall　depend　wholly　on　the　will　of
the　common　folk。

It　is　said　that　the　activity　of　science　and　art　has　aided　in　the
forward　march　of　mankind；meaning　by　this　activity；　that　which　is
now　called　by　that　name；　which　is　the　same　as　saying　that　an
unskilled　banging　of　oars　on　a　vessel　that　is　floating　with　the
tide；　which　merely　hinders　the　progress　of　the　vessel；　is　assisting
the　movement　of　the　ship。　　It　only　retards　it。　　The　so…called
division　of　labor；　which　has　become　in　our　day　the　condition　of
activity　of　men　of　science　and　art；　was；　and　has　remained；　the　chief
cause　of　the　tardy　forward　movement　of　mankind。

The　proofs　of　this　lie　in　that　confession　of　all　men　of　science；
that　the　gains　of　science　and　art　are　inaccessible　to　the　laboring
masses；　in　consequence　of　the　faulty　distribution　of　riches。　　The
irregularity　of　this　distribution　does　not　decrease　in　proportion　to
the　progress　of　science　and　art；　but　only　increases。　　Men　of　art　and
science　assume　an　air　of　deep　pity　for　this　unfortunate　circumstance
which　does　not　depend　upon　them。　　But　this　unfortunate　circumstance
is　produced　by　themselves；　for　this　irregular　distribution　of　wealth
flows　solely　from　the　theory　of　the　division　of　labor。

　Science　maintains　the　division　of　labor　as　a　unalterable　law；　it
sees　that　the　distribution　of　wealth；　founded　on　the　division　of
labor；　is　wrong　and　ruinous；　and　it　affirms　that　its　activity；　which
recognizes　the　division　of　labor；　will　lead　people　to　bliss。　　The
result　is；　that　some　people　make　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　but
that；　if　they　shall　make　use　of　the　labor　of　others　for　a　very　long
period　of　time；　and　in　still　larger　measure；　then　this　wrongful
distribution　of　wealth；　i。e。；　the　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　will
come　to　an　end。

Men　stand　beside　a　constantly　swelling　spring　of　water；　and　are
occupied　with　the　problem　of　diverting　it　to　one　side；　away　from　the
thirsty　people；　and　they　assert　that　they　are　producing　this　water；
and　that　soon　enough　will　be　collected　for　all。　　But　this　water
which　has　flowed；　and　which　still　flows　unceasingly；　and　nourishes
all　mankind；　not　only　is　not　the　result　of　the　activity　of　the　men
who；　standing　at　its　source；　turn　it　aside；　but　this　water　flows　and
gushes　out；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　these　men　to　obstruct　its
flow。

There　have　always　existed　a　true　science；　and　a　true　art；　but　true
science　and　art　are　not　such　because　they　called　themselves　by　that
name。　　It　always　seems　to　those　who　claim　at　any　given　period　to　be
the　representatives　of　science　and　art；　that　they　have　performed；
and　are　performing；　andmost　of　allthat　they　will　presently
perform；　the　most　amazing　marvels；　and　that　beside　them　there　never
has　been　and　there　is　not　any　science　or　any　art。　　Thus　it　seemed　to
the　sophists；　the　scholastics；　the　alchemists；　the　cabalists；　the
talmudists；　and　thus　it　seems　to　our　own　scientific　science；　and　to
our　art　for　the　sake　of　art。



CHAPTER　V。



〃But　art；science！　　You　repudiate　art　and　science；　that　is；　you
repudiate　that　by　which　mankind　lives！〃　　People　are　constantly
making　thisit　is　not　a　replyto　me；　and　they　employ　this　mode　of
reception　in　order　to　reject　my　deductions　without　examining　into
them。　　〃He　repudiates　science　and　art；　he　wants　to　send　people　back
again　into　a　savage　state；　so　what　is　the　use　of　listening　to　him
and　of　talking　to　him？〃　　But　this　is　unjust。　　I　not　only　do　not
repudiate　art　and　science；　but；　in　the　name　of　that　which　is　true
art　and　true　science；　I　say　that　which　I　do　say；　merely　in　order
that　mankind　may　emerge　from　that　savage　state　into　which　it　will
speedily　fall；　thanks　to　the　erroneous　teaching　of　our　time；only
for　this　purpose　do　I　say　that　which　I　say。

Art　and　science　are　as　indispensable　as　food　and　drink　and
clothing；more　indispensable　even；　but　they　become　so；　not　because
we　decide　that　what　we　designate　as　art　and　science　are
indispensable；　but　simply　because　they　really　are　indispensable　to
people。

