Chapter 20 Chapter 02 "Guilty", "Conscience Condemnation" and Others (3)

his conscience? ... It is clear that the concept of "conscience" (which we now see in its highest, almost astonishing form) has undergone a long process of history and transformation.To be able to praise oneself, to be able to affirm oneself with pride, as has been said--this is a ripe fruit, but a recent one--how long will this fruit hang sourly on the tree!But there is still a longer period of time when no shadow of this fruit can be seen at all! —No one can promise its appearance, although the tree has all the conditions for the growth of this fruit! "How does the memory of an animal like a human appear? This is half dull, half rash comprehension for a moment. How did this active forgetfulness be branded with memory and retained until today?..." It can be imagined , this age-old problem cannot be solved by gentle answers and means alone; and perhaps there has been nothing more sinister in the whole of man's prehistory than man's mnemonics. "Man burns something so that it remains in memory: only that which continually causes pain is not forgotten"—this is one of the oldest (and unfortunately most enduring) principles of human psychology.Some people still want to say that as long as there is solemnity, severity, and secrecy in this world, as long as people and people live in the dark shadow, there is a remnant of the horror that was once universally promised, guaranteed, and praised. will continue to work: the past, the longest, deepest, and harshest past, shouts at us and spouts out of our hearts whenever we get "hard"; Bloodshed, torture, and sacrifice occur when memory is deemed necessary; the most horrific sacrifices and sacrifices (such as the sacrifice of the firstborn), the most terrible amputations (such as castration), the cruelest of all religious ceremonies (all religions are in the last analysis cruel systems),—all this originates from that instinct, which reveals that pain is the most powerful means of maintaining memory. In a sense, here should also be counted Above all ascetic behavior: Some thoughts need to be continuous, omnipresent, unforgettable, and need to be "fixed". These ideas are freed from competition with other ideas, making them "unforgettable". The worse the "memory" of human beings, the more terrible their customs. The severe punishment regulations provide us in particular. A standard, can be used to measure how much effort they expended to overcome forgetfulness, and to preserve in modern times some primitive requirements applicable to the common life of society for the present slaves of emotions and desires. We Germans certainly do not see ourselves as a A particularly cruel and hard-hearted people would not be regarded as a particularly unruly and mediocre people; but one only needs to look at our ancient punishment regulations to see how hard it takes to create a "nation of thinkers" (we To say that among the peoples of Europe is still to be found the greatest amount of trust, sternness, tedium, and practicality which have enabled us to produce all kinds of European officials.) In order to control their mob instincts and barbaric vulgarity, these The Germans used horrible methods to maintain memory. Think of the old German punishments, such as stoning (it is said to suck the sinner's head with a stone millstone), cart wheel (this is the original invention and specialty of German genius in the kingdom of punishment! ), impaling on wood, "quartering", frying or boiling in wine (still in use in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries), widespread skinning ("knife-cutting"), cutting flesh from the chest, and There are criminals smeared with honey, exposed to the sun, so that mosquitoes and flies bite. With the help of these punishments people finally remember five or six "I don't want" and make promises so that they can enjoy the benefits of community life —Indeed! With the help of this memory one at last reaches “reason”!—Ah! reason, sternness, control of the emotions, all these dark things that signify deliberation, all these human privileges and treasures, their price How high! How much blood and horror behind these "good things"!