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reason；　honour；　peace；　prosperityin　fact；　in　opposition　to　all

those　excellent　and　useful　things　if　only　he　can　attain　that

fundamental；　most　advantageous　advantage　which　is　dearer　to　him

than　all。　　〃Yes；　but　it's　advantage　all　the　same；〃　you　will

retort。　　But　excuse　me；　I'll　make　the　point　clear；　and　it　is　not

a　case　of　playing　upon　words。　　What　matters　is；　that　this

advantage　is　remarkable　from　the　very　fact　that　it　breaks　down

all　our　classifications；　and　continually　shatters　every　system

constructed　by　lovers　of　mankind　for　the　benefit　of　mankind。　　In

fact；　it　upsets　everything。　　But　before　I　mention　this　advantage

to　you；　I　want　to　compromise　myself　personally；　and　therefore　I

boldly　declare　that　all　these　fine　systems；　all　these　theories

for　explaining　to　mankind　their　real　normal　interests；　in　order

that　inevitably　striving　to　pursue　these　interests　they　may　at

once　become　good　and　nobleare；　in　my　opinion；　so　far；　mere

logical　exercises！　　Yes；　logical　exercises。　　Why；　to　maintain

this　theory　of　the　regeneration　of　mankind　by　means　of　the

pursuit　of　his　own　advantage　is　to　my　mind　almost　the　same　thing

。。。　as　to　affirm；　for　instance；　following　Buckle；　that　through

civilisation　mankind　becomes　softer；　and　consequently　less

bloodthirsty　and　less　fitted　for　warfare。　　Logically　it　does　seem

to　follow　from　his　arguments。　　But　man　has　such　a　predilection

for　systems　and　abstract　deductions　that　he　is　ready　to　distort

the　truth　intentionally；　he　is　ready　to　deny　the　evidence　of　his

senses　only　to　justify　his　logic。　　I　take　this　example　because　it

is　the　most　glaring　instance　of　it。　　Only　look　about　you：　blood

is　being　spilt　in　streams；　and　in　the　merriest　way；　as　though　it

were　champagne。　　Take　the　whole　of　the　nineteenth　century　in

which　Buckle　lived。　　Take　Napoleonthe　Great　and　also　the

present　one。　　Take　North　Americathe　eternal　union。　　Take　the

farce　of　Schleswig…Holstein。。。　。　And　what　is　it　that　civilisation

softens　in　us？　　The　only　gain　of　civilisation　for　mankind　is　the

greater　capacity　for　variety　of　sensationsand　absolutely

nothing　more。　　And　through　the　development　of　this　many…

sidedness　man　may　come　to　finding　enjoyment　in　bloodshed。　　In

fact；　this　has　already　happened　to　him。　　Have　you　noticed　that　it

is　the　most　civilised　gentlemen　who　have　been　the　subtlest

slaughterers；　to　whom　the　Attilas　and　Stenka　Razins　could　not

hold　a　candle；　and　if　they　are　not　so　conspicuous　as　the　Attilas

and　Stenka　Razins　it　is　simply　because　they　are　so　often　met

with；　are　so　ordinary　and　have　become　so　familiar　to　us。　　In　any

case　civilisation　has　made　mankind　if　not　more　blood…thirsty；　at

least　more　vilely；　more　loathsomely　bloodthirsty。　　In　old　days　he

saw　justice　in　bloodshed　and　with　his　conscience　at　peace

exterminated　those　he　thought　proper。　　Now　we　do　think　bloodshed

abominable　and　yet　we　engage　in　this　abomination；　and　with　more

energy　than　ever。　　Which　is　worse？　　Decide　that　for　yourselves。　

They　say　that　Cleopatra　（excuse　an　instance　from　Roman　history）

was　fond　of　sticking　gold　pins　into　her　slave…girls'　breasts　and

derived　gratification　from　their　screams　and　writhings。　　You　will

say　that　that　was　in　the　comparatively　barbarous　times；　that

these　are　barbarous　times　too；　because　also；　comparatively

