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babe！　　Oh；　the　pure；　innocent　child！　　Why；　in　the　first　place；

when　in　all　these　thousands　of　years　has　there　been　a　time　when

man　has　acted　only　from　his　own　interest？　　What　is　to　be　done

with　the　millions　of　facts　that　bear　witness　that　men；

_consciously_；　that　is　fully　understanding　their　real　interests；

have　left　them　in　the　background　and　have　rushed　headlong　on

another　path；　to　meet　peril　and　danger；　compelled　to　this　course

by　nobody　and　by　nothing；　but；　as　it　were；　simply　disliking　the

beaten　track；　and　have　obstinately；　wilfully；　struck　out　another

difficult；　absurd　way；　seeking　it　almost　in　the　darkness。　　So；　I

suppose；　this　obstinacy　and　perversity　were　pleasanter　to　them

than　any　advantage。。。。　Advantage！　　What　is　advantage？　　And　will

you　take　it　upon　yourself　to　define　with　perfect　accuracy　in　what

the　advantage　of　man　consists？　　And　what　if　it　so　happens　that　a

man's　advantage；　_sometimes_；　not　only　may；　but　even　must；

consist　in　his　desiring　in　certain　cases　what　is　harmful　to

himself　and　not　advantageous。　　And　if　so；　if　there　can　be　such　a

case；　the　whole　principle　falls　into　dust。　　What　do　you

thinkare　there　such　cases？　　You　laugh；　laugh　away；　gentlemen；

but　only　answer　me：　have　man's　advantages　been　reckoned　up　with

perfect　certainty？　　Are　there　not　some　which　not　only　have　not

been　included　but　cannot　possibly　be　included　under　any

classification？　　You　see；　you　gentlemen　have；　to　the　best　of　my

knowledge；　taken　your　whole　register　of　human　advantages　from　the

averages　of　statistical　figures　and　politico…economical　formulas。　

Your　advantages　are　prosperity；　wealth；　freedom；　peaceand　so

on；　and　so　on。　So　that　the　man　who　should；　for　instance；　go

openly　and　knowingly　in　opposition　to　all　that　list　would　to　your

thinking；　and　indeed　mine；　too；　of　course；　be　an　obscurantist　or

an　absolute　madman：　would　not　he？　　But；　you　know；　this　is　what　is

surprising：　why　does　it　so　happen　that　all　these　statisticians；

sages　and　lovers　of　humanity；　when　they　reckon　up　human

advantages　invariably　leave　out　one？　　　They　don't　even　take　it

into　their　reckoning　in　the　form　in　which　it　should　be　taken；　and

the　whole　reckoning　depends　upon　that。　　It　would　be　no　greater

matter；　they　would　simply　have　to　take　it；　this　advantage；　and

add　it　to　the　list。　　But　the　trouble　is；　that　this　strange

advantage　does　not　fall　under　any　classification　and　is　not　in

place　in　any　list。　　I　have　a　friend　for　instance　。。。　Ech！　

gentlemen；　but　of　course　he　is　your　friend；　too；　and　indeed　there

is　no　one；　no　one　to　whom　he　is　not　a　friend！　　When　he　prepares

for　any　undertaking　this　gentleman　immediately　explains　to　you；

elegantly　and　clearly；　exactly　how　he　must　act　in　accordance　with

the　laws　of　reason　and　truth。　　What　is　more；　he　will　talk　to　you

with　excitement　and　passion　of　the　true　normal　interests　of　man；

with　irony　he　will　upbraid　the　short…　sighted　fools　who　do　not

understand　their　own　interests；　nor　the　true　significance　of

virtue；　and；　within　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　without　any　sudden

outside　provocation；　but　simply　through　something　inside　him

which　is　stronger　than　all　his　interests；　he　will　go　off　on　quite

a　different　tackthat　is；　act　in　direct　opposition　to　what　he

has　just　been　saying　about　himself；　in　opposition　to　the　laws　of

reason；　in　opposition　to　his　own　advantage；　in　fact　in　opposition

to　everything　。。。　I　warn　you　that　my　friend　is　a　compound

personality　and　therefore　it　is　difficult　to　blame　him　as　an

individual。　　The　fact　is；　gentlemen；　it　seems　there　must　really

exist　something　that　is　dearer　to　almost　every　man　than　his

greatest　advantages；　or　（not　to　be　illogical）　there　is　a　most

advantageous　advantage　（the　very　one　omitted　of　which　we　spoke

just　now）　which　is　more　important　and　more　advantageous　than　all

other　advantages；　for　the　sake　of　which　a　man　if　necessary　is

ready　to　act　in　opposition　to　all　laws；　that　is；　in　opposition　to

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