346 politics Toformsuchacommonlawwithaccompanyinginstitutions bymeansofafederationofpresentnation-statesisanother mater.Itistothisthatthoseconcernedwiththeprevention ofanotherwarshouldgiveatention. Isworldfederalgovernmentpossibleinthenextfewyears? Thatisaquestionwemustface,andonewemustanswer. Ifyourreplyisiuthenegative,don'tbothertoapologizefor yourcheerlessdiscovery;juststartlookingforagood,deep cave.TheU.S.Armyhasalreadybegunlookingforsome. DONELTON SMITH COMMONNONSENSE SOMEBODYfoolssomebody,that Iknew,it isalwaysa soundassumptiontomake,butwhofoolseverybody? Thathasalwaysbeenamysterytome.TheState?Andwho istheState?IfbyStatewemeanthosewhorunit,keepit goingor from going,asyouprefer,thenagain,wefindpeople whoponderpainfulyontheirliesallday,becausetheyknow thatthéymustfoolsomebody,that'stherule.Buttheyare victimstoo,theysufferfromitbeforetheymakeotherssufer. Ifyousay:Notthesepeopleassuch,butIT,theState,then Istilldon'tknowwhofoolseverybody,becausetheStatedoes notexistoutsideofthosepoordevilsthere.Supposewesaid oneday:ThismorningnobodywhoisnothimselftheState wilgotoanyoffice.Wel,thePresidentwouldcertainlynot go.Norwouldanyoneelse.Alloficeswouldremainempty. ThatwouldgiveyoubyexclusionthedefinitionoftheState: Nothing,Nobody,theFulVoid.Youmaythencomeback atmewiththeoldstorythatnooneinparticular,butthe unionofal ofthemistheState,andIshalsay:Whatunion? Simplyamultiplicityofthem?Tenbusfuls?Twentyoficefuls?WhatmakesthemtheState?Whatliftsthemfromthe scateredexistenceofnobodiestothesynthesisofState?Because,asindividuals,youmustgrantthattheyarethereal synthesisofnothingmultipliedbynothing.Thinkonlyofthe deception:Theyallwritebutarenotwriters.Theyallthink butarenotthinkers.TheyaldealwithDramatisPersonaebut arenotplaywrightsoractors.Theyareallspecialistsinyou (infact,youmaynotassertwhoyouareunlesstheytell you),andyettheyknownothingaboutyouanddon'tcare. Andtheyare all theState.Andwithallthistheystilldon't impressanybody.Theyarealafraid,weak,cowardly,andthey alterrorize.Sotheremustbesomethingthatconfersupon themanewsubstance,theremustbeachemicaltransforma- tion,achainreactionwhichunifiesthemallintothesubstance:State.Butwhereisit? SOMEtimeagoIwenttoseemypublisherandwasvery depressed:notonlyhadI failedtomakeanyprogressin myworkforhim,buttwostoriesofminehadbeenrejected thesameday.Tomakethingsworse,oneoftheeditorssaid tome"WewerejustreadingabookreviewbyLionelTrill- ingwhichcontainsafewstrongwordsagainstyou.""MayI seit?" Iasked,andhesaid:"Wel,thisdoesnotseemtabe thebestdaytoshowyouanythingofthekind,butasyou knowaboutitbynow,hereitis." IwasgiventheAutumnissueof"KenyonReview"and shownthefolowing:"Butiftheprogressiveliberalofourday, ortheradical,isinclinedtoseeaninterestinmoralsasasoft wayofdivertingouratentionfromtheburningquestionsof politics,itcanalsohappenthatthepersonwhobecomesaware ofthemoralrootofpoliticscanbeledtofeelthatpoliticsis ,methingbuttbcrorutiotionthroughorganization,ofmorality. bilbilorecabinoboarico Theresultofthiscanbe,atleasttiresome;certainlynothing couldbemorewearyingthanthebrightchildisheyeswith whichNiccoloTucciregardstheworldinDwightMacdonald's 