第586章

第586章thecombinationofcausesofphenomenaisbeyondthegraspofthehumanintellect.buttheimpulsetoseekcausesisinnateinthesoulofman.andthehumanintellect,withnoinklingoftheimmensevarietyandcomplexityofcircumstancesconditioningaphenomenon,anyoneofwhichmaybeseparatelyconceivedofasthecauseofit,snatchesatthefirstandmosteasilyunderstoodapproximation,andsayshereisthecause.inhistoricalevents,wheretheactionsofmenformthesubjectofobservation,themostprimitiveconceptionofacausewasthewillofthegods,eededlateronbythewillofthosemenwhostandinthehistoricalforeground—theheroesofhistory.butonehadbuttolookbelowthesurfaceofanyhistoricalevent,tolook,thatis,intothemovementofthewholemassofmentakingpartinthatevent,tobeconvincedthatthewilloftheheroofhistory,sofarfromcontrollingtheactionsofthemultitude,iscontinuallycontrolledbythem.itmaybethoughtthatitisamatterofnoimportancewhetherhistoricaleventsareinterpretedinonewayorinanother.butbetweenthemanwhosaysthatthepeoplesofthewestmarchedintotheeast,becausenapoleonwilledtheyshoulddoso,andthemanwhosaysthatthatmovementcametopassbecauseitwasboundtocometopass,thereexiststhesamedifferenceasbetweenthemenwhomaintainedthattheearthwasstationaryandtheplanetsrevolvedaboutit,andthemenwhosaidthattheydidnotknowwhatholdstheearthinitsplace,buttheydidknowthattherewerelawscontrollingitsmotionsandthemotionsoftheotherplanets.causesofhistoricalevents—therearenotandcannotbe,savetheonecauseofallcauses.buttherearelawscontrollingtheseevents;lawspartlyunknown,partlyaccessibletous.thediscoveryoftheselawsisonlypossiblewhenweentirelygiveuplookingforacauseinthewillofoneman,justasthediscoveryofthelawsofthemotionsoftheplanetshasonlybecomepossiblesincemenhavegivenuptheconceptionoftheearthbeingstationary.