Chapter 297: , The Russian Enlightenment

Hearing the sound, Andre doesn't need to look up to know that this must be his own friend Anatole.
"Let me show you this first. I'm looking for "Science Pravda"." Andre directly threw the "Sun" in his hand to Anatole.
Anatole took the "Sun" and read it. Andre also quickly found the "Science Pravda" and looked at it seriously.
"It turns out to be so! That's right. Actually, I should have known it a long time ago. We just learned about resistance and heating problems last month. And, haven't we already had incandescent lamps with platinum filaments? I should have thought of it a long time ago. The incandescent lamp!" Andre was so excited that the newspaper in his hand was shaking.
"Well, it was like this last night, ah, there is a bargaining event, oh, I have already overspend a bit during this period..." Anatole took the "Sun" and began to fall into thought.
The two stood on the side of the road and read the newspaper so that they didn't even notice the carriage has come.
Finally, Vaga reminded them: "Master, master, the carriage is coming!"
"Ah!" Andre awoke, he might be late if he didn't get into the carriage quickly. He grabbed Anatole, who was still calculating how much money he had in his pocket, and ran towards the carriage.
In the class that day, Andre learned more about electric lights, and he also got a news: soon there will be electric lights in the library at night.
It is said that this is a benefit specifically obtained by Bonaparte’s dean to Bonaparte’s rule for various schools in France. Today, the scope of this benefit is limited to Paris, but it will soon be extended to the entire country. This benefit is that the state will provide each school with more than 100 students with two lamps for lighting for free, and provide six hours of electricity for lighting every day for free. If the school buys and installs electric lights by itself, then the electricity fee can be discounted by 50% within a certain range.
When he returned to his residence and saw the newest friends from the "Saving National Congress" in a cafe near the school, he told them the news.
"I also heard, Andre. Alas, we may no longer be able to run into this cafe after school to drink coffee while reviewing our homework. Because we all have to grab seats in the library."
It was Levin who studied chemistry. His homework was not as tight as Andre, but it was not comparable to those who studied art. To grab a place in the library is also a required course for them.
"Yes," Andre sighed, "but my teacher said that he has already applied to install one in our laboratory. Maybe then, I wouldn't have to go to the library."
"Huh? Ah, do you think our teacher will also install one in the laboratory? I read the newspaper and said that the lowest grade electric light is actually very cheap. Although the use time is only about half of the high-end products."
"Oh, it can be seen that we Russia is one step further away by the civilized world." Ivan, who is studying literature, also interrupted, "It's fine if science and technology have been pulled away. There are people like you who love learning. , We can still see a little hope. But in the system, we are really pulled too far by France. You see, the French are not stupid than the Russians, right?"
André and Levin nodded together. Now France is clearly ahead of Russia in science, and, to be honest, in the eyes of Western Europeans, Russians can only be regarded as half a civilized man. Most Europeans think of Russia. People are stupid. Even though the Russians hate this racially discriminatory view, if they look back, the French and the British are stupid compared to the Russians. They can't say that.
"Everyone is human, Russia has smart people, and France has them; Russia has fools, and France has many. The key is that the French have got more education." André said.
"That's right, Andre. The Russians are not stupid than the French, but the population of Russia is really much smaller than that of France. Ah, don't rush to argue, I mean the number of real people. Andre, Can those serfs who have no freedom and no education really be counted? Among them, can the chances of appearing scientists, writers, and artists be comparable to those of free French, even the bottom French? If you want to count Considering the number of people who can have an upward channel and have the opportunity to show their talents, the population of Russia is actually much smaller than that of European countries such as France and Britain.
Ivan explained.
"You are right." Levin agreed. "Look at France, they even have to equip every school with electric lights! And I heard that this is just the initial plan, and they will continue to educate themselves in the future. Investment. When French children who are now generally educated grow up, how will France develop.
