the origins of contemporary france-1-第72节

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which　alone　all　differ　have　been　rejected。　　All　are　free；　for；

according　to　the　definition；　the　unjust　thralldom　imposed　on　all　by

brute　force　and　by　hereditary　prejudice　has　been　suppressed。　　…　　But　if

all　men　are　equal；　no　reason　exists　why；　in　this　contract；　any　special

advantage　should　be　conceded　to　one　more　than　to　another。　　Accordingly

all　shall　be　equal　before　the　law；　no　person；　or　family；　or　class；

shall　be　allowed　any　privilege；　no　one　shall　claim　a　right　of　which

another　might　be　deprived；　no　one　shall　be　subject　to　any　duty　from

another　is　exempt。　　…　On　the　other　hand；　all　being　free；　each　enters

with　a　free　will　along　with　the　group　of　wills　constitute　the　new

community；　it　is　necessary　that　in　the　common　resolutions　he　should

fully　concur。　　Only　on　these　conditions　does　he　bind　himself；　he　is

bound　to　respect　laws　only　because　he　has　assisted　in　making　them；　and

to　obey　magistrates　only　because　he　has　aided　in　electing　them。

Underneath　all　legitimate　authority　his　consent　or　his　vote　must　be

apparent；　while；　in　the　humblest　citizen；　the　most　exalted　of　public

powers　must　recognize　a　member　of　their　own　sovereignty。　　No　one　may

alienate　or　lose　this　portion　of　his　sovereignty；　it　is　inseparable

from　his　person；　and；　on　delegating　it　to　another；　he　reserves　to

himself　full　possession　of　it。　　…　The　liberty；　equality　and　sovereignty

of　the　people　constitute　the　first　articles　of　the　social　contract。

These　are　rigorously　deduced　from　a　primary　definition；　other　rights

of　the　citizen　are　to　be　no　less　rigorously　deduced　from　it；　the　main

features　of　the　constitution；　the　most　important　civil　and　political

laws；　in　short；　the　order；　the　form　and　the　spirit　of　the　new　state。



II。　　NAIVE　CONVICTIONS



The　first　result。　　…　The　theory　easily　applied。　　…　Confidence　in　it

due　to　belief　in　man's　inherent　goodness　and　reasonableness。



　　Hence；　two　consequences。…In　the　first　place；　a　society　thus

organized　is　the　only　just　one；　for；　the　reverse　of　all　others；　it　is

not　the　result　of　a　blind　subjection　to　traditions；　but　of　a　contract

concluded　among　equals；　examined　in　open　　daylight；　and　assented　to　in

full　freedom。＇5＇　The　social　contract；　composed　of　demonstrated

theorems；　has　the　authority　of　geometry；　hence　an　equal　value　at　all

times；　in　every　place；　and　for　every　people；　it　is　accordingly

rightfully　established。　　Those　who　put　an　obstacle　in　its　way　are

enemies　of　the　human　race；　whether　a　government；　an　aristocracy　or　a

clergy；　they　must　be　overthrown。　　Revolt　is　simply　just　defense；　in

withdrawing　ourselves　from　their　hands　we　only　recover　what　is

wrongfully　held　and　which　legitimately　belongs　to　us。　　…　In　the　second

place；　this　social　code；　as　just　set　forth；　once　promulgated；　is

applicable　without　misconception　or　resistance；　for　it　is　a　species　of

moral　geometry；　simpler　than　any　other；　reduced　to　first　principles；

founded　on　the　clearest　and　most　popular　notions；　and；　in　four　steps；

leading　to　capital　truths。　　The　comprehension　and　application　of　these

truths　demand　no　preparatory　study　or　profound　reflection；　Reason　is

enough；　and　even　common　sense。　　Prejudice　and　selfishness　alone　might

impair　the　testimony；　but　never　will　testimony　be　wanting　in　a　sound

brain　and　in　an　upright　heart。　　Explain　the　rights　of　man　to　a　laborer

or　to　a　peasant　and　at　once　he　becomes　an　able　politician；　teach

children　the　citizen's　catechism　and；　on　leaving　school；　they

comprehend　duties　and　rights　as　well　as　the　four　fundamental

principles。　　…　Thereupon　hope　spreads　her　wings　to　the　fullest　extent；

all　obstacles　seem　removed。　　It　is　admitted　that；　of　itself；　and

through　its　own　force；　the　theory　engenders　its　own　application；　and

that　it　suffices　for　men　to　decree　or　accept　the　social　compact　to

acquire　suddenly　by　this　act　the　capacity　for　comprehending　it　and　the

disposition　to　carry　it　out。



What　a　wonderful　confidence；　at　first　inexplicable；　which　assume

with　regard　to　man　an　idea　which　we　no　longer　hold。　　Man；　indeed；　was

regarded　as　essentially　good　and　reasonable。　　…　Rational；　that　is　to

say；　capable　of　assenting　to　a　plain　obvious　principle；　of　following

an　ulterior　chain　of　argument；　of　understanding　and　accepting　the

final　conclusion；　of　extracting　for　himself；　on　the　occasion　calling

for　it；　the　varied　consequences　to　which　it　leads：　such　is　the

ordinary　man　in　the　eyes　of　the　writers　of　the　day；　they　judged　him　by

themselves。　　To　them　the　human　intellect　is　their　own；　the　classic

intellect。　　For　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　it　ruled　in　literature；　in

