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more　reason　there　must　be　also？　　Hence　the　necessity　for　the
development　of　unreason；　even　in　the　interests　of　reason　herself。
The　Professors　of　Unreason　deny　that　they　undervalue　reason：　　none
can　be　more　convinced　than　they　are；　that　if　the　double　currency
cannot　be　rigorously　deduced　as　a　necessary　consequence　of　human
reason；　the　double　currency　should　cease　forthwith；　but　they　say
that　it　must　be　deduced　from　no　narrow　and　exclusive　view　of　reason
which　should　deprive　that　admirable　faculty　of　the　one…half　of　its
own　existence。　　Unreason　is　a　part　of　reason；　it　must　therefore　be
allowed　its　full　share　in　stating　the　initial　conditions。



CHAPTER　XXII：　　THE　COLLEGES　OF　UNREASONContinued



Of　genius　they　make　no　account；　for　they　say　that　every　one　is　a
genius；　more　or　less。　　No　one　is　so　physically　sound　that　no　part
of　him　will　be　even　a　little　unsound；　and　no　one　is　so　diseased　but
that　some　part　of　him　will　be　healthyso　no　man　is　so　mentally　and
morally　sound；　but　that　he　will　be　in　part　both　mad　and　wicked；　and
no　man　is　so　mad　and　wicked　but　he　will　be　sensible　and　honourable
in　part。　　In　like　manner　there　is　no　genius　who　is　not　also　a　fool；
and　no　fool　who　is　not　also　a　genius。

When　I　talked　about　originality　and　genius　to　some　gentlemen　whom　I
met　at　a　supper　party　given　by　Mr。　Thims　in　my　honour；　and　said
that　original　thought　ought　to　be　encouraged；　I　had　to　eat　my　words
at　once。　　Their　view　evidently　was　that　genius　was　like　offences
needs　must　that　it　come；　but　woe　unto　that　man　through　whom　it
comes。　　A　man's　business；　they　hold；　is　to　think　as　his　neighbours
do；　for　Heaven　help　him　if　he　thinks　good　what　they　count　bad。　　And
really　it　is　hard　to　see　how　the　Erewhonian　theory　differs　from　our
own；　for　the　word　〃idiot〃　only　means　a　person　who　forms　his
opinions　for　himself。

The　venerable　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom；　a　man　verging　on　eighty
but　still　hale；　spoke　to　me　very　seriously　on　this　subject　in
consequence　of　the　few　words　that　I　had　imprudently　let　fall　in
defence　of　genius。　　He　was　one　of　those　who　carried　most　weight　in
the　university；　and　had　the　reputation　of　having　done　more　perhaps
than　any　other　living　man　to　suppress　any　kind　of　originality。

〃It　is　not　our　business；〃　he　said；　〃to　help　students　to　think　for
themselves。　　Surely　this　is　the　very　last　thing　which　one　who
wishes　them　well　should　encourage　them　to　do。　　Our　duty　is　to
ensure　that　they　shall　think　as　we　do；　or　at　any　rate；　as　we　hold
it　expedient　to　say　we　do。〃　　In　some　respects；　however；　he　was
thought　to　hold　somewhat　radical　opinions；　for　he　was　President　of
the　Society　for　the　Suppression　of　Useless　Knowledge；　and　for　the
Completer　Obliteration　of　the　Past。

As　regards　the　tests　that　a　youth　must　pass　before　he　can　get　a
degree；　I　found　that　they　have　no　class　lists；　and　discourage
anything　like　competition　among　the　students；　this；　indeed；　they
regard　as　self…seeking　and　unneighbourly。　　The　examinations　are
conducted　by　way　of　papers　written　by　the　candidate　on　set
subjects；　some　of　which　are　known　to　him　beforehand；　while　others
are　devised　with　a　view　of　testing　his　general　capacity　and　savoir
faire。

My　friend　the　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom　was　the　terror　of　the
greater　number　of　students；　and；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　he　very
well　might　be；　for　he　had　taken　his　Professorship　more　seriously
than　any　of　the　other　Professors　had　done。　　I　heard　of　his　having
plucked　one　poor　fellow　for　want　of　sufficient　vagueness　in　his
saving　clauses　paper。　　Another　was　sent　down　for　having　written　an
article　on　a　scientific　subject　without　having　made　free　enough　use
of　the　words　〃carefully；〃　〃patiently；〃　and　〃earnestly。〃　　One　man
was　refused　a　degree　for　being　too　often　and　too　seriously　in　the
right；　while　a　few　days　before　I　came　a　whole　batch　had　been
plucked　for　insufficient　distrust　of　printed　matter。

