the origins of contemporary france-1-第62部分

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the　love　of　self。　　None　come　into　play　out　of　season。　　If　we　would　not

interfere　with　them；　if　we　would　impose　no　constraint　on　them；　if　we

would　permit　these　sparkling　fountains　to　flow　according　to　their

bent；　if　we　would　not　confine　them　to　our　artificial　and　foul

channels；　we　should　never　see　them　boiling　over　and　becoming　turbid。

We　look　with　wonder　on　their　ravages　and　on　their　stains；　we　forget

that；　in　the　beginning；　they　were　pure　and　undefiled。　　The　fault　is

with　us；　in　our　social　arrangements；　in　our　encrusted　and　formal

channels　whereby　we　cause　deviations　and　windings；　and　make　them　heave

and　bound。　　〃Your　very　governments　are　the　cause　of　the　evils　which

they　pretend　to　remedy。　　Ye　scepters　of　iron！　ye　absurd　laws；　ye　we

reproach　for　our　inability　to　fulfill　our　duties　on　earth！〃　Away　with

these　dikes；　the　work　of　tyranny　and　routine！　An　emancipated　nature

will　at　once　resume　a　direct　and　healthy　course　and　man；　without

effort；　will　find　himself　not　only　happy　but　virtuous　as　well。＇32＇　On

this　principle　the　attack　begins：　there　is　none　that　is　pushed

further；　nor　conducted　with　more　bitter　hostility。　　Thus　far　existing

institutions　are　described　simply　as　oppressive　and　unreasonable；　but

now　they　are　now　they　are　accused　of　being　unjust　and　corrupting　as

well。　　Reason　and　the　natural　desires　were　the　only　insurgents；

conscience　and　pride　are　now　in　rebellion。　　With　Voltaire　and

Montesquieu　all　I　might　hope　for　is　that　fewer　evils　might　be

anticipated。　　With　Diderot　and　d'Holbach　the　horizon　discloses　only　a

glowing　El　Dorado　or　a　comfortable　Cythera。　　With　Rousseau　I　behold

within　reach　an　Eden　where　I　shall　immediately　recover　a　nobility

inseparable　from　my　happiness。　　It　is　my　right；　nature　and　Providence

summon　me　to　it；　it　is　my　heritage。　　One　arbitrary　institution　alone

keeps　me　away　from　it；　the　creator　of　my　vices　as　of　my　misery。　　With

what　rage　and　fury　I　will　overthrow　this　ancient　barrier！　　　　We

detect　this　in　the　vehement　tone；　in　the　embittered　style；　and　in　the

sombre　eloquence　of　the　new　doctrine。　　Fun　and　games　are　no　longer　in

vogue；　a　serious　tone　is　maintained；　people　become　exasperated；　while

the　powerful　voice　now　heard　penetrates　beyond　the　drawing…room；　to

the　rude　and　suffering　crowd　to　which　no　word　had　yet　been　spoken；

whose　mute　resentment　for　the　first　time　finds　an　interpreter；　and

whose　destructive　instincts　are　soon　to　be　set　in　motion　at　the

summons　of　its　herald。　　　　Rousseau　is　a　man　of　the　people；　and　not　a

man　of　high　society。　　He　feels　awkward　in　a　drawing…room。＇33＇　He　is　not

capable　of　conversing　and　of　appearing　amiable；　the　nice　expressions

only　come　into　his　head　too　late；　on　the　staircase　as　he　leaves　the

house；　he　keeps　silent　with　a　sulky　air　or　utters　stupidities；

redeeming　his　awkwardness　with　the　sallies　of　a　clown　or　with　the

phrases　of　a　vulgar　pedant。　　Elegance　annoys　him；　luxury　makes　him

uncomfortable；　politeness　is　a　lie；　conversation　mere　prattle；　ease　of

manner　a　grimace；　gaiety　a　convention；　wit　a　parade；　science　so　much

charlatanry；　philosophy　an　affection　and　morals　utter　corruption。　　All

is　factitious；　false　and　unwholesome；＇34＇　from　the　make…up；　toilet　and

beauty　of　women　to　the　atmosphere　of　the　apartments　and　the　ragouts　on

