criminal psychology-第95章

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h　and　as　accurately　as　possible　about　the　nature　of　foolishness。

There　are；　perhaps；　few　books　on　earth　that　contain　so　many　clever　things　as　Erdmann's　little　text　‘‘Concerning　Foolishness　''　　（ber　die　Dummheit）。　Erdmann　starts　with　small　experiences。　For　example；　he　once　came　early　to　the　Hamburg　Railway　Station　and　found　in　the　waiting…room　one　family　with　many　children；　from　whose　conversation　he　learned　that　they　were　going　to　visit　a　grandfather　in　Kyritz。　The　station　filled　up；　to　the　increasing　fear　of　the　smallest　member　of　the　family；　a　boy。　When　the　station　grew　quite　full　he　suddenly　broke　out：　‘‘Look　here；　what　do　all　these　people　want　of　grandfather　in　Kyritz。''　The　child　supposed　that　because　he　himself　was　travelling　to　Kyritz　all　other　people　in　the　same　place　could　have　had　no　different　intention。　This　narrowness　of　the　point　of　view；　the　generalization　of　one's　own　petty　standpoint　into　a　rule　of　conduct　for　mankind　is；　according　to　Erdmann；　the　essence　of　foolishness。　How　far　one　may　go　in　this　process　without　appearing　foolish　may　be　seen　from　another　example。　When；　in　the　sixties；　a　stranger　in　Paris　spoke　admiringly　of　the　old　trees　on　a　certain　avenue；　it　was　the　habit　of　the　Parisians　to　answer；　‘‘Then　you　also　do　not　agree　with　Haussmann？''　because　everybody　knew　about　the　attempt　by　the　Parisian　prefect；　Baron　Haussmann；　to　beautify　Paris　by　killing　trees。　If；　however；　the　trees　in　the　churchyard　of　the　little　village　are　praised；　and　the　native　peasant　replies；　‘‘So　you　know　also　that　our　Smith　wants　to　have　the　trees　chopped　down；''　the　remark　is　foolish；　because　the　peasant　had　no　right　to　assume　that　the　world　knows　of　the　intentions　of　the　village　mayor。

Now；　if　you　decrease　the　number　of　view…points；　and　narrow　the　horizon；　you　reach　a　point　where　the　circumference　of　ideas　is　identical　with　their　center；　and　this　point　is　the　kernel　of　stupidity；　the　idiot。　Stupidity　is　the　state　of　mind　in　which　a　man　judges　everything　by　himself。　This　again　may　be　best　illustrated　by　a　figure　of　speech。　If　you　go　about　a　room　and　observe　its　contents　you　soon　notice　how　the　objects　change　place　and　appearance　with　the　change　in　your　point　of　view。　If　you　look　_*only_　through　the　key…hole；　you　do　not；　however；　recognize　that　fact；　everything　seems　equal。　The　idiot　is　he　whose　egoistic　eye　is　the　only　key…hole　through　which　he　looks　into　the　decorated　parlor　we　call　the　world。　Hence；　the　defective　individual；　l'homme　born。　The　great　difficulty　of　getting　at　the　difference　is　most　evident　in　the　cases　of　real　and　artificial　navet。　Kant　defines　navet；　for　nowadays　we　call　navet