speaking；　pins　are　stuck　in　even　now；　that　though　man　has　now

learned　to　see　more　clearly　than　in　barbarous　ages；　he　is　still

far　from　having　learnt　to　act　as　reason　and　science　would

dictate。　　But　yet　you　are　fully　convinced　that　he　will　be　sure　to

learn　when　he　gets　rid　of　certain　old　bad　habits；　and　when　common

sense　and　science　have　completely　re…　educated　human　nature　and

turned　it　in　a　normal　direction。　　You　are　confident　that　then　man

will　cease　from　_intentional_　error　and　will；　so　to　say；　be

compelled　not　to　want　to　set　his　will　against　his　normal

interests。　　That　is　not　all；　then；　you　say；　science　itself　will

teach　man　（though　to　my　mind　it's　a　superfluous　luxury）　that　he

never　has　really　had　any　caprice　or　will　of　his　own；　and　that　he

himself　is　something　of　the　nature　of　a　piano…key　or　the　stop　of

an　organ；　and　that　there　are；　besides；　things　called　the　laws　of

nature；　so　that　everything　he　does　is　not　done　by　his　willing　it；

but　is　done　of　itself；　by　the　laws　of　nature。　　Consequently　we

have　only　to　discover　these　laws　of　nature；　and　man　will　no

longer　have　to　answer　for　his　actions　and　life　will　become

exceedingly　easy　for　him。　　All　human　actions　will　then；　of

course；　be　tabulated　according　to　these　laws；　mathematically；

like　tables　of　logarithms　up　to　108；000；　and　entered　in　an　index；

or；　better　still；　there　would　be　published　certain　edifying　works

of　the　nature　of　encyclopaedic　lexicons；　in　which　everything　will

be　so　clearly　calculated　and　explained　that　there　will　be　no　more

incidents　or　adventures　in　the　world。



Thenthis　is　all　what　you　saynew　economic　relations　will　be

established；　all　ready…made　and　worked　out　with　mathematical

exactitude；　so　that　every　possible　question　will　vanish　in　the

twinkling　of　an　eye；　simply　because　every　possible　answer　to　it

will　be　provided。　　Then　the　〃Palace　of　Crystal〃　will　be　built。　

Then　。。。　In　fact；　those　will　be　halcyon　days。　　Of　course　there　is

no　guaranteeing　（this　is　my　comment）　that　it　will　not　be；　for

instance；　frightfully　dull　then　（for　what　will　one　have　to　do

when　everything　will　be　calculated　and　tabulated）；　but　on　the

other　hand　everything　will　be　extraordinarily　rational。　　Of

course　boredom　may　lead　you　to　anything。　　It　is　boredom　sets　one

sticking　golden　pins　into　people；　but　all　that　would　not　matter。　

What　is　bad　（this　is　my　comment　again）　is　that　I　dare　say　people

will　be　thankful　for　the　gold　pins　then。　　Man　is　stupid；　you

know；　phenomenally　stupid；　or　rather　he　is　not　at　all　stupid；　but

he　is　so　ungrateful　that　you　could　not　find　another　like　him　in

all　creation。　　I；　for　instance；　would　not　be　in　the　least

surprised　if　all　of　a　sudden；　a　propos　of　nothing；　in　the　midst

of　general　prosperity　a　gentleman　with　an　ignoble；　or　rather　with

a　reactionary　and　ironical；　countenance　were　to　arise　and；

putting　his　arms　akimbo；　say　to　us　all：　〃I　say；　gentleman；　hadn't

we　better　kick　over　the　whole　show　and　scatter　rationalism　to　the

winds；　simply　to　send　these　logarithms　to　the　devil；　and　to

enable　us　to　live　once　more　at　our　own　sweet　foolish　will！〃　　That

again　would　not　matter；　but　what　is　annoying　is　that　he　would　be

sure　to　find　followerssuch　is　the　nature　of　man。　　And　all　that

for　the　most　foolish　reason；　which；　one　would　think；　was　hardly

