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

at　someone　because　I　could　not　help　making　a　long　nose　at　him　and

that　I　had　to　do　it　in　that　particular　way；　what　_freedom_　is

left　me；　especially　if　I　am　a　learned　man　and　have　taken　my

degree　somewhere？　　Then　I　should　be　able　to　calculate　my　whole

life　for　thirty　years　beforehand。　　In　short；　if　this　could　be

arranged　there　would　be　nothing　left　for　us　to　do；　anyway；　we

should　have　to　understand　that。　　And；　in　fact；　we　ought

unwearyingly　to　repeat　to　ourselves　that　at　such　and　such　a　time

and　in　such　and　such　circumstances　nature　does　not　ask　our　leave；

that　we　have　got　to　take　her　as　she　is　and　not　fashion　her　to

suit　our　fancy；　and　if　we　really　aspire　to　formulas　and　tables　of

rules；　and　well；　even　。。。　to　the　chemical　retort；　there's　no　help

for　it；　we　must　accept　the　retort　too；　or　else　it　will　be

accepted　without　our　consent　。。。。〃



Yes；　but　here　I　come　to　a　stop！　　Gentlemen；　you　must　excuse　me

for　being　over…philosophical；　it's　the　result　of　forty　years

underground！　　Allow　me　to　indulge　my　fancy。　　You　see；　gentlemen；

reason　is　an　excellent　thing；　there's　no　disputing　that；　but

reason　is　nothing　but　reason　and　satisfies　only　the　rational　side

of　man's　nature；　while　will　is　a　manifestation　of　the　whole　life；

that　is；　of　the　whole　human　life　including　reason　and　all　the

impulses。　　And　although　our　life；　in　this　manifestation　of　it；　is

often　worthless；　yet　it　is　life　and　not　simply　extracting　square

roots。　　Here　I；　for　instance；　quite　naturally　want　to　live；　in

order　to　satisfy　all　my　capacities　for　life；　and　not　simply　my

capacity　for　reasoning；　that　is；　not　simply　one　twentieth　of　my

capacity　for　life。　　What　does　reason　know？　　Reason　only　knows

what　it　has　succeeded　in　learning　（some　things；　perhaps；　it　will

never　learn；　this　is　a　poor　comfort；　but　why　not　say　so　frankly？）

and　human　nature　acts　as　a　whole；　with　everything　that　is　in　it；

consciously　or　unconsciously；　and；　even　it　if　goes　wrong；　it

lives。　　I　suspect；　gentlemen；　that　you　are　looking　at　me　with

compassion；　you　tell　me　again　that　an　enlightened　and　developed

man；　such；　in　short；　as　the　future　man　will　be；　cannot

consciously　desire　anything　disadvantageous　to　himself；　that　that

can　be　proved　mathematically。　　I　thoroughly　agree；　it　canby

mathematics。　　But　I　repeat　for　the　hundredth　time；　there　is　one

case；　one　only；　when　man　may　consciously；　purposely；　desire　what

is　injurious　to　himself；　what　is　stupid；　very　stupidsimply　in

order　to　have　the　right　to　desire　for　himself　even　what　is　very

stupid　and　not　to　be　bound　by　an　obligation　to　desire　only　what

is　sensible。　　Of　course；　this　very　stupid　thing；　this　caprice　of

ours；　may　be　in　reality；　gentlemen；　more　advantageous　for　us　than

anything　else　on　earth；　especially　in　certain　cases。　　And　in

particular　it　may　be　more　advantageous　than　any　advantage　even

when　it　does　us　obvious　harm；　and　contradicts　the　soundest

conclusions　of　our　reason　concerning　our　advantagefor　in　any

circumstances　it　preserves　for　us　what　is　most　precious　and　most

importantthat　is；　our　personality；　our　individuality。　　Some；

you　see；　maintain　that　this　really　is　the　most　precious　thing　for

mankind；　choice　can；　of　course；　if　it　chooses；　be　in　agreement

with　reason；　and　especially　if　this　be　not　abused　but　kept　within

