a new view of society-第3节

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se　principles；　if　true；　may　give　birth　to　the　measures　which　they　immediately　recommend；　and　that　Your　Royal　Highness　and　the　Subjects　of　these　Realms；　and　the　Rulers　and　Subjects　of　all　other　Realms；　may　in　the　present　age　enjoy　the　advantages　of　them　in　practice；　is　the　sincere　wish　of　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　Royal　Highness's　faithful　Servant；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　AUTHOR


FIRST　ESSAY

Any　general　character；　from　the　best　to　the　worst；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　enlightened；　may　be　given　to　any　community；　even　to　the　world　at　large；　by　the　application　of　proper　means；　which　means　are　to　a　great　extent　at　the　command　and　under　the　control　of　those　who　have　influence　in　the　affairs　of　men。

According　to　the　last　returns　under　the　Population　Act；　the　poor　and　working　classes　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland　have　been　found　to　exceed　fifteen　millions　of　persons；　or　nearly　three…fourths　of　the　population　of　the　British　Islands。　　　　　The　characters　of　these　persons　are　now　permitted　to　be　very　generally　formed　without　proper　guidance　or　direction；　and；　in　many　cases；　under　circumstances　which　directly　impel　them　to　a　course　of　extreme　vice　and　misery；　thus　rendering　them　the　worst　and　most　dangerous　subjects　in　the　empire；　while　the　far　greater　part　of　the　remainder　of　the　community　are　educated　upon　the　most　mistaken　principles　of　human　nature；　such；　indeed；　as　cannot　fail　to　produce　a　general　conduct　throughout　society；　totally　unworthy　of　the　character　of　rational　beings。　　　　　The　first　thus　unhappily　situated　are　the　poor　and　the　uneducated　profligate　among　the　working　classes；　who　are　now　trained　to　commit　crimes；　for　the　commission　of　which　they　are　afterwards　punished。　　　　　The　second　is　the　remaining　mass　of　the　population；　who　are　now　instructed　to　believe；　or　at　least　to　acknowledge；　that　certain　principles　are　unerringly　true；　and　to　act　as　though　they　were　grossly　false；　thus　filling　the　world　with　folly　and　inconsistency；　and　making　society；　throughout　all　its　ramifications；　a　scene　of　insincerity　and　counteraction。　　　　　In　this　state　the　world　has　continued　to　the　present　time；　its　evils　have　been　and　are　continually　increasing；　they　cry　aloud　for　efficient　corrective　measures；　which　if　we　longer　delay；　general　disorder　must　ensue。　　　　　'But；'　say　those　who　have　not　deeply　investigated　the　subject；　'attempts　to　apply　remedies　have　been　often　made；　yet　all　of　them　have　failed。　The　evil　is　now　of　a　magnitude　not　to　be　controlled；　the　torrent　is　already　too　strong　to　be　stemmed；　and　we　can　only　wait　with　fear　or　calm　resignation　to　see　it　carry　destruction　in　its　course；　by　confounding　all　distinctions　of　right　and　wrong。'　　　　　Such　is　the　language　now　held；　and　such　are　the　general　feelings　on　this　most　important　subject。　　　　　These；　however；　if　longer　suffered　to　continue；　must　lead　to　the　most　lamentable　consequences。　Rather　than　pursue　such　a　course；　the　character　of　legislators　would　be　infinitely　raised；　if；　forgetting　the　petty　and　humiliating　contentions　of　sects　and　parties；　they　would　thoroughly　investigate　the　subject；　and　endeavour　to　arrest　and　overcome　these　mighty　evils。　　　　　The　chief　object　of　these　Essays　is　to　assist　and　forward　investigations　of　such　vital　importance　to　the　well…being　of　this　country；　and　of　society　in　general。　　　　　The　view　of　the　subject　which　is　about　to　be　given　has　arisen　from　extensive　experience　for　upwards　of　twenty　years；　during　which　period　its　truth　and　importance　have　been　proved　by　multiplied　experiments。　That　the　writer　may　not　be　charged　with　precipitation　or　presumption；　he　has　had　the　principle　and　its　consequences　examined；　scrutinized；　and　fully　canvassed；　by　some　of　the　most　learned；　intelligent；　and　competent　characters　of　the　present　day：　who；　on　every　principle　of　duty　as　well　as　of　interest；　if　they　had　discovered　error　in　either；　would　have　exposed　it　…　but　who；　on　the　contrary；　have　fairly　acknowledged　their　incontrovertible　truth　and　practical　importance。　　　　　Assured；　therefore；　that　his　principles　are　true；　he　proceeds　with　confidence；　and　courts　the　most　ample　and　free　discussion　of　the　subject；　courts　it　for　the　sake　of　humanity　…　for　the　sake　of　his　fellow　creatures　millions　of　whom　experience　sufferings　which；　were　they　to　be　unfolded；　would　compel　those　who　govern　the　world　to　exclaim　…　'Can　these　things　exist　and　we　have　no　knowledge　of　them？'　