第46章

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？Thecultivationofthegroundp