Bring hither an Indian ignorant of our language, and show him
European life, and our life, for several generations, and he will
recognize the same leading, well-defined castes--of laborers and
non-laborers--as there are in his own country. And as in his land,
so in ours, the right of refusing to labor is conferred by a
peculiar consecration, which we call science and art, or, in general
terms, culture. It is this culture, and all the distortions of
sense connected with it, which have brought us to that marvellous
madness, in consequence of which we do not see that which is so
clear and indubitable.



CHAPTER VII.



Then, what is to be done? What are we to do?

This question, which includes within itself both an admission that
our life is evil and wrong, and in connection with this,--as though
it were an exercise for it,--that it is impossible, nevertheless, to
change it, this question I have heard, and I continue to hear, on
all sides. I have described my own sufferings, my own gropings, and
my own solution of this question. I am the same kind of a man as
everybody else; and if I am in any wise distinguished from the
average man of our circle, it is chiefly in this respect, that I,
more than the average man, have served and winked at the false
doctrine of our world; I have received more approbation from men
professing the prevailing doctrine: and therefore, more than