WEBVTT
1
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CHAPTER IV. OF BETHINK YOURSELVES. By Leo Tolstoy. Translated by V. Chertkov.
2
00:00:07.410 --> 00:00:13.000
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Ask a soldier,
3
00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:17.839
a private, a corporal, a non-commissioned officer, who has abandoned
4
00:00:17.899 --> 00:00:21.620
his old parents, his wife, his children, why he is
5
00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:25.559
preparing to kill men whom he does not know. He
6
00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:28.399
will at first be astonished at your question. He is
7
00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.219
a soldier. He has taken the oath. and it's his
8
00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:35.439
duty to fulfil the orders of his commanders. If you
9
00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:39.079
tell him that war, the slaughter of men, does not
10
00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:43.560
conform to the command, thou shalt not kill, he will say,
11
00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:47.579
and how if ours are attacked, for the king, for
12
00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:51.140
the orthodox faith? One of them said, in answer to
13
00:00:51.189 --> 00:00:54.369
my question, and how if he attacks that which is sacred?
14
00:00:55.049 --> 00:00:57.909
What do you mean? I asked. Why, said he, the banner?
15
00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:02.060
And if you endeavour to explain to such a soldier
16
00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:07.140
that God's commandment is more important not only than the banner,
17
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.299
but than anything else in the world, he will become silent,
18
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:14.859
or he will get angry and report you to the authorities.
19
00:01:16.769 --> 00:01:19.870
Ask an officer, a general, why he goes to war.
20
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:22.489
He will tell you that he is a military man,
21
00:01:23.129 --> 00:01:25.950
and that the military are indispensable for the defence of
22
00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:30.180
the fatherland. as to murder not conforming to the spirit
23
00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.939
of the Christian law, this does not trouble him, as
24
00:01:34.019 --> 00:01:36.859
either he does not believe in this law, or if
25
00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:39.900
he does, it is not in the law itself, but
26
00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:42.760
in that explanation which has been given to this law.
27
00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:47.319
And above all, he, like the soldier, in place of
28
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:51.780
the personal question, what should he do himself, always puts
29
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.939
the general question about the state or the fatherland. At
30
00:01:55.980 --> 00:01:59.290
the present moment, When the fatherland is in danger, one
31
00:01:59.329 --> 00:02:05.560
should act and not argue, he will say. Ask the diplomats,
32
00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.069
who by their deceits prepare wars, why they do it.
33
00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:13.580
They will tell you that the object of their activity
34
00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:17.539
is the establishment of peace between nations, and that this
35
00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:23.020
object is attained not by ideal, unrealisable theories, but by
36
00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:28.500
diplomatic action and readiness for war. and just as the military,
37
00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:32.599
instead of the question concerning one's own action, place the
38
00:02:32.659 --> 00:02:37.629
general question, so also diplomatists will speak about the interests
39
00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:42.389
of Russia, about the unscrupulousness of other powers, about the
40
00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:45.930
balance of power in Europe, but not about their own
41
00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:52.819
position and its activities. Ask the journalists why, by their writings,
42
00:02:53.180 --> 00:02:56.659
they incite men to war, They will say that wars
43
00:02:56.740 --> 00:03:00.780
in general are necessary and useful, especially the present war,
44
00:03:01.939 --> 00:03:04.879
and they will confirm this opinion of theirs by misty,
45
00:03:05.090 --> 00:03:10.490
patriotic phrases, and, just like the military and diplomatists, to
46
00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:15.090
the question why he, a journalist, a particular individual, a
47
00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:19.180
living man, acts in a certain way, he will speak
48
00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:23.939
about the general interests of the nation, about the state, civilization,
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00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:29.379
the white race. In the same way, all those who
50
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:34.110
prepare war will explain their participation in that work. They
51
00:03:34.129 --> 00:03:37.330
will perhaps agree that it would be desirable to abolish war,
52
00:03:37.909 --> 00:03:42.430
but at present that is impossible. At present, they as
53
00:03:42.490 --> 00:03:46.439
Russians and as men who occupy certain positions, such as
54
00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:52.060
heads of the nobility, representatives of local self-government, doctors, workers
55
