babe！　　Oh；　the　pure；　innocent　child！　　Why；　in　the　first　place；
  when　in　all　these　thousands　of　years　has　there　been　a　time　when
  man　has　acted　only　from　his　own　interest？　　What　is　to　be　done
  with　the　millions　of　facts　that　bear　witness　that　men；
  _consciously_；　that　is　fully　understanding　their　real　interests；
  have　left　them　in　the　background　and　have　rushed　headlong　on
  another　path；　to　meet　peril　and　danger；　compelled　to　this　course
  by　nobody　and　by　nothing；　but；　as　it　were；　simply　disliking　the
  beaten　track；　and　have　obstinately；　wilfully；　struck　out　another
  difficult；　absurd　way；　seeking　it　almost　in　the　darkness。　　So；　I
  suppose；　this　obstinacy　and　perversity　were　pleasanter　to　them
  than　any　advantage。。。。　Advantage！　　What　is　advantage？　　And　will
  you　take　it　upon　yourself　to　define　with　perfect　accuracy　in　what
  the　advantage　of　man　consists？　　And　what　if　it　so　happens　that　a
  man's　advantage；　_sometimes_；　not　only　may；　but　even　must；
  consist　in　his　desiring　in　certain　cases　what　is　harmful　to
  himself　and　not　advantageous。　　And　if　so；　if　there　can　be　such　a
  case；　the　whole　principle　falls　into　dust。　　What　do　you
  thinkare　there　such　cases？　　You　laugh；　laugh　away；　gentlemen；
  but　only　answer　me：　have　man's　advantages　been　reckoned　up　with
  perfect　certainty？　　Are　there　not　some　which　not　only　have　not
  been　included　but　cannot　possibly　be　included　under　any
  classification？　　You　see；　you　gentlemen　have；　to　the　best　of　my
  knowledge；　taken　your　whole　register　of　human　advantages　from　the
  averages　of　statistical　figures　and　politico…economical　formulas。
  Your　advantages　are　prosperity；　wealth；　freedom；　peaceand　so
  on；　and　so　on。　So　that　the　man　who　should；　for　instance；　go
  openly　and　knowingly　in　opposition　to　all　that　list　would　to　your
  thinking；　and　indeed　mine；　too；　of　course；　be　an　obscurantist　or
  an　absolute　madman：　would　not　he？　　But；　you　know；　this　is　what　is
  surprising：　why　does　it　so　happen　that　all　these　statisticians；
  sages　and　lovers　of　humanity；　when　they　reckon　up　human
  advantages　invariably　leave　out　one？　　　They　don't　even　take　it
  into　their　reckoning　in　the　form　in　which　it　should　be　taken；　and
  the　whole　reckoning　depends　upon　that。　　It　would　be　no　greater
  matter；　they　would　simply　have　to　take　it；　this　advantage；　and
  add　it　to　the　list。　　But　the　trouble　is；　that　this　strange
  advantage　does　not　fall　under　any　classification　and　is　not　in
  place　in　any　list。　　I　have　a　friend　for　instance　。。。　Ech！
  gentlemen；　but　of　course　he　is　your　friend；　too；　and　indeed　there
  is　no　one；　no　one　to　whom　he　is　not　a　friend！　　When　he　prepares
  for　any　undertaking　this　gentleman　immediately　explains　to　you；
  elegantly　and　clearly；　exactly　how　he　must　act　in　accordance　with
  the　laws　of　reason　and　truth。　　What　is　more；　he　will　talk　to　you
  with　excitement　and　passion　of　the　true　normal　interests　of　man；
  with　irony　he　will　upbraid　the　short…　sighted　fools　who　do　not
  understand　their　own　interests；　nor　the　true　significance　of
  virtue；　and；　within　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　without　any　sudden
  outside　provocation；　but　simply　through　something　inside　him
  which　is　stronger　than　all　his　interests；　he　will　go　off　on　quite
  a　different　tackthat　is；　act　in　direct　opposition　to　what　he
  has　just　been　saying　about　himself；　in　opposition　to　the　laws　of
  reason；　in　opposition　to　his　own　advantage；　in　fact　in　opposition
  to　everything　。。。　I　warn　you　that　my　friend　is　a　compound
  personality　and　therefore　it　is　difficult　to　blame　him　as　an
  individual。　　The　fact　is；　gentlemen；　it　seems　there　must　really
  exist　something　that　is　dearer　to　almost　every　man　than　his
  greatest　advantages；　or　（not　to　be　illogical）　there　is　a　most
  advantageous　advantage　（the　very　one　omitted　of　which　we　spoke
  just　now）　which　is　more　important　and　more　advantageous　than　all
  other　advantages；　for　the　sake　of　which　a　man　if　necessary　is
  ready　to　act　in　opposition　to　all　laws；　that　is；　in　opposition　to
  reason；　honour；　peace；　prosperityin　fact；　in　opposition　to　all
  those　excellent　and　useful　things　if　only　he　can　attain　that
  fundamental；　most　advantageous　advantage　which　is　dearer　to　him
  than　all。　　〃Yes；　but　it's　advantage　all　the　same；〃　you　will
  retort。　　But　excuse　me；　I'll　make　the　point　clear；　and　it　is　not
  a　case　of　playing　upon　words。　　What　matters　is；　that　this
  advantage　is　remarkable　from　the　very　fact　that　it　breaks　down
  all　our　classifications；　and　continually　shatters　every　system
  constructed　by　lovers　of　mankind　for　the　benefit　of　mankind。　　In
