And　when　I　clearly　comprehended　all　this；　it　struck　me　as
  ridiculous。　　Through　a　whole　series　of　doubts　and　searchings；　I　had
  arrived；　by　a　long　course　of　thought；　at　this　remarkable　truth：　　if
  a　man　has　eyes；　it　is　that　he　may　see　with　them；　if　he　has　ears；
  that　he　may　hear；　and　feet；　that　he　may　walk；　and　hands　and　back；
  that　he　may　labor；　and　that　if　a　man　will　not　employ　those　members
  for　that　purpose　for　which　they　are　intended；　it　will　be　the　worse
  for　him。
  I　came　to　this　conclusion；　that；　with　us　privileged　people；　the　same
  thing　has　happened　which　happened　with　the　horses　of　a　friend　of
  mine。　　His　steward；　who　was　not　a　lover　of　horses；　nor　well　versed
  in　them；　on　receiving　his　master's　orders　to　place　the　best　horses
  in　the　stable；　selected　them　from　the　stud；　placed　them　in　stalls；
  and　fed　and　watered　them；　but　fearing　for　the　valuable　steeds；　he
  could　not　bring　himself　to　trust　them　to　any　one；　and　he　neither
  rode　nor　drove　them；　nor　did　he　even　take　them　out。　　The　horses
  stood　there　until　they　were　good　for　nothing。　　The　same　thing　has
  happened　with　us；　but　with　this　difference：　　that　it　was　impossible
  to　deceive　the　horses　in　any　way；　and　they　were　kept　in　bonds　to
  prevent　their　getting　out；　but　we　are　kept　in　an　unnatural　position
  that　is　equally　injurious　to　us；　by　deceits　which　have　entangled　us；
  and　which　hold　us　like　chains。
  We　have　arranged　for　ourselves　a　life　that　is　repugnant　both　to　the
  moral　and　the　physical　nature　of　man；　and　all　the　powers　of　our
  intelligence　we　concentrate　upon　assuring　man　that　this　is　the　most
  natural　life　possible。　　Every　thing　which　we　call　culture；our
  sciences；　art；　and　the　perfection　of　the　pleasant　thing's　of　life；
  all　these　are　attempts　to　deceive　the　moral　requirements　of　man；
  every　thing　that　is　called　hygiene　and　medicine；　is　an　attempt　to
  deceive　the　natural　physical　demands　of　human　nature。　　But　these
  deceits　have　their　bounds；　and　we　advance　to　them。　　〃If　such　be　the
  real　human　life；　then　it　is　better　not　to　live　at　all；〃　says　the
  reigning　and　extremely　fashionable　philosophy　of　Schopenhauer　and
  Hartmann。　　If　such　is　life；　'tis　better　for　the　coming　generation
  not　to　live；〃　say　corrupt　medical　science　and　its　newly　devised
  means　to　that　end。
  In　the　Bible；　it　is　laid　down　as　the　law　of　man：　　〃In　the　sweat　of
  thy　face　shalt　thou　eat　bread；　and　in　sorrow　thou　shalt　bring　forth
  children；〃　but　〃nous　avons　change　tout　ca；〃　as　Moliere's　character
  says；　when　expressing　himself　with　regard　to　medicine；　and　asserting
  that　the　liver　was　on　the　left　side。　　We　have　changed　all　that。　　Men
  need　not　work　in　order　to　eat；　and　women　need　not　bear　children。
  A　ragged　peasant　roams　the　Krapivensky　district。　　During　the　war　he
  was　an　agent　for　the　purchase　of　grain；　under　an　official　of　the
  commissary　department。　　On　being　brought　in　contact　with　the
  official；　and　seeing　his　luxurious　life；　the　peasant　lost　his　mind；
  and　thought　that　he　might　get　along　without　work；　like　gentlemen；
  and　receive　proper　support　from　the　Emperor。　　This　peasant　now　calls