00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:55.460
of the Red Cross, are called upon to act and
56
00:03:55.659 --> 00:04:00.030
not to argue. There is no time to argue and
57
00:04:00.069 --> 00:04:02.569
to think of oneself, they will say, when there is
58
00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:06.270
a great common work to be done. The same will
59
00:04:06.289 --> 00:04:11.219
be said by the Tsar, seemingly responsible for the whole thing. He,
60
00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:15.120
like the soldier, will be astonished at the question whether
61
00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:18.980
war is now necessary. He does not now even admit
62
00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:22.379
the idea that the war might yet be arrested. He
63
00:04:22.420 --> 00:04:25.399
will say that he cannot refrain from fulfilling that which
64
00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:29.230
is demanded of him by the whole nation, that, although
65
00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.709
he does recognize that war is a great evil, and
66
00:04:32.750 --> 00:04:35.910
has used and is ready to use all possible means
67
00:04:35.949 --> 00:04:39.970
for its abolition, in the present case he could not
68
00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:44.920
help declaring war, and cannot help continuing it. It is
69
00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:50.300
necessary for the welfare and glory of Russia. Every one
70
00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:55.439
of these men, to the question why he, so-and-so, Ivan, Peter, Nicholas,
71
00:04:56.230 --> 00:05:00.149
whilst recognising as binding upon him the Christian law, which
72
00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:03.860
not only forbids the killing of one's neighbour, but demands
73
00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:08.060
that one should love him, serve him, why he permits
74
00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:13.100
himself to participate in war, that is in violence, loot, murder,
75
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:17.810
will infallibly answer the same thing, that he is thus
76
00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:21.750
acting in the name of his fatherland, or faith, or oath,
77
00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:25.829
or honour, or civilisation. or the future welfare of the
78
00:05:25.870 --> 00:05:32.939
whole of mankind, in general of something abstract and indefinite. Moreover,
79
00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:37.819
these men are always so urgently occupied, either by preparation
80
00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:41.850
for war or by its organisation, or discussions about it,
81
00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:45.259
that in their leisure time they can only rest from
82
00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:49.139
their labours, and have not time to occupy themselves with
83
00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:57.389
discussions about their life, regarding such discussions as idle. End
84
00:05:57.430 --> 00:05:57.930
of chapter 4
1
00:00:00.610 --> 00:00:06.750
CHAPTER IV. OF BETHINK YOURSELVES. By Leo Tolstoy. Translated by V. Chertkov.
2
00:00:07.410 --> 00:00:13.000
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Ask a soldier,
3
00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:17.839
a private, a corporal, a non-commissioned officer, who has abandoned
4
00:00:17.899 --> 00:00:21.620
his old parents, his wife, his children, why he is
5
00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:25.559
preparing to kill men whom he does not know. He
6
00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:28.399
will at first be astonished at your question. He is
7
00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.219
a soldier. He has taken the oath. and it's his
8
00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:35.439
duty to fulfil the orders of his commanders. If you
9
00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:39.079
tell him that war, the slaughter of men, does not
10
00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:43.560
conform to the command, thou shalt not kill, he will say,
11
00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:47.579
and how if ours are attacked, for the king, for
12
00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:51.140
the orthodox faith? One of them said, in answer to
13
00:00:51.189 --> 00:00:54.369
my question, and how if he attacks that which is sacred?
14
00:00:55.049 --> 00:00:57.909
What do you mean? I asked. Why, said he, the banner?
15
00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:02.060
And if you endeavour to explain to such a soldier
16
00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:07.140
that God's commandment is more important not only than the banner,
17
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.299
but than anything else in the world, he will become silent,
18
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:14.859
or he will get angry and report you to the authorities.
19
00:01:16.769 --> 00:01:19.870
Ask an officer, a general, why he goes to war.
20
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:22.489
He will tell you that he is a military man,
21
00:01:23.129 --> 00:01:25.950
and that the military are indispensable for the defence of
22
00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:30.180
the fatherland. as to murder not conforming to the spirit
23
00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.939
of the Christian law, this does not trouble him, as
24
00:01:34.019 --> 00:01:36.859
either he does not believe in this law, or if
25
00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:39.900
he does, it is not in the law itself, but
26
00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:42.760
in that explanation which has been given to this law.
