man and superman-第25章

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But　I　am　not　now　defending　the　illusory　forms　the　great　ideas
take。　I　am　giving　you　examples　of　the　fact　that　this　creature
Man；　who　in　his　own　selfish　affairs　is　a　coward　to　the　backbone；
will　fight　for　an　idea　like　a　hero。　He　may　be　abject　as　a
citizen；　but　he　is　dangerous　as　a　fanatic。　He　can　only　be
enslaved　whilst　he　is　spiritually　weak　enough　to　listen　to
reason。　I　tell　you；　gentlemen；　if　you　can　show　a　man　a　piece　of
what　he　now　calls　God's　work　to　do；　and　what　he　will　later　on
call　by　many　new　names；　you　can　make　him　entirely　reckless　of　the
consequences　to　himself　personally。

ANA。　Yes：　he　shirks　all　his　responsibilities；　and　leaves　his　wife
to　grapple　with　them。

THE　STATUE。　Well　said；　daughter。　Do　not　let　him　talk　you　out　of
your　common　sense。

THE　DEVIL。　Alas！　Senor　Commander；　now　that　we　have　got　on　to　the
subject　of　Woman；　he　will　talk　more　than　ever。　However；　I　confess
it　is　for　me　the　one　supremely　interesting　subject。

DON　JUAN。　To　a　woman；　Senora；　man's　duties　and　responsibilities
begin　and　end　with　the　task　of　getting　bread　for　her　children。　To
her；　Man　is　only　a　means　to　the　end　of　getting　children　and
rearing　them。

ANA。　Is　that　your　idea　of　a　woman's　mind？　I　call　it　cynical　and
disgusting　materialism。

DON　JUAN。　Pardon　me；　Ana：　I　said　nothing　about　a　woman's　whole
mind。　I　spoke　of　her　view　of　Man　as　a　separate　sex。　It　is　no　more
cynical　than　her　view　of　herself　as　above　all　things　a　Mother。
Sexually；　Woman　is　Nature's　contrivance　for　perpetuating　its
highest　achievement。　Sexually；　Man　is　Woman's　contrivance　for
fulfilling　Nature's　behest　in　the　most　economical　way。　She　knows
by　instinct　that　far　back　in　the　evolutional　process　she　invented
him；　differentiated　him；　created　him　in　order　to　produce
something　better　than　the　single…sexed　process　can　produce。
Whilst　he　fulfils　the　purpose　for　which　she　made　him；　he　is
welcome　to　his　dreams；　his　follies；　his　ideals；　his　heroisms；
provided　that　the　keystone　of　them　all　is　the　worship　of　woman；
of　motherhood；　of　the　family；　of　the　hearth。　But　how　rash　and
dangerous　it　was　to　invent　a　separate　creature　whose　sole
function　was　her　own　impregnation！　For　mark　what　has　happened。
First；　Man　has　multiplied　on　her　hands　until　there　are　as　many
men　as　women；　so　that　she　has　been　unable　to　employ　for　her
purposes　more　than　a　fraction　of　the　immense　energy　she　has　left
at　his　disposal　by　saving　him　the　exhausting　labor　of　gestation。
This　superfluous　energy　has　gone　to　his　brain　and　to　his　muscle。
He　has　become　too　strong　to　be　controlled　by　her　bodily；　and　too
imaginative　and　mentally　vigorous　to　be　content　with　mere　self…
reproduction。　He　has　created　civilization　without　consulting　her；
taking　her　domestic　labor　for　granted　as　the　foundation　of　it。

ANA。　THAT　is　true；　at　all　events。

THE　DEVIL。　Yes；　and　this　civilization！　what　is　it；　after　all？

DON　JUAN。　After　all；　an　excellent　peg　to　hang　your　cynical
commonplaces　on；　but　BEFORE　all；　it　is　an　attempt　on　Man's　part
to　make　himself　something　more　than　the　mere　instrument　of
Woman's　purpose。　So　far；　the　result　of　Life's　continual　effort
not　only　to　maintain　itself；　but　to　achieve　higher　and　higher
organization　and　completer　self…consciousness；　is　only；　at　best；
a　doubtful　campaign　between　its　forces　and　those　of　Death　and
Degeneration。　The　battles　in　this　campaign　are　mere　blunders；
mostly　won；　like　actual　military　battles；　in　spite　of　the
commanders。

THE　STATUE。　That　is　a　dig　at　me。　No　matter：　go　on；　go　on。

DON　JUAN。　It　is　a　dig　at　a　much　higher　power　than　you；　Commander。
Still；　you　must　have　noticed　in　your　profession　that　even　a
stupid　general　can　win　battles　when　the　enemy's　general　is　a
little　stupider。

THE　STATUE。　＇very　seriously＇　Most　true；　Juan；　most　true。　Some
donkeys　have　amazing　luck。