Surely；　if　hay　is　prepared　for　the　bodily　nourishment　of　men；　the
fact　that　we　are　convinced　that　hay　is　the　proper　food　for　man　will
not　make　hay　the　food　of　man。　　Surely　I　cannot　say；　〃Why　do　not　you
eat　hay；　when　it　is　the　indispensable　food？〃　　Food　is　indispensable；
but　it　may　happen　that　that　which　I　offer　is　not　food　at　all。　　This
same　thing　has　occurred　with　our　art　and　science。　　It　seems　to　us；
that　if　we　add　to　a　Greek　word　the　word　〃logy；〃　and　call　that　a
science；　it　will　be　a　science；　and；　if　we　call　any　abominable　thing…
…like　the　dancing　of　nude　femalesby　a　Greek　word；　choreography；
that　that　is　art；　and　that　it　will　be　art。　　But　no　matter　how　much
we　may　say　this；　the　business　with　which　we　occupy　ourselves　when　we
count　beetles；　and　investigate　the　chemical　constituents　of　the
stars　in　the　Milky　Way；　when　we　paint　nymphs　and　compose　novels　and
symphonies；our　business　will　not　become　either　art　or　science
until　such　time　as　it　is　accepted　by　those　people　for　whom　it　is
wrought。

If　it　were　decided　that　only　certain　people　should　produce　food；　and
if　all　the　rest　were　forbidden　to　do　this；　or　if　they　were　rendered
incapable　of　producing　food；　I　suppose　that　the　quality　of　food
would　be　lowered。　　If　the　people　who　enjoyed　the　monopoly　of
producing　food　were　Russian　peasants；　there　would　be　no　other　food
than　black　bread　and　cabbage…soup；　and　so　on；　and　kvas；nothing
except　what　they　like；　and　what　is　agreeable　to　them。　　The　same
thing　would　happen　in　the　case　of　that　loftiest　human　pursuit；　of
arts　and　sciences；　if　one　caste　were　to　arrogate　to　itself　a
monopoly　of　them：　　but　with　this　sole　difference；　that；　in　the
matter　of　bodily　food；　there　can　be　no　great　departure　from　nature；
and　bread　and　cabbage…soup；　although　not　very　savory　viands；　are　fit
for　consumption；　but　in　spiritual　food；　there　may　exist　the　very
greatest　departures　from　nature；　and　some　people　may　feed　themselves
for　a　long　time　on　poisonous　spiritual　nourishment；　which　is
directly　unsuitable　for；　or　injurious　to；　them；　they　may　slowly　kill
themselves　with　spiritual　opium　or　liquors；　and　they　may　offer　this
same　food　to　the　masses。

It　is　this　very　thing　that　is　going　on　among　us。　　And　it　has　come
about　because　the　position　of　men　of　science　and　art　is　a　privileged
one；　because　art　and　science　（in　our　day）；　in　our　world；　are　not　at
all　a　rational　occupation　of　all　mankind　without　exception；　exerting
their　best　powers　for　the　service　of　art　and　science；　but　an
occupation　of　a　restricted　circle　of　people　holding　a　monopoly　of
these　industries；　and　entitling　themselves　men　of　art　and　science；
and　who　have；　therefore；　perverted　the　very　idea　of　art　and　science；
and　have　lost　all　the　meaning　of　their　vocation；　and　who　are　only
concerned　in　amusing　and　rescuing　from　crushing　ennui　their　tiny
circle　of　idle　mouths。

Ever　since　men　have　existed；　they　have　always　had　science　and　art　in
the　simplest　and　broadest　sense　of　the　term。　　Science；　in　the　sense
of　the　whole　of　knowledge　acquired　by　mankind；　exists　and　always　has
existed；　and　life　without　it　is　not　conceivable；　and　there　is　no
possibility　of　either　attacking　or　defending　science；　taken　in　this
sense。

But　the　point　lies　here；that　the　scope　of　the　knowledge　of　all
mankind　as　a　whole　is　so　multifarious；　ranging　from　the　knowledge　of
how　to　extract　iron　to　the　knowledge　of　the　movements　of　the
planets；　that　man　loses　himself　in　this　multitude　of　existing
knowledge；knowledge　capable　of　ENDLESS　possibilities；　if　he　have
no　guiding　thread；　by　the　aid　of　which　he　can　classify　this
knowledge；　and　arrange　the　branches　according　to　the　degrees　of
their　significance　and　importance。

Before　a　man　undertakes　to　learn　any　thing　whatever；　he　must　make　up
his　mind　that　that　branch　of　knowledge　is　of　weight　to　him；　and　of
more　weight　and　importance　than　the　countless　other　objects　of　study
with　which　he　is　surrounded。　　Before　undertaking　the　study　of　any
thing；　a　man　decides　for　what　purpose　he　is　studying　this　subject；
and　not　the　others。　　But　to　study　every　thing；　as　the　men　of
scientific　science　in　our　day　preach；　without　any　idea　of　what　is　to
come　out　of　such　study；　is　downright　impossible；　because　the　number
of　subjects　of　study　is　ENDLESS；　and　hence；　no　matter　how　many
branches　we　may　acquire；　their　acquisition　can　possess　no
significance　or　reason。　　And；　therefore；　in　ancient　times；　down　to
even　a　very　recent　date；　until　the　appearance　of　scientific　science；
man's　highest　wisdom　consisted　in　finding　that　guiding　thread；
according　to　which　the　knowledge　of　men　should　be　classified　as
being　of　primary　or　of　secondary　importance。　　And　this　knowledge；
which　forms　the　guide　to　all　other　branches　of　knowledge；　men　have
always　called　science　in　the　strictest　acceptation　of　the　word。　　And
such　science　there　has　always　been；　even　down　to　our　own　day；　in　all
human　communities　which　ha