philosophy；　in　science；　in　education；　in　conversation；　by　virtue　of

tradition；　of　usage　and　of　good　taste。　　No　other　was　tolerated　and　no

other　was　imagined；　and　if；　within　this　closed　circle；　a　stranger

succeeds　in　introducing　himself；　it　is　on　condition　of　adopting　the

oratorical　idiom　which　the　raison　raisonnante　imposes　on　all　its

guests；　on　Greeks；　Englishmen；　barbarians；　peasants　and　savages；

however　different　from　each　other　and　however　different　they　may　be

amongst　themselves。　　In　Buffon；　the　first　man；　on　narrating　the　first

hours　of　his　being；　analyses　his　sensations；　emotions　and　impulses；

with　as　much　subtlety　as　Condillac　himself。　　With　Diderot；　Otou　the

Tahitian；　with　Bernardin　de　St。　　Pierre；　a　semi…savage　Hindu　and　an　old

colonist　of　the　Ile…de…France；　with　Rousseau　a　country　vicar；　a

gardener　and　a　juggler；　are　all　accomplished　conversationalists　and

moralists。　　In　Marmontel　and　in　Florian；　in　all　the　literature　of

inferior　rank　preceding　or　accompanying　the　Revolution；　also　in　the

tragic　or　comic　drama；　the　chief　talent　of　the　personage；　whoever　he

may　be；　whether　an　uncultivated　rustic；　tattooed　barbarian　or　naked

savage；　consists　in　being　able　to　explain　himself；　in　arguing　and　in

following　an　abstract　discourse　with　intelligence　and　attention；　in

tracing　for　himself；　or　in　the　footsteps　of　a　guide；　the　rectilinear

pathway　of　general　ideas。　　Thus；　to　the　spectators　of　the　eighteenth

century；　Reason　is　everywhere　and　she　stands　alone　in　the　world。　　A

form　of　intellect　so　universal　necessarily　strikes　them　as　natural；

they　resemble　people　who；　speaking　but　one　language；　and　one　they　have

always　spoken　with　facility；　cannot　imagine　another　language　being

spoken；　or　that　they　may　be　surrounded　by　the　deaf　and　the　dumb。　　And

so　much　the　more　in　as　much　as　their　theory　authorizes　this　prejudice。

According　to　the　new　ideology　all　minds　are　within　reach　of　all

truths。　　If　the　mind　does　not　grasp　them　the　fault　is　ours　in　not　being

properly　prepared；　it　will　comprehend　if　we　take　the　trouble　to　guide

it　properly。　　For　it　has　senses　the　same　as　our　own；　and　sensations；

revived；　combined　and　noted　by　signs；　suffice　to　form　〃not　only　all

our　conceptions　but　again　all　our　faculties。〃＇6＇　An　exact　and　constant

relationship　of　ideas　attaches　our　simplest　perceptions　to　the　most

complex　sciences；　and；　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest　degree；　a　scale

is　practicable；　if　the　scholar　stops　on　the　way　it　is　owing　to　our

having　left　too　great　an　interval　between　two　degrees　of　the　scale；

let　no　intermediary　degrees　be　omitted　and　he　will　mount　to　the　top　of

it。　　To　this　exalted　idea　of　the　faculties　of　man　is　added　a　no　less

exalted　idea　of　his　heart。　　Rousseau　having　declared　this　to　be

naturally　good；　the　refined　class　plunge　into　the　belief　with　all　the

exaggerations　of　fashion　and　all　the　sentimentality　of　the　drawing…

room。　　The　conviction　is　widespread　that　man；　and　especially　the　man　of

the　people；　is　sensitive　and　affectionate　by　nature；　that　he　is

immediately　impressed　by　benefactions　and　disposed　to　be　grateful　for

them；　that　he　softens　at　the　slightest　sign　of　interest　in　him；　and

that　he　is　capable　of　every　refinement。　　A　series　of　engravings

represents　two　children　in　a　dilapidated　cottage；＇7＇　one　five　and　the

other　three　years　old；　by　the　side　of　an　infirm　grandmother；　one

supporting　her　head　and　the　other　giving　her　drink；　the　father　and

mother　enter　and；　on　seeing　this　touching　incident；　〃these　good　people

find　themselves　so　happy　in　possessing　such　children　they　forget　they

are　poor。〃　〃Oh；　my　father；〃　cries　a　shepherd　youth　of　the　Pyrénées；＇8＇

〃accept　this　faithful　dog；　so　true　to　me　for　seven　years；　in　future

let　him　follow　and　defend　you；　thus　serving　me　better　than　in　any

other　manner。〃　It　would　require　too　much　space　to　follow　in　the

literature　of　the　end　of　the　century；　from　Marmontel　to　Bernardin　de

Saint…Pierre；　and　from　Florian　to　Berquin　and　Bitaubé；　the

interminable　repetition　of　these　sweet　insipidities。　　The　illusion　even

reaches　statesmen。　　〃Sire；〃　says　Turgot；　on　presenting　the　king　with　a

plan　of　political　education；＇9＇　〃I　venture　to　assert　that　in　ten　years

your　nation　will　no　longer　be　recognizable；　and　through　enlightenment

and　good　morals；　in　intelligent　zeal　for　your　service　and　for　the

country；　it　will　rise　above　all　other　nations。　　Children　who　are　now

t