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The Most Precious Thing for Man Why, one may choose what is
contrary to one's own interests, and sometimes positively ought (that
is my idea). One's own free unfettered choice, one's own fancy, however wild
it may be, one's own fancy worked up at times to frenzy--why that is that
very "most advantageous advantage" which we have overlooked, which
comes under no classification and through which all systems and theories are
continually being sent to the devil. And how do these sages know that man
must necessarily need a rationally advantageous choice? What man needs is an independent
choice, whatever that independence may cost and wherever it may lead. . . . [R]eason
is only reason and can only satisfy man's rational faculty, while will is a
manifestation of all life, that is, of all human life including reason as
well as all impulses. And although our life, in this manifestation of it, is
often worthless, yet it is life nevertheless and not simply extracting square
roots. . . . [Y]our repeat to me that an enlightened and developed man, such,
in short, as the future man will be, cannot knowingly desire anything
disadvantageous to himself, and that this can be
proved mathematically. I thoroughly agree, it really can--by mathematics. But
. . . man may purposely, consciously, desire what is injurious to himself, what is stupid, very stupid--simply in order to
have the right to desire for himself even what is very stupid and not to
be bound by an obligation to desire only what is rational. . . . And [this] .
. . may be more advantageous than any advantages even when it does obvious
harm, and contradicts the soundest conclusions of our reason about our
advantage--because in any case it preserves for us what is most precious and
most important--that is, our personality, our individuality. Some, you see,
maintain that this really is the most precious thing for man; desire can, of
course, if it desires, be in agreement with reason. . . . But very often, and
even most often, desire completely and stubbornly opposes reason, and . . .
that, too, is useful and sometimes even praiseworthy. . . . ... Gentlemen, I am tormented by
questions, answer them for me. Now you, for instance, want to cure men of
their old habits and reform them in accordance with science and common sense.
But how do you know, not only that it is possible, but also that it is desirable,
to reform them in that way? And what leads you to the conclusion that it is
so necessary to reform man's desires? In short, how do you know that
such a reformation will really be advantageous to man? And go to the heart of
the matter, why are you so sure of your conviction that not to act
against his real normal advantages guaranteed by the conclusions of reason
and arithmetic is always advantageous for man and must be lawful for all
mankind? . . . And why are you so firmly, so
triumphantly convinced that only the normal and the positive--in short, only
prosperity--is to the advantage of man? Is not reason mistaken in about
advantage? After all, perhaps man likes something besides prosperity? Perhaps
he likes suffering just as much? Perhaps suffering is just as great an
advantage to him as prosperity? Man is sometimes fearfully, passionately in
love with suffering and that is a fact. There is no need to appeal to
universal history to prove that; only ask yourself, if only you are a man and
have lived at all. As far as my own personal opinion is concerned, to care
only for prosperity seems to me somehow even ill-bred. Whether it's good or
bad, it is sometimes very pleasant to smash things, too. After all, I do not
really insist on suffering or on prosperity either. I insist on my caprice,
and on its being guaranteed to me when necessary. Suffering would be out of
place in vaudevilles, for instance; I know that. In the crystal palace it is
even unthinkable; suffering means doubt, means negation, and what would be
the good of a crystal palace if there could be any doubt about it? And yet I
am sure man will never renounce real suffering, that is, destruction and
chaos. |
