ChapterXVII:ThatInTimesMarkedByEqualityOfConditionsAndScepticalOpinions，ItIsImportantToRemoveToADistanceTheObjectsOfHumanActionsIntheagesoffaiththefinalendoflifeisplacedbeyondlife。Themenofthoseagesthereforenaturally，andinamannerinvoluntarily，accustomthemselvestofixtheirgazeforalongcourseofyearsonsomeimmovableobject，towardswhichtheyareconstantlytending;andtheylearnbyinsensibledegreestorepressamultitudeofpettypassingdesires，inordertobethebetterabletocontentthatgreatandlastingdesirewhichpossessesthem。Whenthesesamemenengageintheaffairsofthisworld，thesamehabitsmaybetracedintheirconduct。Theyareapttosetupsomegeneralandcertainaimandendtotheiractionsherebelow，towardswhichalltheireffortsaredirected:
theydonotturnfromdaytodaytochasesomenovelobjectofdesire，buttheyhavesettleddesignswhichtheyareneverwearyofpursuing。Thisexplainswhyreligiousnationshavesooftenachievedsuchlastingresults:forwhilsttheywerethinkingonlyoftheotherworld，theyhadfoundoutthegreatsecretofsuccessinthis。Religionsgivemenageneralhabitofconductingthemselveswithaviewtofuturity:inthisrespecttheyarenotlessusefultohappinessinthislifethantofelicityhereafter;
andthisisoneoftheirchiefpoliticalcharacteristics。
Butinproportionasthelightoffaithgrowsdim，therangeofman’ssightiscircumscribed，asiftheendandaimofhumanactionsappearedeverydaytobemorewithinhisreach。Whenmenhaveonceallowedthemselvestothinknomoreofwhatistobefallthemafterlife，theyreadilylapseintothatcompleteandbrutalindifferencetofuturity，whichisbuttooconformabletosomepropensitiesofmankind。Assoonastheyhavelostthehabitofplacingtheirchiefhopesuponremoteevents，theynaturallyseektogratifywithoutdelaytheirsmallestdesires;
andnosoonerdotheydespairoflivingforever，thantheyaredisposedtoactasiftheyweretoexistbutforasingleday。
Inscepticalagesitisalwaysthereforetobefearedthatmenmayperpetuallygivewaytotheirdailycasualdesires;andthat，whollyrenouncingwhatevercannotbeacquiredwithoutprotractedeffort，theymayestablishnothinggreat，permanent，andcalm。
Ifthesocialconditionofapeople，underthesecircumstances，becomesdemocratic，thedangerwhichIherepointoutistherebyincreased。Wheneveryoneisconstantlystrivingtochangehisposition—whenanimmensefieldforcompetitionisthrownopentoall—whenwealthisamassedordissipatedintheshortestpossiblespaceoftimeamidsttheturmoilofdemocracy，visionsofsuddenandeasyfortunes—ofgreatpossessionseasilywonandlost—ofchance，underallitsforms—hauntthemind。
Theinstabilityofsocietyitselffostersthenaturalinstabilityofman’sdesires。Inthemidstoftheseperpetualfluctuationsofhislot，thepresentgrowsuponhismind，untilitconcealsfuturityfromhissight，andhislooksgonofurtherthanthemorrow。
Inthosecountriesinwhichunhappilyirreligionanddemocracycoexist，themostimportantdutyofphilosophersandofthoseinpoweristobealwaysstrivingtoplacetheobjectsofhumanactionsfarbeyondman’simmediaterange。Circumscribedbythecharacterofhiscountryandhisage，themoralistmustlearntovindicatehisprinciplesinthatposition。Hemustconstantlyendeavortoshowhiscontemporaries，that，eveninthemidstoftheperpetualcommotionaroundthem，itiseasierthantheythinktoconceiveandtoexecuteprotractedundertakings。Hemustteachthemthat，althoughtheaspectofmankindmayhavechanged，themethodsbywhichmenmayprovidefortheirprosperityinthisworldarestillthesame;andthatamongstdemocraticnations，aswellaselsewhere，itisonlybyresistingathousandpettyselfishpassionsofthehourthatthegeneralandunquenchablepassionforhappinesscanbesatisfied。