the　dinner…table；　in　sentiment　as　in　amusement；　in　literature　as　in

music；　in　government　as　in　religion。　　This　civilization；　which　boasts

of　its　splendor；　is　simply　the　restlessness　of　over…excited；　servile

monkeys　each　imitating　the　other；　and　each　corrupting　the　other　to；

through　sophistication；　end　up　in　worry　and　boredom。　　Human　culture；

accordingly；　is　in　itself　bad；　while　the　fruit　it　produces　is　merely

excrescence　or　poison。　　　　Of　what　use　are　the　sciences？　Uncertain

and　useless；　they　afford　merely　a　pasture…ground　for　idlers　and

wranglers。＇35＇



〃　Who　would　want　to　pass　a　lifetime　in　sterile　observation；　if

they；　apart　from　their　duties　and　nature's　demands；　had　had　to　bestow

their　time　on　their　country；　on　the　unfortunate　and　on　their　friends！〃

　　Of　what　use　are　the　fine　arts？　They　serve　only　as　public　flattery

of　dominant　passions。　　〃The　more　pleasing　and　the　more　perfect　the

drama；　the　more　baneful　its　influence；〃　　the　theater；　even　with

Molière；　is　a　school　of　bad　morals；　〃inasmuch　as　it　excites　deceitful

souls　to　ridicule；　in　the　name　of　comedy；　the　candor　of　artless

people。〃　Tragedy；　said　to　be　moralizing；　wastes　in　counterfeit

effusions　the　little　virtue　that　still　remains。　　〃　When　a　man　has　been

admiring　the　noble　feats　in　the　fables　what　more　is　expected　of　him？

After　paying　homage　to　virtue　is　he　not　discharged　from　all　that　he

owes　to　it？　What　more　would　they　have　him　do？　Must　he　practice　it

himself？　He　has　no　part　to　play；　he　is　not　a　comedian。〃　　　　The

sciences；　the　fine　arts；　the　arts　of　luxury；　philosophy；　literature；

all　this　serve　only　to　effeminate　and　distract　the　mind；　all　that　is

only　made　for　the　small　crowd　of　brilliant　and　noisy　insects　buzzing

around　the　summits　of　society　and　sucking　away　all　public　substance。

　　As　regards　the　sciences；　but　one　is　important；　that　of　our　duties；

and；　without　so　many　subtleties　and　so　much　study；　our　innermost

conscience　suffice　to　show　us　the　way。　　　　As　regards　the　arts　and

the　skills；　only　those　should　be　tolerated　which；　ministering　to　our

prime　necessities；　provide　us　with　bread　to　feed　us；　with　a　roof　to

shelter　us；　clothing　to　cover　us；　and　arms　with　which　to　defend

ourselves。　　　　In　the　way　of　existence　that　only　is　healthy　which

enables　us　to　live　in　the　country；　artlessly；　without　display；　in

family　union；　devoted　to　cultivation；　living　on　the　products　of　the

soil　and　among　neighbors　that　are　equals　and　with　servants　that　one

trusts　as　friends。＇36＇　　　　As　for　the　classes；　but　one　is

respectable；　that　of　laboring　men；　especially　that　of　men　working　with

their　own　hands；　artisans　and　mechanics；　only　these　being　really　of

service；　the　only　ones　who；　through　their　situation；　are　in　close

proximity　to　the　natural　state；　and　who　preserve；　under　a　rough

exterior；　the　warmth；　the　goodness　and　the　integrity　of　primitive

instincts。　　　　Accordingly；　let　us　call　by　its　true　name　this

elegance；　this　luxury；　this　urbanity；　this　literary　delicacy；　this

philosophical　eccentricity；　admired　by　the　prejudiced　as　the　flower　of

the　life　of　humanity；　it　is　only　mold　and　mildew。　　In　like　manner

esteem　at　its　just　value　the　swarm　that　live　upon　it；　namely；　the

indolent　aristocracy；　the　fashionable　world；　the　privileged　who　direct

and　make　a　display；　the　idlers　of　the　drawing　room　who　talk；　divert

