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the origins of contemporary france-1-第82章

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regard as unique in this as in other matters; the greatest and most

independent; Pascal; Descartes; Bossuet; La Bruyère; borrows from the

established society their basic concepts of nature; man; society; law

and government。'3' So long as Reason is limited to this function its

work is that of a councilor of State; an extra preacher dispatched by

its superiors on a missionary tour in the departments of philosophy

and of literature。  Far from proving destructive it consolidates; in

fact; even down to the Regency; its chief employment is to produce

good Christians and loyal subjects。



But now the roles are reversed; tradition descends from the upper

to the lower ranks; while Reason ascends from the latter to the

former。    On the one hand religion and monarchy; through their

excesses and misdeeds under Louis XIV; and their laxity and

incompetence under Louis XV; demolish piece by piece the basis of

hereditary reverence and filial obedience so long serving them as a

foundation; and which maintained them aloft above all dispute and free

of investigation; hence the authority of tradition insensibly declines

and disappears。  On the other hand science; through its imposing and

multiplied discoveries; erects piece by piece a basis of universal

trust and deference; raising itself up from an interesting subject of

curiosity to the rank of a public power; hence the authority of Reason

augments and occupies its place。    A time comes when; the latter

authority having dispossessed the former; the fundamental ideas

tradition had reserved to itself fall into the grasp of Reason。

Investigation penetrates into the forbidden sanctuary。  Instead of

deference there is verification; and religion; the state; the law;

custom; all the organs; in short; of moral and practical life; become

subject to analysis; to be preserved; restored or replaced; according

to the prescriptions of the new doctrine。



II。  ANCESTRAL TRADITION AND CULTURE。



Origin; nature and value of hereditary prejudice。  … How far custom;

religion and government are legitimate。



  Nothing could be better had the new doctrine been complete; and

if Reason; instructed by history; had become critical; and therefore

qualified to comprehend the rival she replaced。  For then; instead of

regarding her as an usurper to be repelled she would have recognized

in her an elder sister whose part must be left to her。  Hereditary

prejudice is a sort of Reason operating unconsciously。  It has claims

as well as reason; but it is unable to present these; instead of

advancing those that are authentic it puts forth the doubtful ones。

Its archives are buried; to exhume these it is necessary to make

researches of which it is incapable; nevertheless they exist; and

history at the present day is bringing them to light。    Careful

investigations shows that; like science; it issues from a long

accumulation of experiences; a people; after a multitude of gropings

and efforts; has discovered that a certain way of living and thinking

is the only one adapted to its situation; the most practical and the

most salutary; the system or dogma now seeming arbitrary to us being

at first a confirmed expedient of public safety。  Frequently it is so

still; in any event; in its leading features it is indispensable; it

may be stated with certainty that; if the leading prejudices of the

community should suddenly disappear; Man; deprived of the precious

legacy transmitted to him by the wisdom of ages; would at once fall

back into a savage condition and again become what he was at first;

namely; a restless; famished; wandering; hunted brute。  There was a

time when this heritage was lacking; there are populations to day with

which it is still utterly lacking。'4' To abstain from eating human

flesh; from killing useless or burdensome aged people; from exposing;

selling or killing children one does not know what to do with; to be

the one husband of but one woman; to hold in horror incest and

unnatural practices; to be the sole and recognized owner of a distinct

field; to be mindful of the superior injunctions of modesty; humanity;

honor and conscience; all these observances; formerly unknown and

slowly established; compose the civilization of human beings。  Because

we accept them in full security they are not the less sacred; and they

become only the more sacred when; submitted to investigation and

traced through history; they are disclosed to us as the secret force

which has converted a herd of brutes into a society of men。  In

general; the older and more universal a custom; the more it is based

on profound motives; on physiological motives on those of hygiene; and

on those instituted for social protection。  At one time; as in the

separation of castes; a heroic or thoughtful stock must be preserved

by preventing the mixtures by which inferior blood introduces mental

debility and low instincts。'5' At another; as in the prohibition of

spirituous liquors; and of animal food; it is necessary to conform to

the climate prescribing a vegetable diet; or to the race…temperament

for which strong drink is pernicious。'6'At another; as in the

institution of the right of first…born to inherit title and castle; it

was important to prepare and designate beforehand the military

commander who the tribe would obey; or the civil chieftain that would

preserve the domain; superintend its cultivation; and support the

family。'7'   If there are valid reasons for legitimizing custom

there are reasons of higher import for the consecration of religion

Consider this point; not in general and according to a vague notion;

but at the outset; at its birth; in the texts; taking for an example

one of the faiths which now rule in society; Christianity; Hinduism;

the law of Mohammed or of Buddha。  At certain critical moments in

history; a few men; emerging from their narrow and daily routine of

life; are seized by some generalized conception of the infinite

universe; the august face of nature is suddenly unveiled to them; in

their sublime emotion they seem to have detected its first cause; they

have at least detected some of its elements。  Through a fortunate

conjunction of circumstances these elements are just those which their

century; their people; a group of peoples; a fragment of humanity is

in a state to comprehend。  Their point of view is the only one at which

the graduated multitudes below them are able to accept。  For millions

of men; for hundreds of generations; only through them is any access

to divine things to be obtained。  Theirs is the unique utterance;

heroic or affecting; enthusiastic or tranquilizing; the only one which

the hearts and minds around them and after them will heed; the only

one adapted to profound cravings; to accumulated aspirations; to

hereditary faculties; to a complete intellectual and moral organism;

Yonder that of Hindostan or of the Mongolian; here that of the Semite

or the European; in our Europe that of the German; the L
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