Атлант расправил плечи
The Non-commercial
Afreeeconomycannotexistwithoutcompetition.Therefore,menmustbeforcedtocompete.Therefore,wemustcontrolmeninordertoforcethemtobefree."
"But,look...isn’tthatsortofacontradiction?"
"Notinthehigherphilosophicalsense.Youmustlearntoseebeyondthestaticdefinitionsofold-fashionedthinking.Nothingisstaticintheuniverse.Everythingisfluid."
"Butitstandstoreasonthatif—"
"Reason,mydearfellow,isthemostnaiveofallsuperstitions.That,atleast,hasbeengenerallyconcededinourage."
"ButIdon’tquiteunderstandhowwecan—"
"Yousufferfromthepopulardelusionofbelievingthatthingscanbeunderstood.Youdonotgraspthefactthattheuniverseisasolidcontradiction."
"Acontradictionofwhat?"askedthematron.
"Ofitself."
"How...how’sthat?"
"Mydearmadam,thedutyofthinkersisnottoexplain,buttodemonstratethatnothingcanbeexplained."
"Yes,ofcourse...only..."
"Thepurposeofphilosophyisnottoseekknowledge,buttoprovethatknowledgeisimpossibletoman."
"Butwhenweproveit,"askedtheyoungwoman,"what’sgoingtobeleft?"
"Instinct,"saidDr.Pritchettreverently.
Attheotherendoftheroom,agroupwaslisteningtoBalphEubank.Hesatuprightontheedgeofanarmchair,inordertocounteracttheappearanceofhisfaceandfigure,whichhadatendencytospreadifrelaxed.
"Theliteratureofthepast,"saidBalphEubank,"wasashallowfraud.