but　they　do　exist　and　even　the　heart…rending　statements　which　are　made　known　to　the　public　during　the　discussions　upon　negro…slavery；　do　not　exhibit　more　afflicting　scenes　than　those　which；　in　various　parts　of　the　world；　daily　arise　from　the　injustice　of　society　towards　itself；　from　the　inattention　of　mankind　to　the　circumstances　which　incessantly　surround　them；　and　from　the　want　of　a　correct　knowledge　of　human　nature　in　those　who　govern　and　control　the　affairs　of　men。　　　　　If　these　circumstances　did　not　exist　to　an　extent　almost　incredible；　it　would　be　unnecessary　now　to　contend　for　a　principle　regarding　Man；　which　scarcely　requires　more　than　to　be　fairly　stated　to　make　it　self…evident。　　　　　This　principle　is；　that　'Any　general　character；　from　the　best　to　the　worst；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　enlightened；　may　be　given　to　any　community；　even　to　the　world　at　large；　by　the　application　of　proper　means；'　which　means　are　to　a　great　extent　at　the　command　and　under　the　control　of　those　who　have　influence　in　the　affairs　of　men；'　　　　　The　principle　as　now　stated　is　a　broad　one；　and；　if　it　should　be　found　to　be　true；　cannot　fail　to　five　a　new　character　to　legislative　proceedings；　and　such　a　character　as　will　be　most　favourable　to　the　well…being　of　society。　　　　　That　this　principle　is　true　to　the　utmost　limit　of　the　terms；　is　evident　from　the　experience　of　all　past　ages；　and　from　every　existing　fact。　　　　　Shall　misery；　then；　most　complicated　and　extensive；　be　experienced；　from　the　prince　to　the　peasant；　throughout　all　the　nations　of　the　world；　and　shall　its　cause　and　the　means　of　its　prevention　be　known；　and　yet　these　means　withheld？　The　undertaking　is　replete　with　difficulties　which　can　only　be　overcome　by　those　who　have　influence　in　society：　who；　by　foreseeing　its　important　practical　benefits；　may　be　induced　to　contend　against　those　difficulties；　and　who；　when　its　advantages　are　clearly　seen　and　strongly　felt；　will　not　suffer　individual　considerations　to　be　put　in　competition　with　their　attainment。　It　is　true　their　ease　and　comfort　may　be　for　a　time　sacrificed　to　those　prejudices；　but；　if　they　persevere；　the　principles　on　which　this　knowledge　is　founded　must　ultimately　universally　prevail。　　　　　In　preparing　the　way　for　the　introduction　of　these　principles；　it　cannot　now　be　necessary　to　enter　into　the　detail　of　acts　to　prove　that　children　can　be　trained　to　acquire　'any　language；　sentiments；　belief；　or　any　bodily　habits　and　manners；　not　contrary　to　human　nature'。　　　　　For　that　this　has　been　done；　the　history　of　every　nation　of　which　we　have　records；　abundantly　confirms；　and　that　this　is；　and　may　be　again　done；　the　facts　which　exist　around　us　and　throughout　all　the　countries　in　the　world；　prove　to　demonstration。　　　　　Possessing；　then；　the　knowledge　of　a　power　so　important；　which　when　understood　is　capable　of　being　wielded　with　the　certainty　of　a　law　of　nature；　and　which　would　gradually　remove　the　evils　which　now　chiefly　afflict　mankind；　shall　we　permit　it　to　remain　dormant　and　useless；　and　suffer　the　plagues　of　society　perpetually　to　exist　and　increase？　　　　　No：　the　time　is　now　arrived　when　the　public　mind　of　this　country；　and　the　general　state　of　the　world；　call　imperatively　for　the　introduction　of　this　all…pervading　principle；　not　only　in　theory；　but　into　practice。　　　　　Nor　can　any　human　power　now　impede　its　rapid　progress。　Silence　will　not　retard　its　course；　and　opposition　will　give　increased　celerity　to　its　movements。　The　commencement　of　the　work　will；　in　fact；　ensure　its　accomplishment；　henceforth　all　the　irritating　angry　passions；　arising　from　ignorance　of　the　true　cause　of　bodily　and　mental　character；　will　gradually　subside；　and　be　replaced　by　the　most　frank　and　conciliating　confidence　and　goodwill。　　　　　Nor　will　it　be　possible　hereafter　for　comparatively　a　few　individuals　unintentionally　to　occasion　the　rest　of　mankind　to　be　surrounded　by　circumstances　which　inevitably　form　such　characters　as　they　afterwards　deem　it　a　duty　and　a　right　to　punish　even　to　death；　and　that；　too；　while　they　themselves　have　been　the　instruments　of　forming　those　characters。　Such　proceedings　not　only　create　innumerable　evils　to　the　directing　few；　but　essentially　retard　them　and　the　great　mass　of　society　from　attaining　the　enjoyment　of　a　high　degree　of　positive　happiness。　Instead　of　punishing　crimes　after　they　have　permitted　the　human　character　to　be　formed　so　as　to　commit　them；　they　will　adopt　the　only　means　which　can　be　adopted　to　prevent　the　existence　of　those　crimes；　means　by　which　they　may　be　most　easily　prevented。　　　　　Happily　for　poor　traduced　and　degraded　human　nature；　the　principle　for　which　we　now　contend　will　speedily　divest　it　of　all　the　ridiculous　and　absurd　mystery　with　which　it　has　been　hitherto　enveloped　by　the　ignorance　of　preceding　times：　and　all　the　complicated　and　counteracting　motives　for　good　conduct；　which　have　been　multipli