large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_58
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
But it seems to me that it is not the case that the practice of art adds to painful labour; nay more, I believe that, if it did, art would never have arisen at all, would certainly not be discernible, as it is, among peoples in whom only the germs of civilization exist. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT THE PRACTICE OF ART ADDS TO PAINFUL LABOUR NAY MORE I BELIEVE THAT IF IT DID ART WOULD NEVER HAVE ARISEN AT ALL WOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE DISCERNIBLE AS IT IS AMONG PEOPLES IN WHOM ONLY THE GERMS OF CIVILIZATION EXIST
 to the labour of man has it added, so far, to his pain? There always have been people who would at once say yes to that question; so that there have been and are two sets of people who dislike and contemn art as an embarrassing folly. Besides the pious ascetics, who look upon it as a worldly entanglement which prevents men from keeping their minds fixed on the chances of their individual happiness or misery in the next world; who, in short, hate art, because they think that it adds to man’s earthly happiness—besides these, there are also people who, looking on the struggle of life from the most reasonable point that they know of, contemn the arts because they think that they add to man’s slavery by increasing the sum of his painful labour: if this were the case, it would still, to my mind, be a question whether it might not be worth the while to endure the extra pain of labour for the sake of the extra pleasure added to rest; assuming, for the present, equality of condition among men.  NOT DO SO BUT IN ADDING TO THE LABOUR OF MAN HAS IT ADDED SO FAR TO HIS PAIN THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE WHO WOULD AT ONCE SAY YES TO THAT QUESTION SO THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AND ARE TWO SETS OF PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE AND CONTEMN ART AS AN EMBARRASSING FOLLY BESIDES THE PIOUS ASCETICS WHO LOOK UPON IT AS A WORLDLY ENTANGLEMENT WHICH PREVENTS MEN FROM KEEPING THEIR MINDS FIXED ON THE CHANCES OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL HAPPINESS OR MISERY IN THE NEXT WORLD WHO IN SHORT HATE ART BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT IT ADDS TO MAN'S EARTHLY HAPPINESS BESIDES THESE THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO LOOKING ON THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE FROM THE MOST REASONABLE POINT THAT THEY KNOW OF CONTEMN THE ARTS BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THEY AD DEMAND SLAVERY BY INCREASING THE SUM OF HIS PAINFUL LABOUR IF THIS WERE THE CASE IT WOULD STILL TO MY MIND BE A QUESTION WHETHER IT MIGHT NOT BE WORTH THE WHILE TO ENDURE THE EXTRA PAIN OF LABOUR FOR THE SAKE OF THE EXTRA PLEASURE ADDED TO REST ASSUMING FOR THE PRESENT EQUALITY OF CONDITION AMONG MEN
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