If the bottom of Russia can also have the opportunity to receive compulsory education like the children of France and Prussia, then we will be great again, and even truly reproduce the glory of East Rome. But now, we treat too many people as animals. This will only move us further and further away from Europe.
Do you know, my uncle, also studied abroad in Europe. At that time I asked him how big the gap is between us and Europe. He thought for a while and said to me: "Maybe the gap between us and the Turks is about the same." At that time, I thought he was exaggerating too much, but now it seems that either he lied out of self-esteem; Or, during this time, Europe represented by France is accelerating, and we have been thrown farther. Today, the gap between us and them is no longer the gap between us and the Turks, and even close to the gap between us and the Tatars. If this continues, we will be expelled from civilized people.
We must change, we cannot watch the great Russia fall into darkness, so Russia must have a change, there must be a revolution! "
"Revolution?" Andrei was taken aback. He was indeed not satisfied with the status quo in Russia, but he hoped to change everything through mild changes, or not so mild, like Peter the Great. But the revolution...
"Yes, revolution!" Saying the word "revolution", Ivan's face flushed red, like drinking alcohol.
"A lot of guys are using various means to slander the revolution, slander the revolution, and describe the revolution as a thug's carnival, unnecessary violence, and betrayal of God. But I want to say, this is all nonsense! Isn’t the guy who is degraded by the born free to be an animal a thug? Unnecessary violence? Isn’t the slave’s resistance behind the slave owner’s sword and whip? If the slave’s resistance is called unnecessary violence, isn’t it? The violence of those slave owners is necessary? As for God, when God created our first ancestors, did he teach them that your descendants should not get along with each other as equals or love each other, but oppress and persecute each other? Who is it that betrayed? God!
Andrei, Levin, think about it again, can you really use the things you learned when you return to Russia? Look at the number of people who have studied engineering, how many have actually returned to Russia? why? Are they not patriotic? No, just because in this era, what they have learned is useless in Russia!
So what about France, is he naturally able to make all learned people useful? No, it's not! At least, not before the revolution! France can have today, precisely because they used thunder and flames in the revolution to wash away all the scum that prevented France from advancing, and France can have today's prosperity.
The suffering of the Russian people far exceeds that of France. One-tenth of the suffering our people endured, if placed on the French, would be enough for them to initiate a hundred uprisings. We in Russia have a bad habit, that is, we always like to sing about suffering, and we always like to sing about the tolerance of suffering. But isn't the endurance of suffering the connivance of evil?
Andre, Levin, I'm sure that if Russia can go to the top of the world one day, it must be after a French revolution, using thunder and flames to sweep away the scum. I believe that this is the only way for Russia to become great. "
"You are right, Ivan." André was also excited. "When I first came to France, I just wanted to learn science and technology. After I returned, I would either open a factory or teach in a university. Pass the learned knowledge to others, so as to slowly improve our Russian belief in science.
But you are right, we don't have time to come slowly like this. The gap between us and France is not narrowing. Instead, it is widening and accelerating. As I thought before, Russia can also move forward slowly, and maybe a generation later, we can also approach the level of France today. But by that time, the French were afraid that they would have run farther. We are riding a snail to chase the carriage. Well, let's just say, do I need to do something for Russia and for the revolution? "
"Andre, my friend, my brother. The time for the revolution is not yet fully ripe, so you just need to continue to study hard for the time being. If you return to Russia in the future, you can spread science and democracy and arouse more, willing Revolutionary man.
André, I have studied the French Revolution. The French revolution was not born out of thin air. The French people were able to endure hardships, just like our people. But France first appeared in Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and enlightenment. After this, more French people awakened, so there was a French revolution. This is what France is today.
What about us? We have not even completed the enlightenment now. How can there be gains without experiencing sowing? We still need to do sowing. Of course, spring and summer in Russia are short, and we must move faster than the French back then. ::
I believe that if we have done what the French did yesterday, then what the French people do today will surely become our tomorrow. "