Itistruethatsofaraswealthgivestimeforidealendsandexercisetoidealenergies,wealthisbetterthanpovertyandoughttobechosen。Butwealthdoesthisinonlyaportionoftheactualcases。Elsewherethedesiretogainwealthandthefeartoloseitareourchiefbreedersofcowardiceandpropagatorsofcorruption。Therearethousandsofconjuncturesinwhichawealth-boundmanmustbeaslave,whilstamanforwhompovertyhasnoterrorsbecomesafreeman。Thinkofthestrengthwhichpersonalindifferencetopovertywouldgiveusifweweredevotedtounpopularcauses。Weneednolongerholdourtonguesorfeartovotetherevolutionaryorreformatoryticket。
Ourstocksmightfall,ourhopesofpromotionvanish,oursalariesstop,ourclubdoorscloseinourfaces;yet,whilewelived,wewouldimperturbablybearwitnesstothespirit,andourexamplewouldhelptosetfreeourgeneration。Thecausewouldneeditsfunds,butweitsservantswouldbepotentinproportionaswepersonallywerecontentedwithourpoverty。
Irecommendthismattertoyourseriouspondering,foritiscertainthattheprevalentfearofpovertyamongtheeducatedclassesistheworstmoraldiseasefromwhichourcivilizationsuffers。
IhavenowsaidallthatIcanusefullysayabouttheseveralfruitsofreligionastheyaremanifestedinsaintlylives,soI
willmakeabriefreviewandpasstomymoregeneralconclusions。
Ourquestion,youwillremember,isastowhetherreligionstandsapprovedbyitsfruits,astheseareexhibitedinthesaintlytypeofcharacter。Singleattributesofsaintlinessmay,itistrue,betemperamentalendowments,foundinnon-religiousindividuals。Butthewholegroupofthemformsacombinationwhich,assuch,isreligious,foritseemstoflowfromthesenseofthedivineasfromitspsychologicalcentre。Whoeverpossessesstronglythissensecomesnaturallytothinkthatthesmallestdetailsofthisworldderiveinfinitesignificancefromtheirrelationtoanunseendivineorder。Thethoughtofthisorderyieldshimasuperiordenominationofhappiness,andasteadfastnessofsoulwithwhichnoothercancompare。Insocialrelationshisserviceabilityisexemplary;heaboundsinimpulsestohelp。Hishelpisinwardaswellasoutward,forhissympathyreachessoulsaswellasbodies,andkindlesunsuspectedfacultiestherein。Insteadofplacinghappinesswherecommonmenplaceit,incomfort,heplacesitinahigherkindofinnerexcitement,whichconvertsdiscomfortsintosourcesofcheerandannulsunhappiness。Soheturnshisbackuponnoduty,howeverthankless;andwhenweareinneedofassistance,wecancountuponthesaintlendinghishandwithmorecertaintythanwecancountuponanyotherperson。Finally,hishumble-mindednessandhisascetictendenciessavehimfromthepettypersonalpretensionswhichsoobstructourordinarysocialintercourse,andhispuritygivesusinhimacleanmanforacompanion。
Felicity,purity,charity,patience,self-severity——thesearesplendidexcellencies,andthesaintofallmenshowstheminthecompletestpossiblemeasure。
But,aswesaw,allthesethingstogetherdonotmakesaintsinfallible。Whentheirintellectualoutlookisnarrow,theyfallintoallsortsofholyexcesses,fanaticismortheopathicabsorption,self-torment,prudery,scrupulosity,gullibility,andmorbidinabilitytomeettheworld。Bytheveryintensityofhisfidelitytothepaltryidealswithwhichaninferiorintellectmayinspirehim,asaintcanbeevenmoreobjectionableanddamnablethanasuperficialcarnalmanwouldbeinthesamesituation。Wemustjudgehimnotsentimentallyonly,andnotinisolation,butusingourownintellectualstandards,placinghiminhisenvironment,andestimatinghistotalfunction。
Nowinthematterofintellectualstandards,wemustbearinmindthatitisunfair,wherewefindnarrownessofmind,alwaystoimputeitasavicetotheindividual,forinreligiousandtheologicalmattersheprobablyabsorbshisnarrownessfromhisgeneration。Moreover,wemustnotconfoundtheessentialsofsaintliness,whicharethosegeneralpassionsofwhichIhavespoken,withitsaccidents,whicharethespecialdeterminationsofthesepassionsatanyhistoricalmoment。Inthesedeterminationsthesaintswillusuallybeloyaltothetemporaryidolsoftheirtribe。Takingrefugeinmonasterieswasasmuchanidolofthetribeinthemiddleages,asbearingahandintheworld’sworkisto-day。SaintFrancisorSaintBernard,weretheylivingto-day,wouldundoubtedlybeleadingconsecratedlivesofsomesort,butquiteasundoubtedlytheywouldnotleadtheminretirement。Ouranimositytospecialhistoricmanifestationsmustnotleadustogiveawaythesaintlyimpulsesintheiressentialnaturetothetendermerciesofinimicalcritics。
