3. The life of the people in our present day is so organized that nine hundred ninety-nine thousandths of the people are constantly occupied with physical.toil and have neither time nor possibility to take up science or art. But one thousandth of the people, having exempted itself of physical toil, has ccnnposed science and arts to suit itself. The question is what sort of science and arts can there be under such conditions ?
4. The life task of each man is to become increasingly better. Therefore only those sciences are good which help him in this task.
5. A learned man is a man who knows very many things out of all sorts of books. An educated man is he who knows what is now currently accepted among people. An enlightened man is he who knows why he lives and what he ought to do. Do not try to be either learned or educated, but strive to become enlightened.
6. If in real life illusion mars reality but for a moment—in the domain of the abstract illusion can rule for thousands of years and impose its iron yoke upon entire nations, choking the noblest impulses of mankind, and with the help of the slaves deceived by it, shackle those whom it cannot deceive. It is the enemy with whom the wisest minds of all ages engaged in unequal combat, and what they won from it in conquest is the noblest heritage of mankind.
If it IS said that we must seek truth even where no profit can be foreseen from it, because gain may be found where it is least expected, we may also add that we must as zealously seek out and eradicate every delusion where no harm from it can be foreseen, for harm may appear and be manifested where least expected, as every delusion contains a poison. There are no harmless delusions, and certainly no venerable or sacred delusions. It may be boldly stated, in consolation of those who devote their lives to the noble and arduous war against delusions of any kind, that error may do its work at night like owls and bats until the light of truth appears, but there is more likelihood of the owls and bats frightening the sun and driving it back whence it came than of old delusions forcing out a realized truth, fully and clearly expressed—^and of taking unhindered the place vacated by it. Such is the power of truth: it gains victory with difficulty and with trouble, but once the victory is gained it cannot be turned back. Schopenhauer,
7. Since men have lived in the world there have been wise men among all nations who taught them that which is most needful for man to know: that wherein is the calling and therefore the true blessedness of every man and of all ре(ф1е. Only he who knows this can judge of the importance of all other kinds of knowledge.
There is no end to scientific subjects, and without knowledge of what constitutes the calling and the blessedness of all people, there is no possibility of choice in this infinite range of subjects, and for that reason without such knowledge all other kinds of knowledge become an idle and harmful amusement—even as they have become among us.
8. If men turn to modem science not for the satisfaction of idle curiosity, nor in order to play a role in the world of science, to write, to argue, to teach; nor yet in order to
make a living by science, but turn to it with direct and simple questions of life, they find that science will answer thousands of involved and intricate questions, but never the one question to which every rational being seeks an answer; the question—^what am I, and how ought I to live ?
9. To study all sciences that are unnecessary to spiritual life, such as astronomy, mathematics, physics, etc., even as to indulge in all kinds of amusements, games, carriage riding, promenading is permissible when any of these occupations do not keep you from doing that which you ought to do, but it is wrong to engage in superfluous sciences, or indulge in empty amusements, when they hinder the true tasks of life.
10. Socrates pointed out to his disciples that in rationally arranged education each science has certain bounds which should be reached, but which should not be overstepped. Of geometry, he said, know enough to be able to measure correctly a plot of land which you buy or sell, or to divide an inheritance, or to divide a task among laborers. "This is so easy," he said, "that with a little effort гю measurements would give you any trouble, though you had to measure the entire earth." But he did not approve of being enticed by difficult problems in this science, and although he personally knew them all, he said that they could fill the life of man and distract him from other useful sciences, without being of any use themselves. Of astronomy he found desirable to know enough to tell from simple indications the hour of the night, the day of the month, the season of the year, to find one's direction, to steer by at sea and to relieve watchmen. "This science is so easy," he added, "that it is accessible to any hunter or mariner or to anyone who cares to give it a little study." But to proceed so far with it as to study the course of the various celestial bodies.
to calculate the size of the planets and stars, their distance from the earth, their movements and changes, this he severely criticized, because he saw no advantage in such occupation. He had so low an opinion of these things not because of ignorance, for he had studied all these sciences, but because he did not desire men to waste their time and powers upon superfluous occupations instead of expending them upon that which men need most of alclass="underline" the perfecting of their morals. Xenophon.
VII.
On Reading Books
1. See that the reading of many authors and all sorts of books do not produce confusion and uncertainty in your mind. It is meet to nourish your mind only on writers of undoubted merit. Excessive reading distracts the mind and weans it from independent work. Therefore read only old and thoroughly good books. If you conceive at any time a desire to turn to works of a different character never forget to return to the former. Seneca.
2. Read first of all the best books, otherwise you may never find time to read them at all. Thoreau,
3. It is better never to read a book than to read many books and to believe all that is contained in them. One may be wise without reading a single book; but believe all that is written in books and you are botmd to be a fool.
4. In authorship the same thing is repeated as in real life. The majority of people are foolish and deluded. For this reason there are so many evil books, there is so much literary rubbish among the good grain. Such books only purloin people's time, money and attention.
Bad books are not only useless, but harmful. Nine-
tenths of all books are printed to coax people's money out of their pockets.
It is therefore better not even to read the books of which much is said or written. People ought first of all to become acquainted with and read the best authors of all ages and nations. These books must be read first of all. Otherwise you will hardly have a chance to read them all. Only such authors can instruct and educate us.
We can never read too few bad books nor too many good books. Bad books are a moral poison stupef)ring the people. Schopenhauer,
5. Superstitions and delusions trouble the people. There is but one deliverance from them: the truth. We know the truth both in ourselves and through the wise and holy men who lived before us. Therefore in order to live well and righteously we must seek the truth ourselves and make use of the directions which have reached us from the wise and holy men of old.
6. One of the most powerful means of learning the truth that delivers from superstition is in studying all that mankind has done in the past towards the recognition of the eternal truth, common to all mankind, and towards expressing it.
VIII.
Of Independent Thinking
1. Every man may and should make use of everything that the aggregate reason of mankind has evolved, but at the same time he must let his reason examine the data worked out by all mankind.