DON　JUAN。　Well；　the　Life　Force　is　stupid；　but　it　is　not　so　stupid
as　the　forces　of　Death　and　Degeneration。　Besides；　these　are　in
its　pay　all　the　time。　And　so　Life　wins；　after　a　fashion。　What
mere　copiousness　of　fecundity　can　supply　and　mere　greed　preserve；
we　possess。　The　survival　of　whatever　form　of　civilization　can
produce　the　best　rifle　and　the　best　fed　riflemen　is　assured。

THE　DEVIL。　Exactly！　the　survival；　not　of　the　most　effective　means
of　Life　but　of　the　most　effective　means　of　Death。　You　always　come
back　to　my　point；　in　spite　of　your　wrigglings　and　evasions　and
sophistries；　not　to　mention　the　intolerable　length　of　your
speeches。

DON　JUAN。　Oh　come！　who　began　making　long　speeches？　However；　if　I
overtax　your　intellect；　you　can　leave　us　and　seek　the　society　of
love　and　beauty　and　the　rest　of　your　favorite　boredoms。

THE　DEVIL。　＇much　offended＇　This　is　not　fair；　Don　Juan；　and　not
civil。　I　am　also　on　the　intellectual　plane。　Nobody　can　appreciate
it　more　than　I　do。　I　am　arguing　fairly　with　you；　and；　I　think；
utterly　refuting　you。　Let　us　go　on　for　another　hour　if　you　like。

DON　JUAN。　Good：　let　us。

THE　STATUE。　Not　that　I　see　any　prospect　of　your　coming　to　any
point　in　particular；　Juan。　Still；　since　in　this　place；　instead　of
merely　killing　time　we　have　to　kill　eternity；　go　ahead　by　all
means。

DON　JUAN。　＇somewhat　impatiently＇　My　point；　you　marbleheaded　old
masterpiece；　is　only　a　step　ahead　of　you。　Are　we　agreed　that　Life
is　a　force　which　has　made　innumerable　experiments　in　organizing
itself；　that　the　mammoth　and　the　man；　the　mouse　and　the
megatherium；　the　flies　and　the　fleas　and　the　Fathers　of　the
Church；　are　all　more　or　less　successful　attempts　to　build　up　that
raw　force　into　higher　and　higher　individuals；　the　ideal
individual　being　omnipotent；　omniscient；　infallible；　and　withal
completely；　unilludedly　self…conscious：　in　short；　a　god？

THE　DEVIL。　I　agree；　for　the　sake　of　argument。

THE　STATUE。　I　agree；　for　the　sake　of　avoiding　argument。

ANA。　I　most　emphatically　disagree　as　regards　the　Fathers　of　the
Church；　and　I　must　beg　you　not　to　drag　them　into　the　argument。

DON　JUAN。　I　did　so　purely　for　the　sake　of　alliteration；　Ana；　and
I　shall　make　no　further　allusion　to　them。　And　now；　since　we　are；
with　that　exception；　agreed　so　far；　will　you　not　agree　with　me
further　that　Life　has　not　measured　the　success　of　its　attempts　at
godhead　by　the　beauty　or　bodily　perfection　of　the　result；　since
in　both　these　respects　the　birds；　as　our　friend　Aristophanes　long
ago　pointed　out；　are　so　extraordinarily　superior；　with　their
power　of　flight　and　their　lovely　plumage；　and；　may　I　add；　the
touching　poetry　of　their　loves　and　nestings；　that　it　is
inconceivable　that　Life；　having　once　produced　them；　should；　if
love　and　beauty　were　her　object；　start　off　on　another　line　and
labor　at　the　clumsy　elephant　and　the　hideous　ape；　whose
grandchildren　we　are？

ANA。　Aristophanes　was　a　heathen；　and　you；　Juan；　I　am　afraid；　are
very　little　better。

THE　DEVIL。　You　conclude；　then；　that　Life　was　driving　at
clumsiness　and　ugliness？

DON　JUAN。　No；　perverse　devil　that　you　are；　a　thousand　times　no。
Life　was　driving　at　brainsat　its　darling　object：　an　organ　by
which　it　can　attain　not　only　self…consciousness　but
self…understanding。

THE　STATUE。　This　is　metaphysics；　Juan。　Why　the　devil　should＇to
the　Devil＇　I　BEG　your　pardon。

THE　DEVIL。　Pray　don't　mention　it。　I　have　always　regarded　the　use
of　my　name　to　secure　additional　emphasis　as　a　high　compliment　to
me。　It　is　quite　at　your　service；　Commander。

