on the significance of science and art-第7章

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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　have　emerged　from　their　primal　state　of
savagery。

Ever　since　mankind　has　existed；　teachers　have　always　arisen　among
peoples；　who　have　enunciated　science　in　this　restricted　sense；the
science　of　what　it　is　most　useful　for　man　to　know。　　This　science　has
always　had　for　its　object　the　knowledge　of　what　is　the　true　ground
of　the　well…being　of　each　individual　man；　and　of　all　men；　and　why。
Such　was　the　science　of　Confucius；　of　Buddha；　of　Socrates；　of
Mahomet；　and　of　others；　such　is　this　science　as　they　understood　it；
and　as　all　menwith　the　exception　of　our　little　circle　of　so…called
cultured　peopleunderstand　it。　　This　science　has　not　only　always
occupied　the　highest　place；　but　has　been　the　only　and　sole　science；
from　which　the　standing　of　the　rest　has　been　determined。　　And　this
was　the　case；　not　in　the　least　because；　as　the　so…called　scientific
people　of　our　day　think；　cunning　priestly　teachers　of　this　science
attributed　to　it　such　significance；　but　because　in　reality；　as　every
one　knows；　both　by　personal　experience　and　by　reflection；　there　can
be　no　science　except　the　science　of　that　in　which　the　destiny　and
welfare　of　man　consist。　　For　the　objects　of　science　are　INCALCULABLE
in　number；I　undermine　the　word　〃incalculable〃　in　the　exact　sense
in　which　I　understand　it；and　without　the　knowledge　of　that　in
which　the　destiny　and　welfare　of　all　men　consist；　there　is　no
possibility　of　making　a　choice　amid　this　interminable　multitude　of
subjects；　and　therefore；　without　this　knowledge；　all　other　arts　and
branches　of　learning　will　become；　as　they　have　become　among　us；　an
idle　and　hurtful　diversion。

Mankind　has　existed　and　existed；　and　never　has　it　existed　without
the　science　of　that　in　which　the　destiny　and　the　welfare　of　men
consist。　　It　is　true　that　the　science　of　the　welfare　of　men　appears
different　on　superficial　observation；　among　the　Buddhists；　the
Brahmins；　the　Hebrews；　the　Confucians；　the　Tauists；　but
nevertheless；　wherever　we　hear　of　men　who　have　emerged　from　a　state
of　savagery；　we　find　this　science。　　And　all　of　a　sudden　it　appears
that　the　men　of　our　day　have　decided　that　this　same　science；　which
has　hitherto　served　as　the　guiding　thread　of　all　human　knowledge；　is
the　very　thing　which　hinders　every　thing。　　Men　erect　buildings；　and
one　architect　has　made　one　estimate　of　cost；　a　second　has　made
another；　and　a　third　yet　another。　　The　estimates　differ　somewhat；
but　they　are　correct；　so　that　any　one　can　see；　that；　if　the　whole　is
carried　out　in　accordance　with　the　calculations；　the　building　will
be　erected。　　Along　come　people；　and　assert　that　the　chief　point　lies
in　having　no　estimates；　and　that　it　should　be　built　thusby　the
eye。　　And　this　〃thus；〃　men　call　the　most　accurate　of　scientific
science。　　Men　repudiate　every　science；　the　very　substance　of
science；the　definition　of　the　destiny　and　the　welfare　of　men；and
this　repudiation　they　designate　as　science。

Ever　since　men　have　existed；　great　minds　have　been　born　into　their
midst；　which；　in　the　conflict　with　reason　and　conscience；　have　put
to　themselves　questions　as　to　〃what　constitutes　welfare；the
destiny　and　welfare；　not　of　myself　alone；　but　of　every　man？〃　　What
does　that　power　which　has　created　and　which　leads　me；　demand　of　me
and　of　every　man？　　And　what　is　it　necessary　for　me　to　do；　in　order
to　comply　with　the　requirements　imposed　upon　me　by　the　demands　of
individual　and　universal　welfare？　　They　have　asked　themselves：　　〃I
am　a　whole；　and　also　a　part　of　something　infinite；　eternal；　what；
then；　are　my　relations　to　other　parts　similar　to　myself；　to　men　and
to　the　wholeto　the　world？〃