ThemostinimicalcriticofthesaintlyimpulseswhomIknowisNietzsche。Hecontraststhemwiththeworldlypassionsaswefindtheseembodiedinthepredaceousmilitarycharacter,altogethertotheadvantageofthelatter。Yourbornsaint,itmustbeconfessed,hassomethingabouthimwhichoftenmakesthegorgeofacarnalmanrise,soitwillbeworthwhiletoconsiderthecontrastinquestionmorefully。
Dislikeofthesaintlynatureseemstobeanegativeresultofthebiologicallyusefulinstinctofwelcomingleadership,andglorifyingthechiefofthetribe。Thechiefisthepotential,ifnottheactualtyrant,themasterful,overpoweringmanofprey。Weconfessourinferiorityandgrovelbeforehim。Wequailunderhisglance,andareatthesametimeproudofowningsodangerousalord。Suchinstinctiveandsubmissivehero-worshipmusthavebeenindispensableinprimevaltriballife。Intheendlesswarsofthosetimes,leaderswereabsolutelyneededforthetribe’ssurvival。Iftherewereanytribeswhoownednoleaders,theycanhaveleftnoissuetonarratetheirdoom。Theleadersalwayshadgoodconsciences,forconscienceinthemcoalescedwithwill,andthosewholookedontheirfacewereasmuchsmittenwithwonderattheirfreedomfrominnerrestraintaswithaweattheenergyoftheiroutwardperformances。
Comparedwiththesebeakedandtalonedgraspersoftheworld,saintsareherbivorousanimals,tameandharmlessbarn-yardpoultry。Therearesaintswhosebeardyoumay,ifyouevercareto,pullwithimpunity。Suchamanexcitesnothrillsofwonderveiledinterror;hisconscienceisfullofscruplesandreturns;
hestunsusneitherbyhisinwardfreedomnorhisoutwardpower;
andunlesshefoundwithinusanaltogetherdifferentfacultyofadmirationtoappealto,weshouldpasshimbywithcontempt。
Inpointoffact,hedoesappealtoadifferentfaculty。
Reenactedinhumannatureisthefableofthewind,thesun,andthetraveler。Thesexesembodythediscrepancy。Thewomanlovesthemanthemoreadmiringlythestormierheshowshimself,andtheworlddeifiesitsrulersthemoreforbeingwillfulandunaccountable。Butthewomaninturnsubjugatesthemanbythemysteryofgentlenessinbeauty,andthesainthasalwayscharmedtheworldbysomethingsimilar。Mankindissusceptibleandsuggestibleinoppositedirections,andtherivalryofinfluencesisunsleeping。Thesaintlyandtheworldlyidealpursuetheirfeudinliteratureasmuchasinreallife。
ForNietzschethesaintrepresentslittlebutsneakingnessandslavishness。Heisthesophisticatedinvalid,thedegenerateparexcellence,themanofinsufficientvitality。Hisprevalencewouldputthehumantypeindanger。
“Thesickarethegreatestdangerforthewell。Theweaker,notthestronger,arethestrong’sundoing。ItisnotFEARofourfellow-man,whichweshouldwishtoseediminished;forfearrousesthosewhoarestrongtobecometerribleinturnthemselves,andpreservesthehard-earnedandsuccessfultypeofhumanity。Whatistobedreadedbyusmorethananyotherdoomisnotfear,butratherthegreatdisgust,notfear,butratherthegreatpity——disgustandpityforourhumanfellows……TheMORBIDareourgreatestperil——notthe’bad’men,notthepredatorybeings。Thosebornwrong,themiscarried,thebroken——
theyitis,theWEAKESTwhoareunderminingthevitalityoftherace,poisoningourtrustinlife,andputtinghumanityinquestion。Everylookofthemisasigh——’WouldIweresomethingother!IamsickandtiredofwhatIam。’Inthisswamp-soilofself-contempt,everypoisonousweedflourishes,andallsosmall,sosecret,sodishonest,andsosweetlyrotten。Hereswarmthewormsofsensitivenessandresentment,heretheairsmellsodiouswithsecrecy,withwhatisnottobeacknowledged;hereiswovenendlesslythenetofthemeanestofconspiracies,theconspiracyofthosewhosufferagainstthosewhosucceedandarevictorious;
heretheveryaspectofthevictoriousishated——asifhealth,success,strength,pride,andthesenseofpowerwereinthemselvesthingsvicious,forwhichoneoughteventuallytomakebitterexpiation。Oh,howthesepeoplewouldthemselvesliketoinflicttheexpiation,howtheythirsttobethehangmen!Andallthewhiletheirduplicityneverconfessestheirhatredtobehatred。
ZurGenealogiederMoral,DritteAbhandlung,SectionI
haveabridged,andinoneplacetransposed,asentence。
PoorNietzsche’santipathyisitselfsicklyenough,butweallknowwhathemeans,andheexpresseswelltheclashbetweenthetwoIdeals。Thecarnivorous-minded“strongman。”theadultmaleandcannibal,canseenothingbutmouldinessandmorbidnessinthesaint’sgentlenessandself-severity,andregardshimwithpureloathing。Thewholefeudrevolvesessentiallyupontwopivots:Shalltheseenworldortheunseenworldbeourchiefsphereofadaptation?andmustourmeansofadaptationinthisseenworldbeaggressivenessornon-resistance?
