按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
on Louis XIV。 and Louis XV。？ Why precisely on Louis XVI。？ And what limit is there to such reflection？ To these questions there is and can be no reply。 Nor does this view explain the reason that the combined will of a people remains for several centuries vested in its rulers and their heirs； and then all at once during a period of fifty years is transferred to a Convention； a Directory； to Napoleon； to Alexander； to Louis XVIII。； again to Napoleon； to Charles X。； to Louis Philippe； to a republican government； and to Napoleon III。 To explain these rapid transferences of the people’s will from one person to another； especially when complicated by international relations； wars； and alliances； these historians are unwillingly obliged to allow that a proportion of these phenomena are not normal transferences of the will of the people； but casual incidents； depending on the cunning； or the blundering； or the craft； or the weakness of a diplomatist or a monarch； or the leader of a party。 So that the greater number of the phenomena of history—civil wars； revolutions； wars—are regarded by these historians as not being produced by the delegation of the free…will of the people； but as being produced by the wrongly directed will of one or several persons； that is； again by a violation of authority。 And so by this class of historians； too； historical events are conceived of as exceptions to their theory。
These historians are like a botanist who； observing that several plants grow by their seed parting into two cotyledons； or seed…leaves； should insist that everything that grows only grows by parting into two leaves； and that the palm…tree and the mushroom； and even the oak； when it spreads its branches in all directions in its mature growth； and has lost all semblance to its two seed…leaves； are departures from their theory of the true law of growth。 A third class of historians admit that the will of the masses is vested in historical leaders conditionally； but say that those conditions are not known to us。 They maintain that historical leaders have power only because they are carrying out the will of the masses delegated to them。
But in that case； if the force moving the peoples lies not in their historical leaders； but in the peoples themselves； where is the significance of those historical leaders？
Historical leaders are； so those historians tell us； the self…expression of the will of the masses； the activity of the historical leaders serves as a type of the activity of the masses。
But in that case the question arises； Does all the activity of historical leaders serve as an expression of the will of the masses； or only a certain side of it？ If all the life…activity of historical leaders serves as an expression of the will of the masses； as some indeed believe； then the biographies of Napoleons and Catherines； with all the details of court scandal； serve as the expression of the life of their peoples； which is an obvious absurdity。 If only one side of the activity of an historical leader serves as the expression of the life of a people； as other supposed philosophical historians believe； then to define what side of the activity of an historical leader does express the life of a people； one must know first what the life of the people consists of。
Being confronted with this difficulty； historians of this class invent the most obscure； intangible； and general abstraction； under which to class the greatest possible number of events； and declare that in this abstraction is to be found the aim of the movements of humanity。 The most usual abstractions accepted by almost all historians are： freedom； equality； enlightenment； progress； civilisation； culture。 Postulating some such abstraction as the goal of the movements of humanity； the historians study those persons who have left the greatest number of memorials behind them—kings； ministers； generals； writers； reformers； popes； and journalists—from the point of view of the effect those persons in their opinion had in promoting or hindering that abstraction。 But as it is nowhere proven that the goal of humanity really is freedom； equality； enlightenment； or civilisation； and as the connection of the masses with their rulers and with the leaders of humanity only rests on the arbitrary assumption that the combined will of the masses is always vested in these figures which attract our attention—the fact remains that the activity of the millions of men who move from place to place； burn houses； abandon tilling the soil； and butcher one another； never does find expression in descriptions of the activity of some dozen persons； who do not burn houses； never have tilled the soil； and do not kill their fellow…creatures。
History proves this at every turn。 Is the ferment of the peoples of the west towards the end of last century； and their rush to the east； explained by the activity of Louis XIV。； Louis XV。； and Louis XVI。； or their mistresses and ministers； or by the life of Napoleon； of Rousseau； of Diderot； of Beaumarchais； and others？
The movement of the Russian people to the east； to Kazan and Siberia； is that expressed in the details of the morbid life of John IV。 and his correspondence with Kurbsky？
Is the movement of the peoples at the time of the Crusades explained by the life and activity of certain Godfreys and Louis’ and their ladies？
It has remained beyond our comprehension； that movement of the peoples from west to east； without an object； without leadership； with a crowd of tramps following Peter the Hermit。 And even more incomprehensible is the cessation of that movement； when a rational and holy object for the expeditions had been clearly set up by historical leaders—that is； the deliverance of Jerusalem。
Popes； kings； and knights urged the people to set free the Holy Land。 But the people did not move； because that unknown cause； which had impelled them before to movement； existed no longer。 The history of the Godfreys and the Minnesingers evidently cannot be regarded as an epitome of the life of the peoples。 And the history of the Godfreys and the Minnesingers has remained the history of those knights and those Minnesingers； while the history of the life of the peoples and their impulses has remained unknown。
Even less explanatory of the life of the peoples is the history of the lives of writers and reformers。
The history of culture offers us as the impelling motives of the life of the people the circumstances of the lives or the ideas of a writer or a reformer。 We learn that Luther had a hasty temper and uttered certain speeches； we learn that Rousseau was distrustful and wrote certain books； but we do not learn what made the nations cut each other to pieces after the Reformation； or why men guillotined each other during the French Revolution。
If we unite both these kinds of history together； as do the most modern historians； then we shall get histories of monarchs and of writers； but not a history of the life of nations。
Chapter 5
THE LIFE of nations is not contained in the life of a few men； since the connection between those few men and the nations has not been found。 The theory that this connection is based on the delegation of the combined will of a people to its historical leaders is an hypothesis； not supported by the testimony of history。
The theory of the delegation of the combined will of the masses to historical personages may perhaps explain a great deal in the domain of the science of law； and is possibly essential for its purposes。 But in its application to history； as soon as revolutions； wars； civil disturbances arise； as soon as history begins in fact—this theory explains nothing。
This theory appears irrefutable； just because the act of delegating the will of the people can never be verified； since it has never existed。
Whatever event might take place； and whoever might be taking the lead in such an event； the theory can always say that such a person took the lead in bringing about that event because the combined will was vested in him。
The answers given by this theory to historical questions are like the answers of a man who； watching the movements of a flock； should pay no attention to the varying quality of the pasturage in different parts of the