While common sense is applied2 to all the circumstances of life, practical sense is applicable to useful things.
Common sense admits a very subtle logic3 which is, at times, a little complex.
Practical sense reasons, starting from one point only; viz., material conveniences.
It is possible for this sense to be spoiled by egotism, if common sense does not come to its assistance.
It is by applying the discipline of reasoning to practical sense that it modifies simple sense perception by urging it to ally itself with logic, which unites thought to sentiment and reason.
"The association of common sense and practical sense is necessary," says Yoritomo, "in order to produce new forms, at the same time restraining the imagination within the limits of the most exact deductions5 and of the most impartial6 judgment7."
Science is, in reality, a sort of common sense to which the rules of reasoning are applied, and is supported by arguments which practical sense directs into productive channels.
That which is called great common sense is none other than a quality with which people are endowed who show great mental equilibrium8 whenever it is a question of resolving material problems.
These people are generally country people or persons of humble9 position, whose physical organism has been developed without paying much attention to their intellectual education; they are, in fact, perfect candidates for the attainment10 of common sense, without having been educated to this end.
Their aptitude11 results from a constant habit of reflection which, rendering12 their attention very keen, has permitted them to observe the most minute details, therefore they can form correct conclusions, when it is a question of things that are familiar to them.
A peasant who has been taught by nature will be more skilled in prophesying13 about the weather than others.
He will also know how to assign a limit to the daily working hours, at the same time stating the maximum time which one can give without developing repulsion, which follows excesses of all kinds.
In his thought, very simple, but very direct, will be formulated14 this perfect reasoning:
Health is the first of all blessings15, since without it we are incapable16 of appreciating the other joys of life.
If I compromise this possession I shall be insensible to all others.
It is, therefore, indispensable that I should measure my efforts, for, admitting that a certain exaggerated labor17 brings me a fortune, I shall not know how to enjoy it if illness accompanies it.
This is the logic which is called practical sense.
Yoritomo continues, saying that there is a very close connection between the faculty18 of judging and that of deducing.
"Practical sense, allied19 to common sense, comes to the assistance of the latter, when it is tempted20 to reject the chain of analogy, whose representation too often draws one far from the initial subject.
"It facilitates coordination21, clearness, and precision of thought.
"It knows how to consider contingencies22, and never fails to have a clear understanding of relative questions."
And to illustrate23 his theory, he cites us an example which many of our young contemporaries would do well to remember.
"There was," said he, "in the village of Fu-Isher, a literary man, who wrote beautiful poems.
"He lived in great solitude24, and no one would have heard of his existence if it had not been that my master, Lang-Ho, while walking in the woods one day, was attracted by the harmonious25 sounds of poetry, which this young man was reciting, without thinking that he had any other listeners than the birds of the forest.
"Lang-Ho made himself known to him and began to question him.
"He learned that he did not lack ambition, but, being poor, and having no means of approaching those who would have been able to patronize him, he was singing of nature for his own pleasure, waiting patiently until he should be able to influence the powerful ones of the earth to share his appreciation26.
"Lang-Ho, touched by his youth and his ardor27, pointed28 out to him the dwelling29 of a prince, a patron of the arts, and, at the same time, told him how he ought to address the nobleman, assuring him that the fact of his being a messenger from a friend of the prince would open the doors of the palace to him.
"The next day the young poet presented himself at the home of the great lord, who, knowing that he had been sent by Lang-Ho, received him in spite of the fact that he was suffering intensely from a violent headache.
"He learned from the young man that he was a poet and treated him with great consideration, making him understand, however, that all sustained mental effort was insupportable to him on that day.
"But the poet, not paying attention to the prince's exprest desire, unrolled his manuscripts and began reading an interminable ode without noticing the signs of impatience30 shown by his august hearer.
"He did not have the pleasure of finishing it.
"The prince, seeing that the reader did not understand his importunity31, struck a gong and ordered the servant who appeared to conduct the young man out of his presence.
"Later, he declared to Lang-Ho that his protégé had no talent at all, and reprimanded him severely32 for having sent the poet to the palace.
"But my master did not like to be thus criticized.
"So, a little while after that, one day, when that same prince was in an agreeable frame of mind, Lang-Ho invited him to the reading of one of his works.
