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the origins of contemporary france-1-第86章

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convert it into flesh。  I animalize it。  I render it sensitive。〃 It

harbors latent; imperfect sensibility rendered perfect and made

manifest。  Organization is the cause; and life and sensation are the

effects; I need no spiritual monad to account for effects since I am

in possession of the cause。  〃Look at this egg; with which all schools

of theology and all the temples of the earth can be overthrown。  What

is this egg? An inanimate mass previous to the introduction of  the

germ。  And what is it after the introduction of the germ? An insensible

mass; an inert fluid。〃 Add heat to it; keep it in an oven; and let the

operation continue of itself; and we have a chicken; that is to say;

〃sensibility; life; memory; conscience; passions and thought。〃 That

which you call soul is the nervous center in which all sensitive

chords concentrate。  Their vibrations produce sensations; a quickened

or reviving sensation is memory; our ideas are the result of

sensations; memory and signs。  Matter; accordingly; is not the work of

an intelligence; but matter; through its own arrangement; produces

intelligence。  Let us fix intelligence where it is; in the organized

body; we must not detach it from its support to perch it in the sky on

an imaginary throne。  This disproportionate conception; once introduced

into our minds; ends in perverting the natural play of our sentiments;

and; like a monstrous parasite; abstracts for itself all our

substance。'15' The first interest of a sane person is to get rid of

it; to discard every superstition; every 〃fear of invisible

powers。〃'16'    Then only can he establish a moral order of things

and distinguish 〃the natural law。〃 The sky consisting of empty space;

we have no need to seek commands from on high。  Let us look down to the

ground; let us consider man in himself; as he appears in the eyes of

the naturalist; namely; an organized body; a sensitive animal

possessing wants; appetites and instincts。  Not only are these

indestructible but they are legitimate。  Let us throw open the prison

in which prejudice confines them; let us give them free air and space;

let them be displayed in all their strength and all will go well。

According to Diderot;'17' a lasting marriage is an abuse; being 〃the

tyranny of a man who has converted the possession of a woman into

property。〃 Purity is an invention and conventional; like a dress;'18'

happiness and morals go together only in countries where instinct is

sanctioned; as in Tahiti; for instance; where marriage lasts but a

month; often only a day; and sometimes a quarter of an hour; where; in

the evening and with hospitable intent; a host offers his daughters

and wife to his guests; where the son espouses his mother out of

politeness; where the union of the sexes is a religious festivity

celebrated in public。    And; pushing things to extremes; the

logician ends with five or six pages calculated 〃to make one's hair

stand on end;〃'19' himself avowing that his doctrine is 〃neither

suited for children nor for adults。〃 With Diderot; to say the least;

these paradoxes have their correctives。  In his pictures of modern ways

and habits; he is the moralist。  He not only is familiar with all the

chords of the human keyboard; but he classifies each according to its

rank。  He loves fine and pure tones; and is full of enthusiasm for

noble harmonies; his heart is equal to his genius。'20' And better

still; on the question of primitive impulses arising; he assigns; side

by side with vanity; an independent and superior position to pity;

friendship; kindness and charity; to every generous affection of the

heart displaying sacrifice and devotion without calculation or

personal benefit。     But associated with him are others; cold and

narrow; who form moral systems according to the mathematical methods

of the ideologists; '21' after the style of Hobbes。  One motive alone

satisfies these; the simplest and most palpable; utterly gross; almost

mechanical; completely physiological; the natural animal tendency of

avoiding pain and seeking pleasure:



 〃Pain and pleasure;〃 says Helvétius; 〃form the only springs of the

moral universe; while the sentiment of vanity is the only basis on

which we can lay the foundations of moral usefulness。  What motive but

that of self…interest could lead a man to perform a generous action?

He can as little love good for the sake of good as evil for the sake

of evil。〃'22'  〃The principles of natural law; say the disciples; are

reduced to one unique and fundamental principle; self…

preservation。〃'23' 〃To preserve oneself; to be happy;〃 is instinct;

right and duty。  〃Oh; yea;〃'24' says nature; 〃who; through the

impulsion I bestow on you; tending towards happiness at every moment

of your being; resist not my sovereign law; strive for your own

felicity; enjoy fearlessly and be happy!〃 But to be happy; contribute

to the happiness of others; if you wish them to be useful to you; be

useful to them。  〃every man; from birth to death; has need of mankind。〃

〃Live then for them; that they may live for you。〃  〃Be good; because

goodness links hearts together; be gentle; because gentleness wins

affection; be modest; because pride repels beings full of their self…

importance。  。  。  。  Be citizens; because your country is necessary to

ensure your safety and well…being。  Defend your country; because it

renders you happy and contains your possessions。〃



Virtue thus is simply egotism furnished with a telescope; man has

no other reason for doing good but the fear of doing himself harm;

while self…devotion consists of self…interest。



One goes fast and far on this road。  When the sole law for each

person is to be happy; each wishes to be so immediately and in his own

way; the herd of appetites is let loose; rushing ahead and breaking

down all barriers。  And the more readily because it has been

demonstrated to them that every barrier is an evil; invented by

cunning and malicious shepherds; the better to milk and shear them:



〃The state of society is a state of warfare of the sovereign

against all; and of each member against the rest。'25' 。  。  We see on

the face of the globe only incapable; unjust sovereigns; enervated by

luxury; corrupted by flattery; depraved through unpunished license;

and without talent; morals; or good qualities。  。  。  。  Man is wicked not

because he is wicked; but because he has been made so。〃…〃Would you

know the story; in brief; of almost all our wretchedness? Here it is。

There existed the natural man; and into this man was introduced an

artificial man; whereupon a civil war arose within him; lasting

through life。  '26' 。  。  If you propose to become a tyrant over him; 。  。

。  do your best to poison him with a theory of morals against nature;

impose every kind of fetter on him; embarrass his movements with a

thousand obstacles; place phantoms around him to frighten him。  。  。  。

Would you see him happy and free? Do not meddle with his affairs 。  。  。

Remain c
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