bounds。　　It　is　profitable　and　some…　times　even　praiseworthy。　　But

very　often；　and　even　most　often；　choice　is　utterly　and　stubbornly

opposed　to　reason　。。。　and　。。。　and　。。。　do　you　know　that　that；　too；

is　profitable；　sometimes　even　praiseworthy？　　Gentlemen；　let　us

suppose　that　man　is　not　stupid。　（Indeed　one　cannot　refuse　to

suppose　that；　if　only　from　the　one　consideration；　that；　if　man　is

stupid；　then　who　is　wise？）　But　if　he　is　not　stupid；　he　is

monstrously　ungrateful！　　Phenomenally　ungrateful。　　In　fact；　I

believe　that　the　best　definition　of　man　is　the　ungrateful　biped。　

But　that　is　not　all；　that　is　not　his　worst　defect；　his　worst

defect　is　his　perpetual　moral　obliquity；　perpetualfrom　the　days

of　the　Flood　to　the　Schleswig…Holstein　period。　　Moral　obliquity

and　consequently　lack　of　good　sense；　for　it　has　long　been

accepted　that　lack　of　good　sense　is　due　to　no　other　cause　than

moral　obliquity。　　Put　it　to　the　test　and　cast　your　eyes　upon　the

history　of　mankind。　　What　will　you　see？　　Is　it　a　grand　spectacle？　

　Grand；　if　you　like。　　Take　the　Colossus　of　Rhodes；　for　instance；

that's　worth　something。　　With　good　reason　Mr。　Anaevsky　testifies

of　it　that　some　say　that　it　is　the　work　of　man's　hands；　while

others　maintain　that　it　has　been　created　by　nature　herself。　　Is

it　many…coloured？　　　May　be　it　is　many…coloured；　too：　if　one　takes

the　dress　uniforms；　military　and　civilian；　of　all　peoples　in　all

agesthat　alone　is　worth　something；　and　if　you　take　the　undress

uniforms　you　will　never　get　to　the　end　of　it；　no　historian　would

be　equal　to　the　job。　　Is　it　monotonous？　　　May　be　it's　monotonous

too：　it's　fighting　and　fighting；　they　are　fighting　now；　they

fought　first　and　they　fought　lastyou　will　admit；　that　it　is

almost　too　monotonous。　　In　short；　one　may　say　anything　about　the

history　of　the　worldanything　that　might　enter　the　most

disordered　imagination。　　The　only　thing　one　can't　say　is　that

it's　rational。　　The　very　word　sticks　in　one's　throat。　　And；

indeed；　this　is　the　odd　thing　that　is　continually　happening：

there　are　continually　turning　up　in　life　moral　and　rational

persons；　sages　and　lovers　of　humanity　who　make　it　their　object　to

live　all　their　lives　as　morally　and　rationally　as　possible；　to

be；　so　to　speak；　a　light　to　their　neighbours　simply　in　order　to

show　them　that　it　is　possible　to　live　morally　and　rationally　in

this　world。　　And　yet　we　all　know　that　those　very　people　sooner　or

later　have　been　false　to　themselves；　playing　some　queer　trick；

often　a　most　unseemly　one。　　Now　I　ask　you：　what　can　be　expected

of　man　since　he　is　a　being　endowed　with　strange　qualities？　

Shower　upon　him　every　earthly　blessing；　drown　him　in　a　sea　of

happiness；　so　that　nothing　but　bubbles　of　bliss　can　be　seen　on

the　surface；　give　him　economic　prosperity；　such　that　he　should

have　nothing　else　to　do　but　sleep；　eat　cakes　and　busy　himself

with　the　continuation　of　his　species；　and　even　then　out　of　sheer

ingratitude；　sheer　spite；　man　would　play　you　some　nasty　trick。　

He　would　even　risk　his　cakes　and　would　deliberately　desire　the

most　fatal　rubbish；　the　most　uneconomical　absurdity；　simply　to

introduce　into　all　this　positive　good　sense　his　fatal　fantastic

element。　It　is　just　his　fantastic　dreams；　his　vulgar　folly　that