"The nobleman declared that he had never heard anything more beautiful.
"'That is true,' said Lang-Ho, 'but you ought to have said this the first time you heard it.'
"And he revealed to the prince that these verses were those of the young man whom he had judged so harshly."
From this story two lessons may be drawn33:
The first is, that if common sense indicates that judgment should not change from scorn to enthusiasm, when it is a question of the same object, practical sense insists that one should be certain of impartiality34 of judgment, by avoiding the influence of questions which relate to environment and surrounding circumstances.
The second concerns opportunity.
We have already had occasion to say how much some things, which seem desirable at certain times, are questionable35 when the situation changes.
Bad humor creates ill-will; therefore it is abominably36 stupid to provoke the manifestation37 of the second when one has proved the existence of the first.
In order that there may be a connection between the faculty of judgment and that of deduction4, it is essential that nothing should be allowed to interpose itself between these two phases of the argument.
Harmony between all judgments38 is founded on common sense, but it is practical common sense, which indicates this harmony with precision.
It is also practical common sense which serves as a guide to the orator39 who wishes to impress his audience.
He will endeavor first to choose a subject which will interest those who listen to him.
In this endeavor he ought, above all, to consult opportunity.
And, as we have remarked on many occasions, the Shogun expresses theories on this subject, to which the people of the twentieth century could not give too much earnest consideration.
"There are," said he, "social questions, as, for example, dress and custom.
"With time, opinions change, as do forms and manners, and this is quite reasonable.
"The progress of science by ameliorating the general conditions of existence, introduces a need created by civilization which rejects barbarous customs; the mentality40 of a warrior41 is not that of an agriculturist; the man who thinks about making his possessions productive has not the same inclinations42 as he whose life is devoted43 to conquest, and the sweetness of living in serenity44, by modifying the aspirations45, metamorphoses all things.
"In order to lead attention in the direction which is governed by reason, it is indispensable for the orator that he should expound46 a subject whose interpretation47 will satisfy the demand of opportunity, which influences every brain.
"Practical sense will make him take care to speak only of things that he has studied thoroughly48.
"It will induce him to expound his theory in such a way that his hearers will have to make no effort to assimilate it.
"That which is not understood is easily criticized, and practical sense would prevent an orator from attempting to establish an argument whose premises49 would offend common sense.
"He would be certain of failure in such a case.
"His efforts will be limited, then, to evoking50 common sense, by employing practical sense, so far as what refers to the application of principles which he desires to apply successfully."
Yoritomo recommends this affiliation51 for that which concerns the struggle against superstition52.
"Superstition," he says, "offends practical sense as well as common sense, for it rests on an erroneous analysis.
"Its foundation is always an observation marred53 by falsity, establishing an association between two facts which have nothing in common.
"There are people who reenter their homes if, when they reach the threshold, they perceive a certain bird; others believe that they are threatened with death if they meet a white cat."
Without going back to the days of Yoritomo, we shall find just as many people who are the victims of superstitions54 concerning certain facts, which are only the observance of customs fallen into disuse, and whose practise has been perpetuated55 through the ages, altho, as we have said in the preceding chapter, the purpose of the custom has disappeared, but the custom itself has not been forgotten.
It is in this way that the origin of the superstition concerning salt dates back to the time of the Romans, who (while at variance56 with the principles of contemporary agriculture) sowed salt in the fields of their enemies and thought that by so doing they would make them sterile57.
To that far-distant epoch58 can be traced the origin of the superstition concerning the spilling of salt.
Whatever may have been its cause, superstition is the enemy of common sense, for, when it does not originate in an abolished custom, it is the product of a personal impression, associating two ideas absolutely unconnected.
"Practical sense," Yoritomo continues, "is a most valuable talent to cultivate, for it prevents our judging from appearances.
"Frivolous59 minds are always inclined to draw conclusions from passing impressions; they adopt neither foresight60, nor precaution, nor approximation.
"There are people who will condemn61 a country as utterly62 unattractive, because they happened to have visited it under unfavorable circumstances.
"Others, without considering what a country has previously63 produced, and that at present the grain has not been planted, will declare unfertile the soil which has been untilled for some months.
"On the other hand, if they visit a house on a sunny day, it would be impossible for them to associate it with the idea of rain.