And　from　the　voices　of　conscience　and　of　reason；　and　from　a
comparison　of　what　their　contemporaries　and　men　who　had　lived　before
them；　and　who　had　propounded　to　themselves　the　same　questions；　had
said；　these　great　teachers　have　deduced　their　doctrines；　which　were
simple；　clear；　intelligible　to　all　men；　and　always　such　as　were
susceptible　of　fulfilment。　　Such　men　have　existed　of　the　first；
second；　third；　and　lowest　ranks。　　The　world　is　full　of　such　men。
Every　living　man　propounds　the　question　to　himself；　how　to　reconcile
the　demands　of　welfare；　and　of　his　personal　existence；　with
conscience　and　reason；　and　from　this　universal　labor；　slowly　but
uninterruptedly；　new　forms　of　life；　which　are　more　in　accord　with
the　requirements　of　reason　and　of　conscience；　are　worked　out。

All　at　once；　a　new　caste　of　people　makes　its　appearance；　and　they
say；　〃All　this　is　nonsense；　all　this　must　be　abandoned。〃　　This　is
the　deductive　method　of　ratiocination　（wherein　lies　the　difference
between　the　deductive　and　the　inductive　method；　no　one　can
understand）；　these　are　the　dogmas　of　the　technological　and
metaphysical　period。　　Every　thing　that　these　men　discover　by　inward
experience；　and　which　they　communicate　to　one　another；　concerning
their　knowledge　of　the　law　of　their　existence　（of　their　functional
activity；　according　to　their　own　jargon）；　every　thing　that　the
grandest　minds　of　mankind　have　accomplished　in　this　direction；　since
the　beginning　of　the　world；all　this　is　nonsense；　and　has　no　weight
whatever。　　According　to　this　new　doctrine；　it　appears　that　you　are
cells：　　and　that　you；　as　a　cell；　have　a　very　definite　functional
activity；　which　you　not　only　fulfil；　but　which　you　infallibly　feel
within　you；　and　that　you　are　a　thinking；　talking；　understanding
cell；　and　that　you；　for　this　reason；　can　ask　another　similar　talking
cell　whether　it　is　just　the　same；　and　in　this　way　verify　your　own
experience；　that　you　can　take　advantage　of　the　fact　that　speaking
cells；　which　have　lived　before　you；　have　written　on　the　same
subject；　and　that　you　have　millions　of　cells　which　confirm　your
observations　by　their　agreement　with　the　cells　which　have　written
down　their　thoughts；all　this　signifies　nothing；　all　this　is　an
evil　and　an　erroneous　method。

The　true　scientific　method　is　this：　　If　you　wish　to　know　in　what　the
destiny　and　the　welfare　of　all　mankind　and　of　all　the　world
consists；　you　must；　first　of　all；　cease　to　listen　to　the　voices　of
your　conscience　and　of　your　reason；　which　present　themselves　in　you
and　in　others　like　you；　you　must　cease　to　believe　all　that　the　great
teachers　of　mankind　have　said　with　regard　to　your　conscience　and
reason；　and　you　must　consider　all　this　as　nonsense；　and　begin　all
over　again。　　And；　in　order　to　understand　every　thing　from　the
beginning；　you　must　look　through　microscopes　at　the　movements　of
amoebae；　and　cells　in　worms；　or；　with　still　greater　composure；
believe　in　every　thing　that　men　with　a　diploma　of　infallibility
shall　say　to　you　about　them。　　And　as　you　gaze　at　the　movements　of
these　cells；　or　read　about　what　others　have　seen；　you　must　attribute
to　these　cells　your　own　human　sensations　and　calculations　as　to　what
they　desire；　whither　they　are　directing　themselves；　how　they　compare
and　discuss；　and　to　what　they　have　become　accustomed；　and　from　these
observations　（in　which　there　is　not　a　word　about　an　error　of　thought
or　of　expression）　you　must　deduce　a　conclusion　by　analogy　as　to　what
you