Thetaskofthoseinpowerisnotlessclearlymarkedout。
Atalltimesitisimportantthatthosewhogovernnationsshouldactwithaviewtothefuture:butthisisevenmorenecessaryindemocraticandscepticalagesthaninanyothers。Byactingthus，theleadingmenofdemocraciesnotonlymakepublicaffairsprosperous，buttheyalsoteachprivateindividuals，bytheirexample，theartofmanagingprivateconcerns。Abovealltheymuststriveasmuchaspossibletobanishchancefromthesphereofpolitics。Thesuddenandundeservedpromotionofacourtierproducesonlyatransientimpressioninanaristocraticcountry，becausetheaggregateinstitutionsandopinionsofthenationhabituallycompelmentoadvanceslowlyintrackswhichtheycannotgetoutof。Butnothingismoreperniciousthansimilarinstancesoffavorexhibitedtotheeyesofademocraticpeople:
theygivethelastimpulsetothepublicmindinadirectionwhereeverythinghurriesitonwards。Attimesofscepticismandequalitymoreespecially，thefavorofthepeopleoroftheprince，whichchancemayconferorchancewithhold，oughtnevertostandinlieuofattainmentsorservices。Itisdesirablethateveryadvancementshouldthereappeartobetheresultofsomeeffort;sothatnogreatnessshouldbeoftooeasyacquirement，andthatambitionshouldbeobligedtofixitsgazelonguponanobjectbeforeitisgratified。Governmentsmustapplythemselvestorestoretomenthatloveofthefuturewithwhichreligionandthestateofsocietynolongerinspirethem;
and，withoutsayingso，theymustpracticallyteachthecommunitydaybydaythatwealth，fame，andpoweraretherewardsoflabor—thatgreatsuccessstandsattheutmostrangeoflongdesires，andthatnothinglastingisobtainedbutwhatisobtainedbytoil。Whenmenhaveaccustomedthemselvestoforeseefromafarwhatislikelytobefallintheworldandtofeeduponhopes，theycanhardlyconfinetheirmindswithintheprecisecircumferenceoflife，andtheyarereadytobreaktheboundaryandcasttheirlooksbeyond。Idonotdoubtthat，bytrainingthemembersofacommunitytothinkoftheirfutureconditioninthisworld，theywouldbegraduallyandunconsciouslybroughtnearertoreligiousconvictions。Thusthemeanswhichallowmen，uptoacertainpoint，togowithoutreligion，areperhapsafteralltheonlymeanswestillpossessforbringingmankindbackbyalongandroundaboutpathtoastateoffaith。
ChapterXVIII:ThatAmongstTheAmericansAllHonestCallingsAreHonorableAmongstademocraticpeople，wherethereisnohereditarywealth，everymanworkstoearnaliving，orhasworked，orisbornofparentswhohaveworked。Thenotionoflaboristhereforepresentedtothemindoneverysideasthenecessary，natural，andhonestconditionofhumanexistence。Notonlyislabornotdishonorableamongstsuchapeople，butitisheldinhonor:theprejudiceisnotagainstit，butinitsfavor。IntheUnitedStatesawealthymanthinksthatheowesittopublicopiniontodevotehisleisuretosomekindofindustrialorcommercialpursuit，ortopublicbusiness。Hewouldthinkhimselfinbadreputeifheemployedhislifesolelyinliving。
Itisforthepurposeofescapingthisobligationtowork，thatsomanyrichAmericanscometoEurope，wheretheyfindsomescatteredremainsofaristocraticsociety，amongstwhichidlenessisstillheldinhonor。