  himself　〃the　Most　Serene　Warrior；　Prince　Blokhin；　purveyor　of　war
  supplies　of　all　descriptions。〃　　He　says　of　himself　that　he　has
  〃passed　through　all　the　ranks；〃　and　that　when　he　shall　have　served
  out　his　term　in　the　army；　he　is　to　receive　from　the　Emperor　an
  unlimited　bank　account；　clothes；　uniforms；　horses；　equipages；　tea；
  pease　and　servants；　and　all　sorts　of　luxuries。　　This　man　is
  ridiculous　in　the　eyes　of　many；　but　to　me　the　significance　of　his
  madness　is　terrible。　　To　the　question；　whether　he　does　not　wish　to
  work；　he　always　replies　proudly：　　〃I　am　much　obliged。　　The　peasants
  will　attend　to　all　that。〃　　When　you　tell　him　that　the　peasants　do
  not　wish　to　work；　either；　he　answers：　　〃It　is　not　difficult　for　the
  peasant。〃
  He　generally　talks　in　a　high…flown　style；　and　is　fond　of　verbal
  substantives。　　〃Now　there　is　an　invention　of　machinery　for　the
  alleviation　of　the　peasants；〃　he　says；　〃there　is　no　difficulty　for
  them　in　that。〃　　When　he　is　asked　what　he　lives　for；　he　replies；　〃To
  pass　the　time。〃　　I　always　look　on　this　man　as　on　a　mirror。　　I　behold
  in　him　myself　and　all　my　class。　　To　pass　through　all　the　ranks
  （tchini）　in　order　to　live　for　the　purpose　of　passing　the　time；　and
  to　receive　an　unlimited　bank　account；　while　the　peasants；　for　whom
  this　is　not　difficult；　because　of　the　invention　of　machinery；　do　the
  whole　business；this　is　the　complete　formula　of　the　idiotic　creed
  of　the　people　of　our　sphere　in　society。
  When　we　inquire　precisely　what　we　are　to　do；　surely；　we　ask　nothing；
  but　merely　assertonly　not　in　such　good　faith　as　the　Most　Serene
  Prince　Blokhin；　who　has　been　promoted　through　all　ranks；　and　lost
  his　mindthat　we　do　not　wish　to　do　any　thing。
  He　who　will　reflect　for　a　moment　cannot　ask　thus；　because；　on　the
  one　hand；　every　thing　that　he　uses　has　been　made；　and　is　made；　by
  the　hands　of　men；　and；　on　the　other　side；　as　soon　as　a　healthy　man
  has　awakened　and　eaten；　the　necessity　of　working　with　feet　and　hands
  and　brain　makes　itself　felt。　　In　order　to　find　work　and　to　work；　he
  need　only　not　hold　back：　　only　a　person　who　thinks　work　disgraceful…
  …like　the　lady　who　requests　her　guest　not　to　take　the　trouble　to
  open　the　door；　but　to　wait　until　she　can　call　a　man　for　this
  purposecan　put　to　himself　the　question；　what　he　is　to　do。
  The　point　does　not　lie　in　inventing　work；you　can　never　get　through
  all　the　work　that　is　to　be　done　for　yourself　and　for　others；but
  the　point　lies　in　weaning　one's　self　from　that　criminal　view　of　life
  in　accordance　with　which　I　eat　and　sleep　for　my　own　pleasure；　and　in
  appropriating　to　myself　that　just　and　simple　view　with　which　the
  laboring　man　grows　up　and　lives；that　man　is；　first　of　all；　a
  machine；　which　loads　itself　with　food　in　order　to　sustain　itself；
  and　that　it　is　therefore　disgraceful；　wrong；　and　impossible　to　eat
  and　not　to　work；　that　to　eat　and　not　to　work　is　the　most　impious；
  unnatural；　and；　therefore；　dangerous　position；　in　the　nature　of　the
  sin　of　Sodom。　　Only　let　this　acknowledgement　be　made；　and　there　will
  be　work；　and　work　will　always　be　joyous　and　satisfying　to　both