"It would be most difficult to make these people alter their judgment, prematurely64 formed, and, in spite of the most authoritative65 assertions and the most self-evident proofs, their initial idea will dominate all those which one would like to instil66 into their minds.
"One moment would, however, suffice for reason to convince them that the variations of atmosphere and the conditions of cultivation67 can modify the aspect of a country, of a field, and of a house, to the extent of giving them an appearance totally different from the one which they seemed to have.
"But he who judges by appearances never rejoices in the possession of that faculty which may be called reason in imagination.
"This is a gift, developed by practical sense and which common sense happily directs in right channels.
"Those who are endowed with this faculty can, with the help of reasoning, and by means of thought, build up a future reality based on a judgment whose affirmation admits of no doubt.
"It is not a question of hypothesis, no matter how well-founded it is.
"Experience, in this case, is united with deduction to form a preconceived but certain idea.
"By cultivating practical sense, we shall escape the danger of idealization which, with people of unbalanced mentality, often sheds an artificial light upon the picture."
There is still another point to which Yoritomo calls our attention, in order to encourage us to cultivate the twin reasoning powers whose advantages we are trying to commend in this chapter:
"Practical sense," says he, "sometimes puts common sense apparently68 in the wrong, while acting69, however, without the inspiration of the latter.
"This happens when it is an advantage, for the perfect equilibrium of the projects in question, that it should be maintained at the same pitch, in order that it may be understood by all.
"In the legendary70 days, snow the color of fire once fell on the inhabitants of a little village, who were all about to attend a religious ceremony.
"One man alone, an old philosopher, had remained at home because, at the time they were to leave, he suddenly fell ill.
"When his sufferings were relieved, he started out to join the others and found them committing all sorts of follies71.
"Two among them were reviling72 one another, each one claiming that he was the only king.
"Some were weeping because they thought that they were changed into beasts.
"Others were screaming, without rime73 or reason, now embracing each other, now attacking one another furiously.
"Soon the wise man recognized that they had been affected74 by the fall of snow, which had made them crazy, and he tried to speak to them in the language of reason.
"But all these crazy people turned on him, crying out that he had just lost his reason and that he must be shut away.
"They undertook the task of taking him back to his home, but, as that was not to be accomplished75 without rough usage, he assumed the part indicated by practical sense; this man of common sense feigned76 insanity77, and from the moment the insane people thought that he resembled them they let him alone and ceased to torment78 him.
"The philosopher profited by this fact to disarm79 their excitement, and, little by little, all the time indulging in a thousand eccentricities80, which had no other object than to protect himself against them, he demonstrated their aberration81 to them."
Could not this story serve as an example to the majority of contemporary critics?
Is it not often necessary to appear to be denuded82 of common sense, to make the voice of reason dominate?
In the fable83 of Yoritomo, his philosopher proved his profound knowledge of the human heart, while he put in practise the power of practical sense in apparent opposition84, however, to common sense.
We said this at the opening of the chapter: practical sense and common sense are two very near relatives, but they are two and not one.
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1
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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deduction
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| n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎 | |
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deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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aptitude
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| n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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prophesying
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的现在分词 ) | |
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formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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coordination
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| n.协调，协作 | |
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contingencies
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| n.偶然发生的事故，意外事故( contingency的名词复数 )；以备万一 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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importunity
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| n.硬要，强求 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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impartiality
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| n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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abominably
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| adv. 可恶地，可恨地，恶劣地 | |
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manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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expound
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| v.详述；解释；阐述 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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evoking
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| 产生，引起，唤起( evoke的现在分词 ) | |
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affiliation
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| n.联系，联合 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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marred
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| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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perpetuated
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| vt.使永存（perpetuate的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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sterile
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| adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的 | |
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epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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prematurely
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| adv.过早地，贸然地 | |
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authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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instil
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| v.逐渐灌输 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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reviling
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| v.辱骂，痛斥( revile的现在分词 ) | |
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rime
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| n.白霜；v.使蒙霜 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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81
aberration
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| n.离开正路，脱离常规，色差 | |
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82
denuded
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| adj.[医]变光的，裸露的v.使赤裸( denude的过去式和过去分词 )；剥光覆盖物 | |
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83
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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84
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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