THE　STATUE。　Thank　you：　that's　very　good　of　you。　Even　in　heaven；　I
never　quite　got　out　of　my　old　military　habits　of　speech。　What　I
was　going　to　ask　Juan　was　why　Life　should　bother　itself　about
getting　a　brain。　Why　should　it　want　to　understand　itself？　Why　not
be　content　to　enjoy　itself？

DON　JUAN。　Without　a　brain；　Commander；　you　would　enjoy　yourself
without　knowing　it；　and　so　lose　all　the　fun。

THE　STATUE。　True；　most　true。　But　I　am　quite　content　with　brain
enough　to　know　that　I'm　enjoying　myself。　I　don't　want　to
understand　why。　In　fact；　I'd　rather　not。　My　experience　is　that
one's　pleasures　don't　bear　thinking　about。

DON　JUAN。　That　is　why　intellect　is　so　unpopular。　But　to　Life；　the
force　behind　the　Man；　intellect　is　a　necessity；　because　without
it　he　blunders　into　death。　Just　as　Life；　after　ages　of　struggle；
evolved　that　wonderful　bodily　organ　the　eye；　so　that　the　living
organism　could　see　where　it　was　going　and　what　was　coming　to　help
or　threaten　it；　and　thus　avoid　a　thousand　dangers　that　formerly
slew　it；　so　it　is　evolving　to…day　a　mind's　eye　that　shall　see；
not　the　physical　world；　but　the　purpose　of　Life；　and　thereby
enable　the　individual　to　work　for　that　purpose　instead　of
thwarting　and　baffling　it　by　setting　up　shortsighted　personal
aims　as　at　present。　Even　as　it　is；　only　one　sort　of　man　has　ever
been　happy；　has　ever　been　universally　respected　among　all　the
conflicts　of　interests　and　illusions。

THE　STATUE。　You　mean　the　military　man。

DON　JUAN。　Commander：　I　do　not　mean　the　military　man。　When　the
military　man　approaches；　the　world　locks　up　its　spoons　and　packs
off　its　womankind。　No：　I　sing；　not　arms　and　the　hero；　but　the；
philosophic　man：　he　who　seeks　in　contemplation　to　discover　the
inner　will　of　the　world；　in　invention　to　discover　the　means　of
fulfilling　that　will；　and　in　action　to　do　that　will　by　the
so…discovered　means。　Of　all　other　sorts　of　men　I　declare　myself
tired。　They're　tedious　failures。　When　I　was　on　earth；　professors
of　all　sorts　prowled　round　me　feeling　for　an　unhealthy　spot　in　me
on　which　they　could　fasten。　The　doctors　of　medicine　bade　me
consider　what　I　must　do　to　save　my　body；　and　offered　me　quack
cures　for　imaginary　diseases。　I　replied　that　I　was　not　a
hypochondriac；　so　they　called　me　Ignoramus　and　went　their　way。
The　doctors　of　divinity　bade　me　consider　what　I　must　do　to　save
my　soul；　but　I　was　not　a　spiritual　hypochondriac　any　more　than　a
bodily　one；　and　would　not　trouble　myself　about　that　either；　so
they　called　me　Atheist　and　went　their　way。　After　them　came　the
politician；　who　said　there　was　only　one　purpose　in　Nature；　and
that　was　to　get　him　into　parliament。　I　told　him　I　did　not　care
whether　he　got　into　parliament　or　not；　so　he　called　me　Mugwump
and　went　his　way。　Then　came　the　romantic　man；　the　Artist；　with
his　love　songs　and　his　paintings　and　his　poems；　and　with　him　I
had　great　delight　for　many　years；　and　some　profit；　for　I
cultivated　my　senses　for　his　sake；　and　his　songs　taught　me　to
hear　better；　his　paintings　to　see　better；　and　his　poems　to　feel
more　deeply。　But　he　led　me　at　last　into　the　worship　of　Woman。

ANA。　Juan！

DON　JUAN。　Yes：　I　came　to　believe　that　in　her　voice　was　all　the
music　of　the　song；　in　her　face　all　the　beauty　of　the　painting；
and　in　her　soul　all　the　emotion　of　the　poem。

ANA。　And　you　were　disappointed；　I　suppose。　Well；　was　it　her　fault
that　you　attributed　all　these　perfections　to　her？

DON　JUAN。　Yes；　partly。　For　with　a　wonderful　instinctive　cunning；
she　kept　silent　and　allowed　me　to　glorify　her；　to　mistake　my　own
visions；　thoughts；　and　feelings　for　hers。　Now　my　friend　the
romantic　man　was　often　too　poor　or　too　timid　to　approach　those
women　who　were　beautiful　or　refined　enough　to　seem　to　realize　his
ideal；　and　so　he　went　to　his　grave　believing　in　his　dream。　But　I
was　more　favored　by　nature　and　circumstance。　I　was　of　noble
birth　and　rich；　and