Війна і мир

Chapter 8

           Whichistheprincipalaimofthesethree?Certainlyself-reformationandself-purification.Onlytothisaimcanwealwaysstriveindependentlyofcircumstances.Butatthesametimejustthisaimdemandsthegreatesteffortsofus;andso,ledastraybypride,losingsightofthisaim,weoccupyourselveseitherwiththemysterywhichinourimpurityweareunworthytoreceive,orseekthereformationofthehumanracewhileourselvessettinganexampleofbasenessandprofligacy.Illuminismisnotapuredoctrine,justbecauseitisattractedbysocialactivityandpuffedupbypride.OnthisgroundJosephAlexéevichcondemnedmyspeechandmywholeactivity,andinthedepthofmysoulIagreedwithhim.Talkingofmyfamilyaffairshesaidtome,“thechiefdutyofatrueMason,asIhavetoldyou,liesinperfectinghimself.Weoftenthinkthatbyremovingallthedifficultiesofourlifeweshallmorequicklyreachouraim,butonthecontrary,mydearsir,itisonlyinthemidstofworldlycaresthatwecanattainourthreechiefaims:(1)Self-knowledge—formancanonlyknowhimselfbycomparison,(2)Self-perfecting,whichcanonlybeattainedbyconflict,and(3)Theattainmentofthechiefvirtue—loveofdeath.Onlythevicissitudesoflifecanshowusitsvanityanddevelopourinnateloveofdeathorofrebirthtoanewlife.”Thesewordsareallthemoreremarkablebecause,inspiteofhisgreatphysicalsufferings,JosephAlexéevichisneverwearyoflifethoughhelovesdeath,forwhich—inspiteofthepurityandloftinessofhisinnerman—hedoesnotyetfeelhimselfsufficientlyprepared.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 790 з 2250