II
Is an international language required ? This question will, by its simple-mindedness, evoke a laugh from the later generations, in the same way as our contemporaries would laugh, for example, at the question " is a postal service required ?" The greater part of the intelligent world, even now, will consider this question as quite superfluous ; still, for the sake of logical sequence, we put this question, owing to the fact that there still exist many people who answer it in the negative. The sole motive which some of these persons put forward is the following : " An international language will destroy the national languages and the nations." We confess that, rack our brains as we may, we have never been able to understand in what, exactly, would consist the misfortune for humanity, if one fine day it should appear that nations and national languages no longer existed, but that there existed only one universal human family with one common human language. But let us suppose that this really would be a calamity, and we will hasten to reassure these gentlemen. An international language desires only to afford to persons of different nations, who now stand like mutes in each other's presence, the power of understanding one another; but it by no means aims at interfering in the internal life of the nations. To fear that an international language will destroy the national languages is just as ridiculous as, for example, to fear that the postal service, which affords to men far apart from one another the power to communicate, threatens to annihilate spoken communication between mankind ! " International language" and " all-world language " are two entirely different things, which must not be confounded. If we were to suppose that there will happen at some time a confluence of people into one race-embracing community, the blame for this " misfortune" (as the national chauvinist. will term it) will not, rest upon the international language, but upon the altered convictions and opinions of mankind. Then the international language will really facilitate man's attainment of that which he will have already decided upon in principle as desirable; but if the movement towards confluence does not originate among men independently, the international language will certainly not wish of its own accord to impose such a union upon men. Leaving quite on one side the question of desirability or undesirability of national chauvinism [exaggerated patriotism], we will take note only of this, that even the hottest blind chauvinism must not exclude the quest of an international language ; for the relation between this quest and national chauvinism is of the same kind as between national patriotism and love for one's family. Could anyone say that the extension of intercommunication and mutual agreements between people of the same country (the patriotic object) in any way endangers family affection ? In itself, the international language not only cannot weaken the national languages, but, on the contrary, it must undoubtedly tend to their great advancement in strength and development. Owing to the necessity of acquiring various foreign languages, it is now but seldom that we can meet with anyone who has perfect acquaintance with his native tongue; and the languages themselves, constantly hustling one against the other, are becoming ever more and more confused and maimed, and are losing their natural richness and charm. But: when each of us is obliged to learn only one foreign language (and that, moreover, a very easy one), all will have the opportunity to learn his own language thoroughly ; and every language, freed from the pressure of many neighbours, and reserving entirely and solely to itself the powers of its own people, will soon develop most powerfully and brilliantly.
The second motive which the enemies of international language put forward is the fear that one of the national languages may be chosen as an international language, and that then people will not mutually approach one another, but simply some one people will oppress and swallow up all the others by virtue of the immense advantage which it will gain over all the others. This argument. is not without foundation, but it can only be urged against one or another ill-considered and unsound .form of international language. And it of course loses all its signification if we can show that, none but a neutral language can be and will be an international language ; and this we shall demonstrate below. Consequently, if we place on one side for a time the question as to the possibility or impossibility of the introduction of an international language (we shall deal with this point later), if we make the supposition that the introduction of such a language depends only on our desire, and if we exclude any egregious false step in the choice of the language, everyone must grant that there cannot be even the slightest question raised as to the harm of an international language. But the utility which such a language would afford to the world is so enormous and obvious to all that there is no particular reason why we need to speak about it. However, we will say a few words about this, if only for the completeness of our investigation.
Did it ever occur to you, what in particular has lifted humanity so immeasurably higher than all other animals, which in point of fact are constructed on the same lines as Man ? Our whole high culture and civilisation we owe to one sole thing : to the possession of language, which has rendered possible to us the interchange of thought. How would it fare with us, proud kings of the world, if we could not communicate by speech one with another, if everyone of us had to work out for himself from the beginning the whole of his knowledge and intelligence, instead ofmaking use-thanks to the interchange of thoughts--of the already matured results of the experience and varied knowledge of entire ages, of whole millions and milliards of other creatures like ourselves ? In such a case we should not stand one least little step above those various animals that surround us, and are so devoid of wisdom and so helpless ! Take from us our hands, our feet, what, you will, but leave to us the mere power of interchanging thoughts,-and we shall remain the same monarchs of nature, and shall constantly and indefinitely make towards perfection : but give each of us even a hundred hands, give us even a hundred different hitherto-unknown senses and powers, but take from us the power of interchanging thoughts,-and we shall remain animals, devoid of wisdom and helpless. But if the very incomplete and limited ability to interchange thoughts has had such enormous significance for the human race, think what enormous and incomparable advantage would accrue to humanity from that language which would make the interchange of thoughts complete, and, thanks to which, not only would A be able to converse with B, C with D and E with F, but each of them would be on terms of mutual understanding with all the others! A whole hundred of great inventions will not make in the life of the human race such a great and beneficent revolution as the introduction of an international language will do! Let us take a few small examples. We take trouble to translate the works of every nation into the languages of all the other nations; but this swallows up unproductively a huge quantity of labour and money ; and yet, with all this. we are able to translate only a most insignificant portion of human literature; and the enormous remainder of the literature of the race, with its rich stores of various thoughts, remains out of the reach of all. But when an international language should exist, then everything which appears in the domain of human thought would be translated only into this one neutral language ; and many works would be written directly in this language ; and all products of the human mind would come within the reach of us all. For the perfecting of one branch or another of human knowledge, we organize at every step international congresses.-but, what a miserable part they play, when he who is able to take part in them is not he who really would like to hear something with profit, not he. who really would like to communicate something of importance, but only he who knows how to chatter in several languages. Our life is short, and science is vast; we must learn, learn, learn ! To learning we can devote only a part of our short life, to wit, the years of our infancy and youth ; but: alas ! a great part of this precious time goes quite unproductively for the learning of languages ! How much we should gain if, thanks to the existence of an international language, we could devote to the learning of real and positive sciences the whole of the time now given to the unproductive learning of languages. How high then would humanity rise !
But we will speak no more upon this point, for whatever attitude each of our listeners takes towards one or another form of international language, we doubt whether there will be found a single one amongst them who would doubt the utility itself of such a language. But since to many persons, unaccustomed to render to themselves a strict account of their sympathies and antipathies, it usually appears that when they do not approve one form or another of any idea they must needs attack the idea itself as a whole,-therefore we, for the sake of system in our investigation, ask each one of our esteemed audience above all to note well in his memory that he entertains no doubt as to the utility of an international language as a whole-if such should be introduced. Make a mental note, then, gentlemen, of the first conclusion at which we have arrived, note and remember that you concur in this conclusion, namely : The existence of an international language, by means of which, the people of all countries and nations could make themselves mutually understood, would confer immense benefit on the human race.