themselves　and　regard　themselves　as　the　elect　of　humanity；　but　who　are

simply　so　many　parasites。　　Whether　parasitic　or　excretory；　one　attracts

the　other；　and　the　tree　can　only　be　well　if　we　get　rid　of　both。



If　civilization　is　bad；　society　is　worse。　　＇37＇　For　this　could　not

have　been　established　except　by　destroying　primitive　equality；　while

its　two　principal　institutions；　property　and　government；　are

encroachments。



〃He　who　first　enclosed　a　plot　of　ground；　and　who　took　it　into　his

to　say　this　belongs　to　me；　and　who　found　people　simple　enough　to

believe　him；＇38＇　was　the　true　founder　of　civil　society。　　What　crimes；

what　wars；　what　murders；　what　misery　and　what　horrors　would　have　been

spared　the　human　race　if　he　who；　pulling　up　the　landmark　and　filling

up　the　ditch；　had　cried　out　to　his　fellows：　Be　wary　of　that　impostor；

you　are　lost　if　you　forget　that　no　one　has　a　right　to　the　land　and

that　its　fruits　are　the　property　of　all　！〃　　　　The　first　ownership

was　a　robbery　by　which　an　individual　abstracted　from　the　community　a

portion　of　the　public　domain。　　Nothing　could　justify　the　outrage；

nothing　added　by　him　to　the　soil；　neither　his　industry；　nor　his

trouble；　nor　his　valor。　　〃In　vain　may　he　assert　that　he　built　this

wall；　and　acquired　this　land　by　his　labor。　　Who　marked　it　out　for　him；

one　might　ask；　and　how　do　you　come　to　be　paid　for　labor　which　was

never　imposed　on　you？　Are　you　not　aware　that　a　multitude　of　your

brethren　are　suffering　and　perishing　with　want　because　you　have　too

much；　and　that　the　express　and　unanimous　consent　of　the　whole　human

species　is　requisite　before　appropriating　to　yourself　more　than　your

share　of　the　common　subsistence？〃　　



Underneath　this　theory　we　recognize　the　personal　attitude；　the

grudge　of　the　poor　embittered　commoner；　who；　on　entering　society；

finds　the　places　all　taken；　and　who　is　incapable　of　creating　one　for

himself；　who；　in　his　confessions；　marks　the　day　when　he　ceased　to　feel

hungry；　who；　for　lack　of　something　better；　lives　in　concubinage　with　a

serving…woman　and　places　his　five　children　in　an　orphanage；　who　is　in

turn　servant；　clerk；　vagabond；　teacher　and　copyist；　always　on　the

look…out；　using　his　wits　to　maintain　his　independence；　disgusted　with

the　contrast　between　what　he　is　outwardly　and　what　he　feels　himself

inwardly；　avoiding　envy　only　by　disparagement；　and　preserving　in　the

folds　of　his　heart　an　old　grudge　〃against　the　rich　and　the　fortunate

in　this　world　as　if　they　were　so　at　his　expense；　as　if　their　assumed

happiness　had　been　an　infringement　on　his　happiness。〃　＇39＇　　　　Not

only　is　there　injustice　in　the　origin　of　property　but　again　there　is

injustice　in　the　power　it　secures　to　itself；　the　wrong　increasing　like

a　canker　under　the　partiality　of　law。



〃Are　not　all　the　advantages　of　society　for　the　rich　and　for　the

powerful？＇40＇　Do　they　not　absorb　to　themselves　all　lucrative

positions？　Is　not　the　public　authority　wholly　in　their　interest？　If　a

man　of　position　robs　his　creditors　or　commits　other　offenses　is　he　not

certain　of　impunity？　Are　not　the　blows　he　bestows；　his　violent

assaults；　the　murders　and　the　assassinations　he　is　guilty　of；　matters

that　are　hushed　up　and　forgotten　in　a　few　months？　　　　Let　this　same

man　be　robbed　and　the　entire　police　set　to　work；　and　woe　to　the　poor

innocents　they　suspect！　　　　Has　he　to　pass　a