worth　mentioning：　that　is；　that　man　everywhere　and　at　all　times；

whoever　he　may　be；　has　preferred　to　act　as　he　chose　and　not　in

the　least　as　his　reason　and　advantage　dictated。　　And　one　may

choose　what　is　contrary　to　one's　own　interests；　and　sometimes　one

_positively　ought_　（that　is　my　idea）。　　One's　own　free　unfettered

choice；　one's　own　caprice；　however　wild　it　may　be；　one's　own

fancy　worked　up　at　times　to　frenzyis　that　very　〃most

advantageous　advantage〃　which　we　have　overlooked；　which　comes

under　no　classification　and　against　which　all　systems　and

theories　are　continually　being　shattered　to　atoms。　　And　how　do

these　wiseacres　know　that　man　wants　a　normal；　a　virtuous　choice？　

What　has　made　them　conceive　that　man　must　want　a　rationally

advantageous　choice？　　What　man　wants　is　simply　_independent_

choice；　whatever　that　independence　may　cost　and　wherever　it　may

lead。　　And　choice；　of　course；　the　devil　only　knows　what　choice。





VIII



〃Ha！　　ha！　　ha！　　But　you　know　there　is　no　such　thing　as　choice　in

reality；　say　what　you　like；〃　you　will　interpose　with　a　chuckle。　

〃Science　has　succeeded　in　so　far　analysing　man　that　we　know

already　that　choice　and　what　is　called　freedom　of　will　is　nothing

else　than〃



Stay；　gentlemen；　I　meant　to　begin　with　that　myself　I　confess；　I

was　rather　frightened。　　I　was　just　going　to　say　that　the　devil

only　knows　what　choice　depends　on；　and　that　perhaps　that　was　a

very　good　thing；　but　I　remembered　the　teaching　of　science　。。。　and

pulled　myself　up。　　And　here　you　have　begun　upon　it。　　Indeed；　if

there　really　is　some　day　discovered　a　formula　for　all　our　desires

and　capricesthat　is；　an　explanation　of　what　they　depend　upon；

by　what　laws　they　arise；　how　they　develop；　what　they　are　aiming

at　in　one　case　and　in　another　and　so　on；　that　is　a　real

mathematical　formulathen；　most　likely；　man　will　at　once　cease

to　feel　desire；　indeed；　he　will　be　certain　to。　　For　who　would

want　to　choose　by　rule？　　Besides；　he　will　at　once　be　transformed

from　a　human　being　into　an　organ…stop　or　something　of　the　sort；

for　what　is　a　man　without　desires；　without　free　will　and　without

choice；　if　not　a　stop　in　an　organ？　　What　do　you　think？　　Let　us

reckon　the　chancescan　such　a　thing　happen　or　not？



〃H'm！〃　you　decide。　　〃Our　choice　is　usually　mistaken　from　a　false

view　of　our　advantage。　　We　sometimes　choose　absolute　nonsense

because　in　our　foolishness　we　see　in　that　nonsense　the　easiest

means　for　attaining　a　supposed　advantage。　　But　when　all　that　is

explained　and　worked　out　on　paper　（which　is　perfectly　possible；

for　it　is　contemptible　and　senseless　to　suppose　that　some　laws　of

nature　man　will　never　understand）；　then　certainly　so…called

desires　will　no　longer　exist。　　For　if　a　desire　should　come　into

conflict　with　reason　we　shall　then　reason　and　not　desire；　because

it　will　be　impossible　retaining　our　reason　to　be　_senseless_　in

our　desires；　and　in　that　way　knowingly　act　against　reason　and

desire　to　injure　ourselves。　　And　as　all　choice　and　reasoning　can

be　really　calculatedbecause　there　will　some　day　be　discovered

the　laws　of　our　so…called　free　willso；　joking　apart；　there　may

one　day　be　something　like　a　table　constructed　of　them；　so　that　we

really　shall　choose　in　accordance　with　it。　　If；　for　instance；

some　day　they　calculate　and　prove　to　me　that　I　made　a　long　nose

at　someone　because　I　could　n