Війна і мир

Chapter 8

           

           Theactionsofmenaresubjecttogeneralimmutablelawsexpressedinstatistics.Whatisman’sresponsibilitytosociety,theconceptionofwhichresultsfromtheconceptionoffreedom?Thatisaquestionforjurisprudence.

           Man’sactionsproceedfromhisinnatecharacterandthemotivesactinguponhim.Whatisconscienceandtheperceptionofrightandwronginactionsthatfollowsfromtheconsciousnessoffreedom?Thatisaquestionforethics.

           Maninconnectionwiththegenerallifeofhumanityappearssubjecttolawswhichdeterminethatlife.Butthesamemanapartfromthatconnectionappearstobefree.Howshouldthepastlifeofnationsandofhumanityberegarded—astheresultofthefree,orastheresultoftheconstrained,activityofman?Thatisaquestionforhistory.

           Onlyinourself-confidentdayofthepopularizationofknowledge—thankstothatmostpowerfulengineofignorance,thediffusionofprintedmatter—hasthequestionofthefreedomofwillbeenputonalevelonwhichthequestionitselfcannotexist.Inourtimethemajorityofso-calledadvancedpeople—thatis,thecrowdofignoramuses—havetakentheworkofthenaturalistswhodealwithonesideofthequestionforasolutionofthewholeproblem.

           Theysayandwriteandprintthatthesoulandfreedomdonotexist,forthelifeofmanisexpressedbymuscularmovementsandmuscularmovementsareconditionedbytheactivityofthenerves;thesoulandfreewilldonotexistbecauseatanunknownperiodoftimewesprangfromtheapes.

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