he　will　desire　to　retain；　simply　in　order　to　prove　to　himselfas

though　that　were　so　necessarythat　men　still　are　men　and　not　the

keys　of　a　piano；　which　the　laws　of　nature　threaten　to　control　so

completely　that　soon　one　will　be　able　to　desire　nothing　but　by

the　calendar。　　And　that　is　not　all：　even　if　man　really　were

nothing　but　a　piano…key；　even　if　this　were　proved　to　him　by

natural　science　and　mathematics；　even　then　he　would　not　become

reasonable；　but　would　purposely　do　something　perverse　out　of

simple　ingratitude；　simply　to　gain　his　point。　　And　if　he　does　not

find　means　he　will　contrive　destruction　and　chaos；　will　contrive

sufferings　of　all　sorts；　only　to　gain　his　point！　　He　will　launch

a　curse　upon　the　world；　and　as　only　man　can　curse　（it　is　his

privilege；　the　primary　distinction　between　him　and　other

animals）；　may　be　by　his　curse　alone　he　will　attain　his

objectthat　is；　convince　himself　that　he　is　a　man　and　not　a

piano…key！　　　If　you　say　that　all　this；　too；　can　be　calculated　and

tabulatedchaos　and　darkness　and　curses；　so　that　the　mere

possibility　of　calculating　it　all　beforehand　would　stop　it　all；

and　reason　would　reassert　itself；　then　man　would　purposely　go　mad

in　order　to　be　rid　of　reason　and　gain　his　point！　　I　believe　in

it；　I　answer　for　it；　for　the　whole　work　of　man　really　seems　to

consist　in　nothing　but　proving　to　himself　every　minute　that　he　is

a　man　and　not　a　piano…key！　　　It　may　be　at　the　cost　of　his　skin；

it　may　be　by　cannibalism！　　And　this　being　so；　can　one　help　being

tempted　to　rejoice　that　it　has　not　yet　come　off；　and　that　desire

still　depends　on　something　we　don't　know？



You　will　scream　at　me　（that　is；　if　you　condescend　to　do　so）　that

no　one　is　touching　my　free　will；　that　all　they　are　concerned　with

is　that　my　will　should　of　itself；　of　its　own　free　will；　coincide

with　my　own　normal　interests；　with　the　laws　of　nature　and

arithmetic。



Good　heavens；　gentlemen；　what　sort　of　free　will　is　left　when　we

come　to　tabulation　and　arithmetic；　when　it　will　all　be　a　case　of

twice　two　make　four？　　Twice　two　makes　four　without　my　will。　　As

if　free　will　meant　that！

　



IX



Gentlemen；　I　am　joking；　and　I　know　myself　that　my　jokes　are　not

brilliant；but　you　know　one　can　take　everything　as　a　joke。　　I　am；

perhaps；　jesting　against　the　grain。　　Gentlemen；　I　am　tormented　by

questions；　answer　them　for　me。　　You；　for　instance；　want　to　cure

men　of　their　old　habits　and　reform　their　will　in　accordance　with

science　and　good　sense。　　But　how　do　you　know；　not　only　that　it　is

possible；　but　also　that　it　is　_desirable_　to　reform　man　in　that

way？　　And　what　leads　you　to　the　conclusion　that　man's

inclinations　_need_　reforming？　　In　short；　how　do　you　know　that

such　a　reformation　will　be　a　benefit　to　man？　　And　to　go　to　the

root　of　the　matter；　why　are　you　so　positively　convinced　that　not

to　act　against　his　real　normal　interests　guaranteed　by　the

conclusions　of　reason　and　arithmetic　is　certainly　always

advantageous　for　man　and　must　always　be　a　law　for　mankind？　　So

far；　you　know；　this　is　only　your　supposition。　　It　may　be　the　law

of　logic；　but　not　the　law　of　humanity。　　You　think；　gentlemen；

perhaps　that　I　am　mad？　　Allow　me　to　defend　myself。　　I　agree　that

man　is　pre…eminently　a　creative　animal；　predestined　to　strive

consciously　for　an　object　and　to　engage　in　engineeringthat　is；

inc