Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART FOUR CHAPTER 10
Chapter 10
PESTSOV liked thrashing an argument out to the end, and was not satisfied with
Sergey Ivanovitch’s words, especially as he felt the injustice of his view.
“I did not mean,” he said over the soup, addressing Alexey Alexandrovitch, “mere
density of population alone, but in conjunction with fundamental ideas, and not by
means of principles.”
“It seems to me,” Alexey Alexandrovitch said languidly, and with no haste, “that
that’s the same thing. In my opinion, influence over another people is only possible
to the people which has the higher development, which...”
“But that’s just the question,” Pestsov broke in in his bass.
He was always in a hurry to speak, and seemed always to put his whole soul into
what he was saying. “In what are we to make higher development consist? The
English, the French, the Germans, which is at the highest stage of development?
Which of them will nationalize the other? We see the Rhine provinces have been
turned French, but the Germans are not at a lower stage!” he shouted. “There is
another law at work there.”
“I fancy that the greater influence is always on the side of true civilization,” said
Alexey Alexandrovitch, slightly lifting his eyebrows.
“But what are we to lay down as the outward signs of true civilization?” said
Pestsov.
“I imagine such signs are generally very well known,” said Alexey Alexandrovitch.
“But are they fully known?” Sergey Ivanovitch put in with a subtle smile. “It is the
accepted view now that real culture must be purely classical; but we see most intense
disputes on each side of the question, and there is no denying that the opposite camp
has strong points in its favor.”
“You are for classics, Sergey Ivanovitch. Will you take red wine?” said Stepan
Arkadyevitch.
“I am not expressing my own opinion of either form of culture,” Sergey Ivanovitch
said, holding out his glass with a smile of condescension, as to a child. “I only say
that both sides have strong arguments to support them,” he went on, addressing
Alexey Alexandrovitch. “My sympathies are classical from education, but in this
discussion I am personally unable to arrive at a conclusion. I see no distinct grounds
for classical studies being given a preeminence over scientific studies.”
“The natural sciences have just as great an educational value,” put in Pestsov.
“Take astronomy, take botany, or zoology with its system of general principles.”
“I cannot quite agree with that,” responded Alexey Alexandrovitch “It seems to
me that one must admit that the very process of studying the forms of language has
a peculiarly favorable influence on intellectual development. Moreover, it cannot
be denied that the influence of the classical authors is in the highest degree moral,
while, unfortunately, with the study of the natural sciences are associated the false
and noxious doctrines which are the curse of our day.”
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