  fact；　it　upsets　everything。　　But　before　I　mention　this　advantage
  to　you；　I　want　to　compromise　myself　personally；　and　therefore　I
  boldly　declare　that　all　these　fine　systems；　all　these　theories
  for　explaining　to　mankind　their　real　normal　interests；　in　order
  that　inevitably　striving　to　pursue　these　interests　they　may　at
  once　become　good　and　nobleare；　in　my　opinion；　so　far；　mere
  logical　exercises！　　Yes；　logical　exercises。　　Why；　to　maintain
  this　theory　of　the　regeneration　of　mankind　by　means　of　the
  pursuit　of　his　own　advantage　is　to　my　mind　almost　the　same　thing
  。。。　as　to　affirm；　for　instance；　following　Buckle；　that　through
  civilisation　mankind　becomes　softer；　and　consequently　less
  bloodthirsty　and　less　fitted　for　warfare。　　Logically　it　does　seem
  to　follow　from　his　arguments。　　But　man　has　such　a　predilection
  for　systems　and　abstract　deductions　that　he　is　ready　to　distort
  the　truth　intentionally；　he　is　ready　to　deny　the　evidence　of　his
  senses　only　to　justify　his　logic。　　I　take　this　example　because　it
  is　the　most　glaring　instance　of　it。　　Only　look　about　you：　blood
  is　being　spilt　in　streams；　and　in　the　merriest　way；　as　though　it
  were　champagne。　　Take　the　whole　of　the　nineteenth　century　in
  which　Buckle　lived。　　Take　Napoleonthe　Great　and　also　the
  present　one。　　Take　North　Americathe　eternal　union。　　Take　the
  farce　of　Schleswig…Holstein。。。　。　And　what　is　it　that　civilisation
  softens　in　us？　　The　only　gain　of　civilisation　for　mankind　is　the
  greater　capacity　for　variety　of　sensationsand　absolutely
  nothing　more。　　And　through　the　development　of　this　many…
  sidedness　man　may　come　to　finding　enjoyment　in　bloodshed。　　In
  fact；　this　has　already　happened　to　him。　　Have　you　noticed　that　it
  is　the　most　civilised　gentlemen　who　have　been　the　subtlest
  slaughterers；　to　whom　the　Attilas　and　Stenka　Razins　could　not
  hold　a　candle；　and　if　they　are　not　so　conspicuous　as　the　Attilas
  and　Stenka　Razins　it　is　simply　because　they　are　so　often　met
  with；　are　so　ordinary　and　have　become　so　familiar　to　us。　　In　any
  case　civilisation　has　made　mankind　if　not　more　blood…thirsty；　at
  least　more　vilely；　more　loathsomely　bloodthirsty。　　In　old　days　he
  saw　justice　in　bloodshed　and　with　his　conscience　at　peace
  exterminated　those　he　thought　proper。　　Now　we　do　think　bloodshed
  abominable　and　yet　we　engage　in　this　abomination；　and　with　more
  energy　than　ever。　　Which　is　worse？　　Decide　that　for　yourselves。
  They　say　that　Cleopatra　（excuse　an　instance　from　Roman　history）
  was　fond　of　sticking　gold　pins　into　her　slave…girls'　breasts　and
  derived　gratification　from　their　screams　and　writhings。　　You　will
  say　that　that　was　in　the　comparatively　barbarous　times；　that
  these　are　barbarous　times　too；　because　also；　comparatively
  speaking；　pins　are　stuck　in　even　now；　that　though　man　has　now
  learned　to　see　more　clearly　than　in　barbarous　ages；　he　is　still
  far　from　having　learnt　to　act　as　reason　and　science　would
  dictate。　　But　yet　you　are　fully　convinced　that　he　will　be　sure　to
  learn　when　he　gets　rid　of　certain　old　bad　habits；　and　when　common
  sense　and　science　have　completely　re…　educated　human　nature　and
  turned　it　in　a　normal　direction。　　You　are　confident　that　then　man
  will　cease　from　_intentional_　error　and　will；　so　to　say；　be
  compelled　not　to　want　to　set　his　will　against　his　normal
  interests。　　That　is　not　all；　then；　you　say；　science　itself　will
  teach　man　（though　to　my　mind　it's　a　superfluous　luxury）　that　he
  never　has　really　had　any　caprice　or　will　of　his　own；　and　that　he
  himself　is　something　of　the　nature　of　a　piano…key　or　the　stop　of
  an　organ；　and　that　there　are；　besides；　things　called　the　laws　of
  nature；　so　that　everything　he　does　is　not　done　by　his　willing　it；
  but　is　done　of　itself；　by　the　laws　of　nature。　　Consequently　we
  have　only　to　discover　these　laws　of　nature；　and　man　will　no
  longer　have　to　answer　for　his　actions　and　life　will　become
  exceedingly　easy　for　him。　　All　human　actions　will　then；　of
  course；　be　tabulated　according　to　these　laws；　mathematically；
  like　tables　of　logarithms　up　to　108；000；　and　entered　in　an　index；
  or；　better　still；　there　would　be　published　certain　edifying　works
  of　the　nature　of　encyclopaedic　lexicons；　in　which　everything　will
  be　so　clearly　calculated　and　explained　that　there　will　be　no　more
  incidents　or　adventures　in　the　world。
  Thenthis　is　all　what　you　saynew　economic　relations　will　be
  established；　all　ready…made　and　worked　out　with　mathematical
  exactitude；　so　that　every　possible　question　will