Thedebateisserious。Insomesenseandtosomedegreebothworldsmustbeacknowledgedandtakenaccountof;andintheseenworldbothaggressivenessandnon-resistanceareneedful。Itisaquestionofemphasis,ofmoreorless。Isthesaint’stypeorthestrong-man’stypethemoreideal?
Ithasoftenbeensupposed,andevennow,Ithink,itissupposedbymostpersons,thattherecanbeoneintrinsicallyidealtypeofhumancharacter。Acertainkindofman,itisimagined,mustbethebestmanabsolutelyandapartfromtheutilityofhisfunction,apartfromeconomicalconsiderations。Thesaint’stype,andtheknight’sorgentleman’stype,havealwaysbeenrivalclaimantsofthisabsoluteideality;andintheidealofmilitaryreligiousordersbothtypeswereinamannerblended。
Accordingtotheempiricalphilosophy,however,allidealsaremattersofrelation。Itwouldbeabsurd,forexample,toaskforadefinitionof“theidealhorse。”solongasdraggingdraysandrunningraces,bearingchildren,andjoggingaboutwithtradesmen’spackagesallremainasindispensabledifferentiationsofequinefunction。Youmaytakewhatyoucallageneralall-roundanimalasacompromise,buthewillbeinferiortoanyhorseofamorespecializedtype,insomeoneparticulardirection。Wemustnotforgetthisnowwhen,indiscussingsaintliness,weaskifitbeanidealtypeofmanhood。Wemusttestitbyitseconomicalrelations。
IthinkthatthemethodwhichMr。SpencerusesinhisDataofEthicswillhelptofixouropinion。Idealityinconductisaltogetheramatterofadaptation。Asocietywhereallwereinvariablyaggressivewoulddestroyitselfbyinnerfriction,andinasocietywheresomeareaggressive,othersmustbenon-resistant,ifthereistobeanykindoforder。Thisisthepresentconstitutionofsociety,andtothemixtureweowemanyofourblessings。Buttheaggressivemembersofsocietyarealwaystendingtobecomebullies,robbers,andswindlers;andnoonebelievesthatsuchastateofthingsaswenowliveinisthemillennium。Itismeanwhilequitepossibletoconceiveanimaginarysocietyinwhichthereshouldbenoaggressiveness,butonlysympathyandfairness——anysmallcommunityoftruefriendsnowrealizessuchasociety。Abstractlyconsidered,suchasocietyonalargescalewouldbethemillennium,foreverygoodthingmightberealizedtherewithnoexpenseoffriction。Tosuchamillennialsocietythesaintwouldbeentirelyadapted。
Hispeacefulmodesofappealwouldbeefficaciousoverhiscompanions,andtherewouldbenooneextanttotakeadvantageofhisnon-resistance。Thesaintisthereforeabstractlyahighertypeofmanthanthe“strongman。”becauseheisadaptedtothehighestsocietyconceivable,whetherthatsocietyeverbeconcretelypossibleornot。Thestrongmanwouldimmediatelytendbyhispresencetomakethatsocietydeteriorate。Itwouldbecomeinferiorineverythingsaveinacertainkindofbellicoseexcitement,deartomenastheynoware。
Butifweturnfromtheabstractquestiontotheactualsituation,wefindthattheindividualsaintmaybewellorilladapted,accordingtoparticularcircumstances。Thereis,inshort,noabsolutenessintheexcellenceofsainthood。Itmustbeconfessedthatasfarasthisworldgoes,anyonewhomakesanout-and-outsaintofhimselfdoessoathisperil。Ifheisnotalargeenoughman,hemayappearmoreinsignificantandcontemptible,forallhissaintship,thanifhehadremainedaworldling。[223]AccordinglyreligionhasseldombeensoradicallytakeninourWesternworldthatthedevoteecouldnotmixitwithsomeworldlytemper。Ithasalwaysfoundgoodmenwhocouldfollowmostofitsimpulses,butwhostoppedshortwhenitcametonon-resistance。Christhimselfwasfierceuponoccasion。
Cromwells,StonewallJacksons,Gordons,showthatChristianscanbestrongmenalso。