a new view of society-第16节

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ed；　will　prove　themselves　unerringly　true　against　the　most　insidious　or　open　attack；　and；　ere　long；　they　will；　by　their　irresistible　truth；　pervade　society　to　the　utmost　bounds　of　the　earth；　for　'silence　will　not　retard　their　progress；　and　opposition　will　give　increased　celerity　to　their　movements'。　When　they　shall　have　dissipated　in　some　degree；　as　they　speedily　will　dissipate；　the　thick　darkness　in　which　the　human　mind　has　been　and　is　still　enveloped；　the　endless　beneficial　consequences　which　must　follow　the　general　introduction　of　them　into　practice　may　then　be　explained　in　greater　detail；　and　urged　upon　minds　to　which　they　will　then　appear　less　questionable。　　　　　In　the　meantime　we　shall　proceed　to　state；　in　a　Fourth　Essay；　of　what　improvements　the　present　state　of　the　British　population　is　susceptible　in　practice。

FOURTH　ESSAY

The　Principles　of　the　Former　Essays　applied　to　Government　It　is　beyond　all　comparison　better　to　prevent　than　to　punish　crime。　A　system　of　government　therefore　which　shall　prevent　ignorance；　and　consequently　crime；　will　be　infinitely　superior　to　one；　which；　by　encouraging　the　first；　creates　a　necessity　for　the　last；　and　afterwards　inflicts　punishment　on　both。

