第101章

第101章“no,notexactlybecauseofit,”answeredporfiry.“inhisarticleallmenaredividedinto‘ordinary’and‘extraordinary.’ordinarymenhavetoliveinsubmission,havenorighttotransgressthelaw,because,don’tyousee,theyareordinary.butextraordinarymenhavearighttocommitanycrimeandtotransgressthelawinanyway,justbecausetheyareextraordinary.thatwasyouridea,ifiamnotmistaken?”

“whatdoyoumean?thatcan’tberight?”razumihinmutteredinbewilderment.

raskolnikovsmiledagain.hesawthepointatonce,andknewwheretheywantedtodrivehim.hedecidedtotakeupthechallenge.

“thatwasn’tquitemycontention,”hebegansimplyandmodestly.“yetiadmitthatyouhavestateditalmostcorrectly;perhaps,ifyoulike,perfectlyso.”(italmostgavehimpleasuretoadmitthis.)“theonlydifferenceisthatidon’tcontendthatextraordinarypeoplearealwaysboundtocommitbreachesofmorals,asyoucallit.infact,idoubtwhethersuchanargumentcouldbepublished.isimplyhintedthatan‘extraordinary’manhastheright…thatisnotanofficialright,butaninnerrighttodecideinhisownconsciencetooverstep…certainobstacles,andonlyincaseitisessentialforthepracticalfulfilmentofhisidea(sometimes,perhaps,ofbenefittothewholeofhumanity).yousaythatmyarticleisn’tdefinite;iamreadytomakeitasclearasican.perhapsiamrightinthinkingyouwantmeto;verywell.imaintainthatifthediscoveriesofkeplerandnewtoncouldnothavebeenmadeknownexceptbysacrificingthelivesofone,adozen,ahundred,ormoremen,newtonwouldhavehadtheright,wouldindeedhavebeenindutybound…toeliminatethedozenorthehundredmenforthesakeofmakinghisdiscoveriesknowntothewholeofhumanity.butitdoesnotfollowfromthatthatnewtonhadarighttomurderpeoplerightandleftandtostealeverydayinthemarket.then,iremember,imaintaininmyarticlethatall…well,legislatorsandleadersofmen,suchaslycurgus,solon,mahomet,napoleon,andsoon,wereallwithoutexceptioncriminals,fromtheveryfactthat,makinganewlaw,theytransgressedtheancientone,handeddownfromtheirancestorsandheldsacredbythepeople,andtheydidnotstopshortatbloodshedeither,ifthatbloodshed—oftenofinnocentpersonsfightingbravelyindefenceofancientlaw—wereofusetotheircause.it’sremarkable,infact,thatthemajority,indeed,ofthesebenefactorsandleadersofhumanitywereguiltyofterriblecarnage.inshort,imaintainthatallgreatmenorevenmenalittleoutofthecommon,thatistosaycapableofgivingsomenewword,mustfromtheirverynaturebecriminals—moreorless,ofcourse.otherwiseit’shardforthemtogetoutofthecommonrut;andtoremaininthecommonrutiswhattheycan’tsubmitto,fromtheirverynatureagain,andtomymindtheyoughtnot,indeed,tosubmittoit.youseethatthereisnothingparticularlynewinallthat.thesamethinghasbeenprintedandreadathousandtimesbefore.asformydivisionofpeopleintoordinaryandextraordinary,iacknowledgethatit’ssomewhatarbitrary,butidon’tinsistuponexactnumbers.ionlybelieveinmyleadingideathatmenareingeneraldividedbyalawofnatureintotwocategories,inferior(ordinary),thatis,sotosay,materialthatservesonlytoreproduceitskind,andmenwhohavethegiftorthetalenttoutteranewword.thereare,ofcourse,innumerablesub-divisions,butthedistinguishingfeaturesofbothcategoriesarefairlywellmarked.thefirstcategory,generallyspeaking,aremenconservativeintemperamentandlaw-abiding;theyliveundercontrolandlovetobecontrolled.tomythinkingitistheirdutytobecontrolled,becausethat’stheirvocation,andthereisnothinghumiliatinginitforthem.thesecondcategoryalltransgressthelaw;theyaredestroyersordisposedtodestructionaccordingtotheircapacities.thecrimesofthesemenareofcourserelativeandvaried;forthemostparttheyseekinveryvariedwaysthedestructionofthepresentforthesakeofthebetter.butifsuchaoneisforcedforthesakeofhisideatostepoveracorpseorwadethroughblood,hecan,imaintain,findwithinhimself,inhisconscience,asanctionforwadingthroughblood—thatdependsontheideaanditsdimensions,notethat.it’sonlyinthatsenseispeakoftheirrighttocrimeinmyarticle(yourememberitbeganwiththelegalquestion).there’snoneedforsuchanxiety,however;themasseswillscarcelyeveradmitthisright,theypunishthemorhangthem(moreorless),andindoingsofulfilquitejustlytheirconservativevocation.butthesamemassessetthesecriminalsonapedestalinthenextgenerationandworshipthem(moreorless).thefirstcategoryisalwaysthemanofthepresent,thesecondthemanofthefuture.thefirstpreservetheworldandpeopleit,thesecondmovetheworldandleadittoitsgoal.eachclasshasanequalrighttoexist.infact,allhaveequalrightswithme—andvivelaguerreeternelle—tillthenewjerusalem,ofcourse!”

“thenyoubelieveinthenewjerusalem,doyou?”

“ido,”raskolnikovansweredfirmly;ashesaidthesewordsandduringthewholeprecedingtiradehekepthiseyesononespotonthecarpet.

“and…anddoyoubelieveingod?excusemycuriosity.”

“ido,”repeatedraskolnikov,raisinghiseyestoporfiry.

“and…doyoubelieveinlazarus’risingfromthedead?”

“i…ido.whydoyouaskallthis?”

“youbelieveitliterally?”

“literally.”

“youdon’tsayso.…iaskedfromcuriosity.excuseme.butletusgobacktothequestion;theyarenotalwaysexecuted.some,onthecontrary…”

“triumphintheirlifetime?oh,yes,someattaintheirendsinthislife,andthen…”

“theybeginexecutingotherpeople?”

“ifit’snecessary;indeed,forthemostparttheydo.yourremarkisverywitty.”