27
00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:47.319
And above all, he, like the soldier, in place of
28
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:51.780
the personal question, what should he do himself, always puts
29
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.939
the general question about the state or the fatherland. At
30
00:01:55.980 --> 00:01:59.290
the present moment, When the fatherland is in danger, one
31
00:01:59.329 --> 00:02:05.560
should act and not argue, he will say. Ask the diplomats,
32
00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.069
who by their deceits prepare wars, why they do it.
33
00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:13.580
They will tell you that the object of their activity
34
00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:17.539
is the establishment of peace between nations, and that this
35
00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:23.020
object is attained not by ideal, unrealisable theories, but by
36
00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:28.500
diplomatic action and readiness for war. and just as the military,
37
00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:32.599
instead of the question concerning one's own action, place the
38
00:02:32.659 --> 00:02:37.629
general question, so also diplomatists will speak about the interests
39
00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:42.389
of Russia, about the unscrupulousness of other powers, about the
40
00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:45.930
balance of power in Europe, but not about their own
41
00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:52.819
position and its activities. Ask the journalists why, by their writings,
42
00:02:53.180 --> 00:02:56.659
they incite men to war, They will say that wars
43
00:02:56.740 --> 00:03:00.780
in general are necessary and useful, especially the present war,
44
00:03:01.939 --> 00:03:04.879
and they will confirm this opinion of theirs by misty,
45
00:03:05.090 --> 00:03:10.490
patriotic phrases, and, just like the military and diplomatists, to
46
00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:15.090
the question why he, a journalist, a particular individual, a
47
00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:19.180
living man, acts in a certain way, he will speak
48
00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:23.939
about the general interests of the nation, about the state, civilization,
49
00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:29.379
the white race. In the same way, all those who
50
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:34.110
prepare war will explain their participation in that work. They
51
00:03:34.129 --> 00:03:37.330
will perhaps agree that it would be desirable to abolish war,
52
00:03:37.909 --> 00:03:42.430
but at present that is impossible. At present, they as
53
00:03:42.490 --> 00:03:46.439
Russians and as men who occupy certain positions, such as
54
00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:52.060
heads of the nobility, representatives of local self-government, doctors, workers
55
00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:55.460
of the Red Cross, are called upon to act and
56
00:03:55.659 --> 00:04:00.030
not to argue. There is no time to argue and
57
00:04:00.069 --> 00:04:02.569
to think of oneself, they will say, when there is
58
00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:06.270
a great common work to be done. The same will
59
00:04:06.289 --> 00:04:11.219
be said by the Tsar, seemingly responsible for the whole thing. He,
60
00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:15.120
like the soldier, will be astonished at the question whether
61
00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:18.980
war is now necessary. He does not now even admit
62
00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:22.379
the idea that the war might yet be arrested. He
63
00:04:22.420 --> 00:04:25.399
will say that he cannot refrain from fulfilling that which
64
00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:29.230
is demanded of him by the whole nation, that, although
65
00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.709
he does recognize that war is a great evil, and
66
00:04:32.750 --> 00:04:35.910
has used and is ready to use all possible means
67
00:04:35.949 --> 00:04:39.970
for its abolition, in the present case he could not
68
00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:44.920
help declaring war, and cannot help continuing it. It is
69
00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:50.300
necessary for the welfare and glory of Russia. Every one
70
00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:55.439
of these men, to the question why he, so-and-so, Ivan, Peter, Nicholas,
71
00:04:56.230 --> 00:05:00.149
whilst recognising as binding upon him the Christian law, which
72
00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:03.860
not only forbids the killing of one's neighbour, but demands
73
00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:08.060
that one should love him, serve him, why he permits
74
00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:13.100
himself to participate in war, that is in violence, loot, murder,
75
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:17.810
will infallibly answer the same thing, that he is thus
76
00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:21.750
acting in the name of his fatherland, or faith, or oath,
77
00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:25.829
or honour, or civilisation. or the future welfare of the
78
00:05:25.870 --> 00:05:32.939
whole of mankind, in general of something abstract and indefinite. Moreover,
79
00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:37.819
these men are always so urgently occupied, either by preparation
80
00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:41.850
for war or by its organisation, or discussions about it,
81
00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:45.259
that in their leisure time they can only rest from
82
00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:49.139
their labours, and have not time to occupy themselves with
83
00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:57.389
discussions about their life, regarding such discussions as idle. End
84
00:05:57.430 --> 00:05:57.930
of chapter 4
