Атлант расправил плечи
The Sacred and the Profane
"
"Ofcourseyoudon’t.Ittakesyearsandyearsofstudyinthehigherreachesoftheintellect.HaveyoueverheardofTheMetaphysicalContradictionsoftheUniverse,byDr.SimonPritchett?"Sheshookherhead,frightened."Howdoyouknowwhat’sgood,anyway?Whoknowswhat’sgood?Whocaneverknow?Therearenoabsolutes—asDr.Pritchetthasprovedirrefutably.Nothingisabsolute.Everythingisamatterofopinion.Howdoyouknowthatthatbridgehasn’tcollapsed?
Youonlythinkithasn’t.Howdoyouknowthatthere’sanybridgeatall?
Youthinkthatasystemofphilosophy—suchasDr.Pritchett’s—isjustsomethingacademic,remote,impractical?Butitisn’t.Oh,boy,howitisn’t!"
"But,Mr.Taggart,theLineyoubuilt—"
"Oh,what’sthatLine,anyway?It’sonlyamaterialachievement,isthatofanyimportance?Isthereanygreatnessinanythingmaterial?
Onlyalowanimalcangapeatthatbridge—whentherearesomanyhigherthingsinlife.Butdothehigherthingsevergetrecognition?Ohno!Lookatpeople.Allthathueandcryandfrontpagesaboutsometrickarrangementofsomescrapsofmatter.Dotheycareaboutanynoblerissue?Dotheyevergivefrontpagestoaphenomenonofthespirit?Dotheynoticeorappreciateapersonoffinersensibility?Andyouwonderwhetherit’struethatagreatmanisdoomedtounhappinessinthisdepravedworld!"Heleanedforward,staringatherintently.