The　end　of　government　is　to　make　the　governed　and　the　governors　happy。　　　　　That　government；　then；　is　the　best；　which　in　practice　produces　the　greatest　happiness　to　the　greatest　number；　including　those　who　govern；　and　those　who　obey。　　　　　In　a　former　Essay　we　said；　and　it　admits　of　practical　demonstration；　that　by　adopting　the　proper　means；　man　may　by　degrees　be　trained　to　live　in　any　part　of　the　world　without　poverty；　without　crime；　and　without　punishment；　for　all　these　are　the　effects　of　error　in　the　various　systems　of　training　and　governing　error　proceeding　from　very　gross　ignorance　of　human　nature。　　　　　It　is　of　primary　importance　to　make　this　ignorance　manifest；　and　to　show　what　are　the　means　which　are　endowed　with　that　transcendent　efficacy。　　　　　We　have　also　said　that　man　may　be　trained　to　acquire　any　sentiments　and　habits；　or　any　character；　and　no　one　now；　possessing　pretensions　to　the　knowledge　of　human　nature；　will　deny　that　the　government　of　any　independent　community　may　form　the　individuals　of　that　community　into　the　best；　or　into　the　worst　characters。　　　　　If　there　be　one　duty　therefore　more　imperative　than　another；　on　the　government　of　every　country；　it　is；　that　it　should　adopt；　without　delay；　the　proper　means　to　form　those　sentiments　and　habits　in　the　people；　which　shall　give　the　most　permanent　and　substantial　advantages　to　the　individuals　and　to　the　community。　　　　　Survey　the　acquirements　of　the　earliest　ages；　trace　the　progress　of　those　acquirements；　through　all　the　subsequent　periods；　to　the　present　hour；　and　say　if　there　be　anything　of　real　value　in　them；　except　that　which　contributes　in　practice　to　increase　the　happiness　of　the　world。　　　　　And　yet；　with　all　the　parade　of　learning　contained　in　the　myriads　of　volumes　which　have　been　written；　and　which　still　daily　pour　from　the　press；　the　knowledge　of　the　first　step　of　the　progress　which　leads　to　human　happiness　remains　yet　unknown　or　disregarded　by　the　mass　of　mankind。　　　　　The　important　knowledge　to　which　we　allude　is；　'That　the　old　collectively　may　train　the　young　collectively；　to　be　ignorant　and　miserable；　or　to　be　intelligent　and　happy；　And；　on　investigation；　this　will　be　found　to　be　one　of　those　simple　yet　grand　laws　of　the　universe；　which　experience　discovers　and　confirms；　and　which；　as　soon　as　men　become　familiar　with　it；　will　no　longer　admit　of　denial　or　dispute。　Fortunate　will　be　that　government　which　shall　first　acquire　this　knowledge　in　theory；　and　adopt　it　in　practice。　　　　　To　obtain　its　introduction　into　our　own　country　first；　a　mode　of　procedure　is　now　submitted　to　the　immediate　governing　powers　of　the　British　Empire；　and　it　is　so　submitted；　with　an　ardent　desire　that　it　may　undergo　the　most　full　and　ample　discussion；　that　if　it　shall；　as　on　investigation　it　will；　be　found　to　be　the　only　consistent　and　therefore　rational；　system　of　conducting　human　beings；　it　may　be　temperately　and　progressively　introduced；　instead　of　those　defective　national　practices　by　which　the　state　is　now　governed。　　　　　We　therefore　proceed　to　explain　how　this　principle　may　now　be　introduced　into　practice；　without　injury　to　any　part　of　society。　For　it；　is　the　time　and　manner　of　introducing　this　principle　and　its　consequent　practice；　which　alone　constitute　any　difficulty。　　　　　This　will　appear　evident　when　it　is　considered　that　although；　from　a　plain　statement　of　the　most　simple　facts；　the　truth　of　the　principle　cannot　fail　to　prove　so　obvious　that　no　one　will　ever　attempt　openly　to　attack　it；　and　although　its　adoption　into　practice　will　speedily　accumulate　benefits　of　which　the　world　can　now　form　no　adequate　conception；　yet　both　theory　and　practice　are　to　be　introduced　into　a　society　trained　and　matured　under　principles　that　have　impressed　upon　the　individuals　who　compose　it　the　most　opposite　habits　and　sentiments：　which　have　been　so　entwined　from　infancy　in　their　bodily　and　mental　growth；　that　the　simplicity　and　irresistible　power　of　truth　alone　can　disentangle　them　and　expose　their　fallacy。　It　becomes　then　necessary；　to　prevent　the　evils　of　a　too　sudden　change；　that　those　who　have　been　thus　nursed　in　ignorance　may　be　progressively　removed　from　the　abodes　of　mental　darkness　to　the　intellectual　light　which　this　principle　cannot　fail　to　produce。　The　light　of　true　knowledge；　therefore；　must　be　first　made　to　dawn　on　those　dwellings　of　darkness；　and　afterwards　gradually　to　increase；　as　it　can　be　borne；　by　the　opening　faculties　of　their　inhabitants。　　　　　To　proceed　on　this　plan　it　becomes　necessary　to　direct　our　attention　to　the　actual　state　of　the　British　population；　to　disclose　the　cause　of　those　great　and　leading　evils　of　which　all　now　complain。　　　　　It　will　then　be　seen　that　the　foundation　on　which　these　evils　have　been　erected　is　ignorance；　proceeding　from　the　errors　which　have　been　impressed　on　the　minds　of　the　present　generation　by　its　predecessors；　and　chiefly　by　that　greatest　of　all　errors；　the　notion　that　individuals　form　their　own　characters。　For　while　this　most　inconsistent；　and　therefore　most　absurd；　of　all　human　conceptions　shall　continue　to　be　forced　upon　the　young　mind；　there　will　remain　no　foundation　whatever　on　which　to　build　a　sincere　love　and　extended　charity　for　man　to　his　fellow　creatures。　　　　　But　destroy　this　hydra　of　human　calamity；　this　immolator　of　every　principle　of　rationality；　this　monster；　which　hitherto　has　effectually　guarded　every　avenue　that　can　lead　to　true　benevolence　and　active　kindness；　and　human　happiness　will　be　speedily　established　on　a　rock　from　whence　it　shall　never　more　be　removed。　　　　　This　enemy　of　humanity　may　now　be　most　easily　destroyed。　Let　it　be　dragged　forth　from　beneath　the　dark　mysterious　veil　by　which　till　now　it　has　been　hid　from　the　eyes　of　the　world；　expose　it　but　for　an　instant　to　the　clear　light　of　intellectual　day；　and；　as　though　conscious　of　its　own　deformity；　it　will　instantaneously　vanish；　never　to　reappear。　　　　　As　a　groundwork；　then；　of　a　rational　system；　let　this　absurd　doctrine；　and　all　the　chain　of　consequences　which　follow　from　it；　be　withdrawn；　and　let　that　only　be　taught　as　sacred；　which　can　be　demonstrated　by　its　never…failing　consistency　to　be　true。　　　　　This　essential　object　being　accomplished　（and　accomplished　it　must　be　before　another　step　can　be　taken　to　form　man　into　a　rational　being）；　the　next　is　to　withdraw　those　national　laws　which　chiefly　emanate　from　that　erroneous　doctrine；　and　which　now　exist　in　full　vigour；　training　the　population　to　almost　every　kind　of　crime。　For　these　laws　are；　without　chance　of　failure；　adapted　to　produce　a　long　train　of　crimes；　which　crimes　are　accordingly　produced。　　　　　Some　of　the　most　prominent　to　which　allusion　is　made；　are　such　as　encourage　the　consumption　of　ardent　spirits；　by　fostering　and　extending　those　receptacles　to　seduce　the　ignorant　and　wretched；　called　gin…shops　and　pot…houses；　those　laws　which　sanction　and　legalize　gambling　among　the　poor；　under　the　name　of　a　state　lottery；　those　which　are　insidiously　destroying　the　real　strength　of　the　country；　under　the　name　of　providing　for　the　poor；　and　those　of　punishment；　which；　under　the　present　irrational　system　of　legislation；　are　supposed　to　be　absolutely　necessary　to　hold　society　together。　　　　　To　prove　the　accuracy　of　this　deduction；　millions　of　facts　exist　around　us；　speaking　in　a　language　so　clearly　connected　and　audible；　that　it　is　scarcely　credible　any　man　can　misunderstand　it。　These　facts　proclaim　aloud　to　the　universe；　that　ignorance　generates；　fosters；　and　multiplies　sentiments　and　actions　which　must　produce　private　and　public　misery；　and　that　when　evils　are　experienced；　instead　of　withdrawing　the　cause　which　created　them；　it　invents　and　applies　punishments；　which；　to　a　superficial　observer；　may　appear　to　lessen　the　evils　which　afflict　society；　while；　in　reality；　they　greatly　increase　them。　　　　　Intelligence；　on　the　contrary；　traces　to　its　source　the　cause　of　every　evil　which　exists；　adopts　the　proper　measures　to　remove　the　cause；　and　then；　with　the　most　unerring　confidence；　rests　satisfied　that　its　object　will　be　accomplished。　　　　　Thus　then　in