New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-01
THOUGHT AND FEELING.

co.
France. like this country, like all
the rest Of the civilized world, for that
matter, has its one supreme book OF
the year. II need not be best seller
though sometimes it is; it need not be
fiction. as generally it is with us. Of
ten il is a slender volume Of verse,
occasionally a book Of easy and ao
ceptabIe philosophy, but invariably it's
repute its vogue. is created by the
intellectual or artistic elite Of the
country. and spread. as matter OF
fashion, by Partisan society, ever seek
ing some new thing. 1t becomes LOT
the moment part of the pretty cultu-
raj pose of the salons of the French
capital, and thence spreads to the
provinces. Not to know the book, not
10 be able 10 discuss il more or less
intelligently, If not at first hand. then
at least at the second hand Of the re-
viewers is TO confess ones self not
dams lie movement"
NJ. Julien Benda's "LOrdination" is,
indeed, a serious piece Of fiction 10
have attained this coveted place among
French books during the current year.
That It has done so is one more evil
dence Of the real authority exerted by
French criticism, and of the genuine
cult Of culture that survives in France
notwithstanding many and increasing
influences to weaken it. The cult may
be partly fashion, partly pose. but Its
results are powerful in the right di-
re ,tion, none the less. NJ. Benda is
philosopher, a stern, unbending phi
losopher Of an older type, TO whom NJ.
Bergsson and all his works, them
selves the French vogue Of an earlier
year. are anathema- And this is
philosophical novel; still more, "a novel
about a philosopher.
Fiction is now accepted. with hardly
q dissenting voice left. as the easiest
vehicle for the ready dissemination Of
theories and ideas. the preaching or
all kinds Of "isms" and "ologies." 1t
has its advantages as an accelerator
Of popular thought; it also has its OBJ
vious shortcomings, for, however con-
scientious the novelist may be, he
cannot but take advantage Of the lau-
tude given him by the fictional form
and fiction may be legitimately more
as we'll as less strange than truth.
Moreover, your novelist, unless he be
a genius. has his preconceived ending.
his Q. Z. d. that must be reached at
all cost. Hence much faulty logic,
much false teaching and some occa-
sional disingenuousness.
These be general observations. how
ever. not applicable to NJ. Benda's
story. which is a sincere piece Of work.
Only, he, too, has his theory TO prove
in a fctional way-the theory that
human life, with its affections and joys
and sufferings. is stronger than exist
ence by and for the intellect alone
that the call Of life 10 the man will in
evitably be far stronger than that Of
philosophy. So far, so good. The
thesis hardly needs proof to the aver
age philosophical man or woman,
but in undertaking to prove II, none
the less, the author has fallen victim
10 the requirements OF the novel form
He assures us that his protagonist Is a
thinker of the highest endowment. a
man destined by his intellectual equip
ment 10 make pure reason his only, all
sufficing love In life. But in the work
ing out OF the character. this concep-
ton of II is not adhered TO, for this
philosophers measure TO Insure the
peace required for his intellectual pur-
mise. in which feeling the disturbing
emotional influences Of life, shall rot
be totally denied. but only baff1ed by
a marriage Of convenience in the portal
while he shall live In the sanctum Of
his home alone. Not so Spinoza, or
Kant the thinkers with whom, one In
fers, NJ. Benda would have US compare
his own imaginary philosopher. They
did not compromise. they paid the cost
OF the purely intellectual life which
called them imperiously, and which no
doubt rewarded them for their devotion
Ear beyond our common understanding
In fact, they seem 10 have paid the cost
unconsciously, never realizing the eX-
istence OF the alternative, much less
the value Of what they missed in ex-
change for their absolute intellectual
freedom. They were as truly OR
dained" as is NJ. Benda's hero by his
deviation from philosophy through
human pity and human love TO faith
In the working out Of the novel then.
this man proves to be Of different
calibre from that the author would
have us believe him to be. He is not
OF the small number of predestined
thinkers 20 whom the pursuit Of alb
stract thought is all in all in life. The
possibilities are there. no doubt. but
he has his vulnerable. his very human
ly vulnerable point from the first. He
experiments with a halfway measure,
and at the proper moment life upsets
the imperfect equilibrium. His real
ordination" does not begin till then.
What the author really measures,
therefore, is not the relative strength
of life and philosophy, but the degree
of this mans devotion to abstract
thought.
Still. as has just been said, The
Yoke Of Pity" is a remarkable piece Of
work, worthy of, the attention of Sc
rious readers in this country-in all