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Conspiracy Nation -- Vol. 9 Num. 91
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("Quid coniuratio est?")
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"POSTMODERN" PILATE
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(From *A New Model of the Universe* by P.D. Ouspensky)
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Speaking generally, in order to understand the idea of superman
it is useful to have in mind everything opposed to the idea.
From this point of view it is interesting to note that besides a
devil in check trousers who has had himself vaccinated [see
- Brothers Karamazoff* by Dostoevsky], there is another very
well-known type, uniting in itself all in man that is most
opposed to the superhuman. Such is the Roman procurator of Judea
in the time of Jesus -- Pontius Pilate.
The role of Pilate in the gospel tragedy is extremely
characteristic and significant, and if it was a conscious role,
it would be one of the most difficult. But is strange that
perhaps of all the roles of the Gospel drama the role of Pilate
needs least of all to be a conscious one. Pilate could not "make
a mistake," could not act in this way or in that way, and
therefore he was taken in his natural state as a part of the
surroundings and conditions, just as were the people who gathered
in Jerusalem for the Passover and the crowd who shouted "crucify
him." And the role of Pilate is identical with the roles of the
"Pilates" in life in general. It is not sufficient to say that
Pilate tried Jesus, wanted to free him, and finally executed him.
This does not determine the essence of his nature. The chief
point lies in the fact that Pilate was almost the only one who
- understood* Jesus. He understood him, of course, in his own
Roman way; yet, in spite of understanding, he delivered him to be
scourged and executed. Pilate was undoubtedly a very clever man,
well educated and cultured. He saw very clearly that the man who
stood before him was no criminal "preaching sedition to the
people" or "inducing them not to pay their taxes," etc., as was
declared to him by the "truly Jewish people" {1} of that time;
that this man was not a pretender, not an imposter who called
himself the King of Judea, but simply a "philosopher," as he
could define Jesus to himself.
This "philosopher" aroused his sympathy, even his compassion.
The Jews clamouring for the blood of an innocent man were
repellent to him. He tried to help Jesus. But it was too much
for him to fight for Jesus in earnest and incur unpleasantness,
so, after a short hesitation, Pilate delivered him up to the
Jews.
It was probably in his mind that he was serving Rome and in this
particular case was safeguarding the peace of its rulers,
maintaining order and quiet among the subject people, averting
the cause of possible unrest, even sacrificing an innocent man
for it. It was done in the name of politics, in the name of
Rome, and the responsibility seemed to fall on Rome. Certainly
Pilate could not have known that the days of Rome itself were
already numbered, and that he himself was creating one of the
forces that were to destroy Rome. But the thinking of Pilates
never goes so far as that. Moreover, Pilate with regard to his
own actions had a very convenient philosophy: everything is
relative, everything is a question of point of view, nothing is
of any particular value. It was a practical application of the
"principle of relativity." On the whole Pilate is a very modern
man. With such a philosophy it is easy to find the way amidst
the difficulties of life.
Jesus even helped him; he said:
For this came I into the world that I should bear witness
unto the truth.
"What is truth?" ironically answered Pilate.
And this at once put him into his accustomed way of thinking and
acting, reminded him who and where he was, showed him how he
should look at things.
Pilate's essential feature is that he sees the truth but does not
wish to follow it. In order to avoid following the truth which
he sees, he has to create for himself a special sceptical and
mocking attitude towards the very idea of truth and towards the
adherents of the idea. In his own heart he is no longer able to
regard them as criminals; he has outgrown this; but he must
cultivate in himself a certain slightly ironical attitude towards
them, which will allow him to sacrifice them when it is
necessary.
Pilate went so far that he even tried to set Jesus free, but of
course he would not have allowed himself to do anything that
could compromise him. This would have made him ridiculous in his
own eyes. When his attempts failed, as probably he could
foresee, he came out to the people and washed his hands, showing
by this that he disclaimed all responsibility.
The whole of Pilate is in this. The symbolical washing of hands
is indissolubly connected with the image of Pilate. The whole of
him is in this gesture.
For a man of real inner development there cannot be any washing
of hands. This gesture of inner deceit can never belong to such
a man.
"Pilate" is a type expressing that which in cultured humanity
hinders the inner development of man, and forms the chief
obstacle on the way to superman. Life is full of big and small
Pilates. "The crucifixion of Christ" can never be accomplished
without their help.
They see and understand the truth perfectly. But any
"regrettable necessity," or interests of politics as understood
by them, or interests of their own position, may force them to
betray truth and then *to* *wash* *their* *hands*.
---------------------------<< Notes >>---------------------------
{1} ...the "truly Jewish people"... An allusion [by Ouspensky]
to a patriotic organization with strong pogrom tendencies in
pre-war [pre-WWI] Russia -- "truly Russian people."
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Aperi os tuum muto, et causis omnium filiorum qui pertranseunt.
Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et
pauperem. -- Liber Proverbiorum XXXI: 8-9