'Politics.'IlikeagooddealaboutthenewlineofPolitics'and Ihopeitcontinues,butwheneverMr.Tucciopensthosewide eyesofhisuponaworldhenevermadeandneverwasmadeby andtelsusthatthosegrownmeninoficearemendacious, coruptandoficial,Ibegintolongforaportfolio." AsIreadtheselines, Iwasovercomebyadeepemotion. "Isitpossible?"Iaskedmyself;"no,thiscan'tbe;Imustnot falthevictimtosuchillusions."Butmyemotionwassoap- parent,thattheeditorasked:"Whathascomeoveryou?You lookhappy.""0yes"Isaid,"I am happy.Doyourealizethat thesearealmostthesamewordsthatoneCalliclesusedagainst Socratesinthedialogueknown asGorgias? Caliclessays "I feeltowardphilosophersasIdotowardthosewholispand imitatechildren. . .SowhenIseeamanplaylikeachild,his behaviourappearstomeridiculousandworthyofstripes.And Ihavethesamefeelingaboutstudentsofphilosophy."Hethen calsSocratesadefenselesschildandsays: "Whatisthesense ofanartwhichconvertsamanofsenseintoafool?"Thenhe says:"Learnthephilosophyofbusinessandacquirethereputationofwisdom. . .emulateonlythemanofsubstanceand honorwhoisweltodo." NowMr.Trilingdoesnotgiveany suchusefuladvicebecauseheisnotmyfriend,buttheaccu- sationisthesame.Andyet Iknowthat IamnotSocrates, andnotevenabeginnerinphilosophy:asamateroffact, I discoveredPlatoonlyafewmonthsago. Imustsolvethis riddle:please,letmeseethewholearticle." Afewmorewordsweresufficienttocuremeofeverydelusionofgrandeur:therewasjustthesamedistancebetween Socratesandmyself,asbetweenCalicle'scynicismandLionel Trilling'sinterestintheafairsoftheworld.Caliclesrealy andtrulydidnotcare;hebelievedthatthinkingwasperniciousandsaidsowithouttheslightestfeelingofshame,while Mr.Trillingwouldbeashamedtotalkthatway:hebelieves thatthinkingisimportantandevenspeaks,Iseehere,ofmoral problems. However,thiswasnotenoughtoclearmeofthecharges. "WhatcanIdo?"Ithought."CanIsaythatMr.Trillingremindsmeofmyfatherandthe'respectable'peopleofhisgen- eration,whousedtocalmeachildwheneverIquestionedthe wsidomofthoseinauthority?Thatwouldbeaninsult:those peopledreadedcriticism:Mr.Trilingisacriticbyprofession. Whatelsethen?CanI retortthatwhileIstarewithbright eyesataworldInevermadeandneverwasmadeby,hedid maketheworldandwasmadebyit?Thatwouldbeeven worse:imagine,Mr.Trilingandtheatomicbomb;Mr.Trillingandaltheliesbywhichwelive.. ."SoIdecidedthatthe onlyotherthingIcoulddowastopatientlyre-readallmy pastarticlesinPOLITICSandseewhereandhowfarIhadbeen suchababy. AndtomygreatsurpriseIfoundthathewasright.There wasnothingbutchildishastonishmentineveryoneofthem, andasI re-readthem(it ismydutytoconfessthistoo) I realizedthat Ihavenotgrownupatallduringtheseyears;if anything.Ihavebecomemoreofachild,asnowIamposesed bysuchdespairthat,insteadofprotesting,attimesIfeelmore likecryinginthefaceoftheworld,becauseIamfrightened andIdon'tknowWHOinthisimmenseruinarounduscan doanythingatall. "Now,"Isaid,"Imustacknowledgeal thisandthankMr. Trilingforopeningmyeyesonmyopeneyes."ButasIwas gettingreadytodothis,mynowdoublyopeneyesfellona phrasethathadescapedthemwhentheyhadjustbeenopen once.Rightaftersayingthatmywritingsmakehimlongfora portfolio,hesays(speakingoftheauthorwhosebookheis
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTExMDY2NQ==