  spiritual　and　bodily　requirements。
  The　matter　presented　itself　to　me　thus：　　The　day　is　divided　for
  every　man；　by　food　itself；　into　four　parts；　or　four　stints；　as　the
  peasants　call　it：　　（1）　before　breakfast；　（2）　from　breakfast　until
  dinner；　（3）　from　dinner　until　four　o'clock；　（4）　from　four　o'clock
  until　evening。
  A　man's　employment；　whatever　it　may　be　that　he　feels　a　need　for　in
  his　own　person；　is　also　divided　into　four　categories：　　（1）　the
  muscular　employment　of　power；　labor　of　the　hands；　feet；　shoulders；
  back；hard　labor；　from　which　you　sweat；　（2）　the　employment　of　the
  fingers　and　wrists；　the　employment　of　artisan　skill；　（3）　the
  employment　of　the　mind　and　imagination；　（4）　the　employment　of
  intercourse　with　others。
  The　benefits　which　man　enjoys　are　also　divided　into　four　categories。
  Every　man　enjoys；　in　the　first　place；　the　product　of　hard　labor；
  grain；　cattle；　buildings；　wells；　ponds；　and　so　forth；　in　the　second
  place；　the　results　of　artisan　toil；clothes；　boots；　utensils；　and
  so　forth；　in　the　third　place；　the　products　of　mental　activity；
  science；　art；　and；　in　the　forth　place；　established　intercourse
  between　people。
  And　it　struck　me；　that　the　best　thing　of　all　would　be　to　arrange　the
  occupations　of　the　day　in　such　a　manner　as　to　exercise　all　four　of
  man's　capacities；　and　myself　produce　all　these　four　sorts　of
  benefits　which　men　make　use　of；　so　that　one　portion　of　the　day；　the
  first；　should　be　dedicated　to　hard　labor；　the　second；　to
  intellectual　labor；　the　third；　to　artisan　labor；　and　the　forth；　to
  intercourse　with　people。　　It　struck　me；　that　only　then　would　that
  false　division　of　labor；　which　exists　in　our　society；　be　abrogated；
  and　that　just　division　of　labor　established；　which　does　not　destroy
  man's　happiness。
  I；　for　example；　have　busied　myself　all　my　life　with　intellectual
  labor。　　I　said　to　myself；　that　I　had　so　divided　labor；　that　writing；
  that　is　to　say；　intellectual　labor；　is　my　special　employment；　and
  the　other　matters　which　were　necessary　to　me　I　had　left　free　（or
  relegated；　rather）　to　others。　　But　this；　which　would　appear　to　have
  been　the　most　advantageous　arrangement　for　intellectual　toil；　was
  precisely　the　most　disadvantageous　to　mental　labor；　not　to　mention
  its　injustice。
  All　my　life　long；　I　have　regulated　my　whole　life；　food；　sleep；
  diversion；　in　view　of　these　hours　of　special　labor；　and　I　have　done
  nothing　except　this　work。　　The　result　of　this　has　been；　in　the　first
  place；　that　I　have　contracted　my　sphere　of　observations　and
  knowledge；　and　have　frequently　had　no　means　for　the　study　even　of
  problems　which　often　presented　themselves　in　describing　the　life　of
  the　people　（for　the　life　of　the　common　people　is　the　every…day
  problem　of　intellectual　activity）。　　I　was　conscious　of　my　ignorance；
  and　was　obliged　to　obtain　instruction；　to　ask　about　things　which　are
  known　by　every　man　not　engaged　in　special　labor。　　In　the　second
  place；　the　result　was；　that　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　sitting　down
  to　write　when　I　had　no　inward　impulse　to　write；　and　when　no　one
  demanded　from　me　writing；　as