Equalityofconditionsnotonlyennoblesthenotionoflaborinmen’sestimation，butitraisesthenotionoflaborasasourceofprofit。Inaristocraciesitisnotexactlylaborthatisdespised，butlaborwithaviewtoprofit。Laborishonorificinitself，whenitisundertakenatthesolebiddingofambitionorofvirtue。Yetinaristocraticsocietyitconstantlyhappensthathewhoworksforhonorisnotinsensibletotheattractionsofprofit。Butthesetwodesiresonlyintermingleintheinnermostdepthsofhissoul:hecarefullyhidesfromeveryeyethepointatwhichtheyjoin;hewouldfainconcealitfromhimself。Inaristocraticcountriestherearefewpublicofficerswhodonotaffecttoservetheircountrywithoutinterestedmotives。Theirsalaryisanincidentofwhichtheythinkbutlittle，andofwhichtheyalwaysaffectnottothinkatall。
Thusthenotionofprofitiskeptdistinctfromthatoflabor;
howevertheymaybeunitedinpointoffact，theyarenotthoughtoftogether。
Indemocraticcommunitiesthesetwonotionsare，onthecontrary，alwayspalpablyunited。Asthedesireofwell—beingisuniversal—asfortunesareslenderorfluctuating—aseveryonewantseithertoincreasehisownresources，ortoprovidefreshonesforhisprogeny，menclearlyseethatitisprofitwhich，ifnotwholly，atleastpartially，leadsthemtowork。Eventhosewhoareprincipallyactuatedbytheloveoffamearenecessarilymadefamiliarwiththethoughtthattheyarenotexclusivelyactuatedbythatmotive;andtheydiscoverthatthedesireofgettingalivingismingledintheirmindswiththedesireofmakinglifeillustrious。
Assoonas，ontheonehand，laborisheldbythewholecommunitytobeanhonorablenecessityofman’scondition，and，ontheother，assoonaslaborisalwaysostensiblyperformed，whollyorinpart，forthepurposeofearningremuneration，theimmenseintervalwhichseparateddifferentcallingsinaristocraticsocietiesdisappears。Ifallarenotalike，allatleasthaveonefeatureincommon。Noprofessionexistsinwhichmendonotworkformoney;andtheremunerationwhichiscommontothemallgivesthemallanairofresemblance。ThisservestoexplaintheopinionswhichtheAmericansentertainwithrespecttodifferentcallings。InAmericanooneisdegradedbecauseheworks，foreveryoneabouthimworksalso;norisanyonehumiliatedbythenotionofreceivingpay，forthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesalsoworksforpay。Heispaidforcommanding，othermenforobeyingorders。IntheUnitedStatesprofessionsaremoreorlesslaborious，moreorlessprofitable;buttheyarenevereitherhighorlow:everyhonestcallingishonorable。
BookTwo—ChaptersXIX—XX
ChapterXIX:ThatAlmostAllTheAmericansFollowIndustrialCallingsAgricultureis，perhaps，ofalltheusefulartsthatwhichimprovesmostslowlyamongstdemocraticnations。Frequently，indeed，itwouldseemtobestationary，becauseotherartsaremakingrapidstridestowardsperfection。Ontheotherhand，almostallthetastesandhabitswhichtheequalityofconditionengendersnaturallyleadmentocommercialandindustrialoccupations。
Supposeanactive，enlightened，andfreeman，enjoyingacompetency，butfullofdesires:heistoopoortoliveinidleness;heisrichenoughtofeelhimselfprotectedfromtheimmediatefearofwant，andhethinkshowhecanbetterhiscondition。Thismanhasconceivedatasteforphysicalgratifications，whichthousandsofhisfellow—menindulgeinaroundhim;hehashimselfbeguntoenjoythesepleasures，andheiseagertoincreasehismeansofsatisfyingthesetastesmorecompletely。Butlifeisslippingaway，timeisurgent—towhatishetoturn？Thecultivationoftheg...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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