第 15 节
作者:
寻找山吹 更新:2021-02-18 23:57 字数:8952
to write when I had no inward impulse to write; and when no one
demanded from me writing; as writing; that is to say; my thoughts;
but when my name was merely wanted for journalistic speculation。 I
tried to squeeze out of myself what I could。 Sometimes I could
extract nothing; sometimes it was very wretched stuff; and I was
dissatisfied and grieved。 But now that I have learned the
indispensability of physical labor; both hard and artisan labor; the
result is entirely different。 My time has been occupied; however
modestly; at least usefully and cheerfully; and in a manner
instructive to me。 And therefore I have torn myself from that
indubitably useful and cheerful occupation for my special duties
only when I felt an inward impulse; and when I saw a demand made
upon me directly for my literary work。
And these demands called into play only good nature; and therefore
the usefulness and the joy of my special labor。 Thus it turned out;
that employment in those physical labors which are indispensable to
me; as they are to every man; not only did not interfere with my
special activity; but was an indispensable condition of the
usefulness; worth; and cheerfulness of that activity。
The bird is so constructed; that it is indispensable that it should
fly; walk; peek; combine; and when it does all this; it is satisfied
and happy;then it is a bird。 Just so man; when he walks; turns;
raises; drags; works with his fingers; with his eyes; with his ears;
with his tongue; with his brain;only then is he satisfied; only
then is he a man。
A man who acknowledges his appointment to labor will naturally
strive towards that rotation of labor which is peculiar to him; for
the satisfaction of his inward requirements; and he can alter this
labor in no other way than when he feels within himself an
irresistible summons to some exclusive form of labor; and when the
demands of other men for that labor are expressed。
The character of labor is such; that the satisfaction of all a man's
requirements demands that same succession of the sorts of work which
renders work not a burden but a joy。 Only a false creed; 'Greek
text which cannot be reproduced'; to the effect that labor is a
curse; could have led men to rid themselves of certain kinds of
work; i。e。; to the appropriation of the work of others; demanding
the forced occupation with special labor of other people; which they
call division of labor。
We have only grown used to our false comprehension of the regulation
of labor; because it seems to us that the shoemaker; the machinist;
the writer; or the musician will be better off if he gets rid of the
labor peculiar to man。 Where there is no force exercised over the
labor of others; or any false belief in the joy of idleness; not a
single man will get rid of physical labor; necessary for the
satisfaction of his requirements; for the sake of special work;
because special work is not a privilege; but a sacrifice which man
offers to inward pressure and to his brethren。
The shoemaker in the country; who abandons his wonted labor in the
field; which is so grateful to him; and betakes himself to his
trade; in order to repair or make boots for his neighbors; always
deprives himself of the pleasant toil of the field; simply because
he likes to make boots; because he knows that no one else can do it
so well as he; and that people will be grateful to him for it; but
the desire cannot occur to him; to deprive himself; for the whole
period of his life; of the cheering rotation of labor。
It is the same with the starosta 'village elder'; the machinist; the
writer; the learned man。 To us; with our corrupt conception of
things; it seems; that if a steward has been relegated to the
position of a peasant by his master; or if a minister has been sent
to the colonies; he has been chastised; he has been ill…treated。
But in reality a benefit has been conferred on him; that is to say;
his special; hard labor has been changed into a cheerful rotation of
labor。 In a naturally constituted society; this is quite otherwise。
I know of one community where the people supported themselves。 One
of the members of this society was better educated than the rest;
and they called upon him to read; so that he was obliged to prepare
himself during the day; in order that he might read in the evening。
This he did gladly; feeling that he was useful to others; and that
he was performing a good deed。 But he grew weary of exclusively
intellectual work; and his health suffered from it。 The members of
the community took pity on him; and requested him to go to work in
the fields。
For men who regard labor as the substance and the joy of life; the
basis; the foundation of life will always be the struggle with
nature;labor both agricultural and mechanical; and intellectual;
and the establishment of communion between men。 Departure from one
or from many of these varieties of labor; and the adoption of
special labor; will then only occur when the man possessed of a
special branch; and loving this work; and knowing that he can
perform it better than others; sacrifices his own profit for the
satisfaction of the direct demands made upon him。 Only on condition
of such a view of labor; and of the natural division of labor
arising from it; is that curse which is laid upon our idea of labor
abrogated; and does every sort of work becomes always a joy; because
a man will either perform that labor which is undoubtedly useful and
joyous; and not dull; or he will possess the consciousness of self…
abnegation in the fulfilment of more difficult and restricted toil;
which he exercises for the good of others。
But the division of labor is more profitable。 More profitable for
whom? It is more profitable in making the greatest possible
quantity of calico; and boots in the shortest possible time。 But
who will make these boots and this calico? There are people who;
for whole generations; make only the heads of pins。 Then how can
this be more profitable for men? If the point lies in manufacturing
as much calico and as many pins as possible; then this is so。 But
the point concerns men and their welfare。 And the welfare of men
lies in life。 And life is work。 How; then; can the necessity for
burdensome; oppressive toil be more profitable for people? For all
men; that one thing is more profitable which I desire for myself;
the utmost well…being; and the gratification of all those
requirements; both bodily and spiritual; of the conscience and of
the reason; which are imposed upon me。 And in my own case I have
found; that for my own welfare; and for the satisfaction of these
needs of mine; all that I require is to cure myself of that folly in
which I had been living; in company with the Krapivensky madman; and
which consisted in presupposing that some people need not work; and
that certain other people should direct all this; and that I should
therefore do only that which is natural to man; i。e。; labor for the
satisfaction of their requirements; and; having discovered this; I
convinced myself that labor for the satisfaction of one's own needs
falls of itself into various kinds of labor; each one of which
possesses its own charm; and which not only do not constitute a
burden; but which serve as a respite to one another。 I have made a
rough division of this labor (not insisting on the justice of this
arrangement); in accordance with my own needs in life; into four
parts; corresponding to the four stints of labor of which the day is
composed; and I seek in this manner to satisfy my requirements。
These; then; are the answers which I have found for myself to the
question; 〃What is to be done?〃
First; Not to lie to myself; however far removed my path in life may
be from the true path which my reason discloses to me。
Second; To renounce my consciousness of my own righteousness; my
superiority especially over other people; and to acknowledge my
guilt。
Third; To comply with that eternal and indubitable law of humanity;…
…the labor of my whole being; feeling no shame at any sort of work;
to contend with nature for the maintenance of my own life and the
lives of others。
Footnote:
{1} An omission by the censor; which I am unable to supply。 TRANS。
{2} We designate as organisms the elephant and the bacterian; only
because we assume by analogy in those creatures the same conjunction
of feeling and consciousness that we know to exist in ourselves。
But in human societies and in humanity; this actual sign is absent;
and therefore; however many other signs we may discover in humanity
and in organism; without this substantial token the recognition of
humanity as an organism is incorrect。
{3} v prikusku; when a lump of sugar is held in the teeth instead
or being put into the tea。
End