About　this　there　was　just　then　rather　a　ferment；　for　it　seems　that
the　Professor　had　written　an　article　in　the　leading　university
magazine；　which　was　well　known　to　be　by　him；　and　which　abounded　in
all　sorts　of　plausible　blunders。　　He　then　set　a　paper　which
afforded　the　examinees　an　opportunity　of　repeating　these　blunders
which；　believing　the　article　to　be　by　their　own　examiner；　they　of
course　did。　　The　Professor　plucked　every　single　one　of　them；　but
his　action　was　considered　to　have　been　not　quite　handsome。

I　told　them　of　Homer's　noble　line　to　the　effect　that　a　man　should
strive　ever　to　be　foremost　and　in　all　things　to　outvie　his　peers；
but　they　said　that　no　wonder　the　countries　in　which　such　a
detestable　maxim　was　held　in　admiration　were　always　flying　at　one
another's　throats。

〃Why；〃　asked　one　Professor；　〃should　a　man　want　to　be　better　than
his　neighbours？　　Let　him　be　thankful　if　he　is　no　worse。〃

I　ventured　feebly　to　say　that　I　did　not　see　how　progress　could　be
made　in　any　art　or　science；　or　indeed　in　anything　at　all；　without
more　or　less　self…seeking；　and　hence　unamiability。

〃Of　course　it　cannot；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃and　therefore　we　object
to　progress。〃

After　which　there　was　no　more　to　be　said。　　Later　on；　however；　a
young　Professor　took　me　aside　and　said　he　did　not　think　I　quite
understood　their　views　about　progress。

〃We　like　progress；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　must　commend　itself　to　the
common　sense　of　the　people。　　If　a　man　gets　to　know　more　than　his
neighbours　he　should　keep　his　knowledge　to　himself　till　he　has
sounded　them；　and　seen　whether　they　agree；　or　are　likely　to　agree
with　him。　　He　said　it　was　as　immoral　to　be　too　far　in　front　of
one's　own　age；　as　to　lag　too　far　behind　it。　　If　a　man　can　carry　his
neighbours　with　him；　he　may　say　what　he　likes；　but　if　not；　what
insult　can　be　more　gratuitous　than　the　telling　them　what　they　do
not　want　to　know？　　A　man　should　remember　that　intellectual　over…
indulgence　is　one　of　the　most　insidious　and　disgraceful　forms　that
excess　can　take。　　Granted　that　every　one　should　exceed　more　or
less；　inasmuch　as　absolutely　perfect　sanity　would　drive　any　man　mad
the　moment　he　reached　it；　but　。　。　。　〃

He　was　now　warming　to　his　subject　and　I　was　beginning　to　wonder　how
I　should　get　rid　of　him；　when　the　party　broke　up；　and　though　I
promised　to　call　on　him　before　I　left；　I　was　unfortunately
prevented　from　doing　so。

I　have　now　said　enough　to　give　English　readers　some　idea　of　the
strange　views　which　the　Erewhonians　hold　concerning　unreason；
hypothetics；　and　education　generally。　　In　many　respects　they　were
sensible　enough；　but　I　could　not　get　over　the　hypothetics；
especially　the　turning　their　own　good　poetry　into　the　hypothetical
language。　　In　the　course　of　my　stay　I　met　one　youth　who　told　me
that　for　fourteen　years　the　hypothetical　language　had　been　almost
the　only　thing　that　he　had　been　taught；　although　he　had　never　（to
his　credit；　as　it　seemed　to　me）　shown　the　slightest　proclivity
towards　it；　while　he　had　been　endowed　with　not　inconsiderable
ability　for　several　other　branches　of　human　learning。　　He　assured
me　that　he　would　never　open　another　hypothetical　book　after　he　had
taken　his　degree；　but　would　follow　out　the　bent　of　his　own
inclinations。　　This　was　well　enough；　but　who　could　give　him　his
fourteen　years　back　again？

I　sometimes　wondered　how　it　was　that　the　mischief　done　was　not　more
clearly　perceptible；　and　that　the　young　men　and　women　grew　up　as
sensible　and　goodly　as　they　did；　in　spite　of　the　attempts　almost
deliberately　made　to　warp　and　stunt　their　growth。　　Some　doubtless
received　damage；　from　which　they　suffered　to　their　life's　end；　but
many　seemed　little　or　none　the　worse；　and　some；　almost　the　better。
The　reason　would　seem　to　be　that　the　natural　instinct　of　the　lads
in　most　cases　so　absolutely　rebelled　against　their　training；　that
do　what　the　teachers　might　they　could　never　get　them　to　pay　serious
heed　to　it。　　The　consequence　was　that　the　boys　only　lost　their
time；　and　not　so　much　of　this　as　might　have　been　expected；　for　in
their　hours　of　leisure　they　were　actively　engaged　in　exercises　and
sports　which　developed　their　physical　nature；　and　made　them　at　any
rate　strong　and　healthy。

Moreover　those　who　had　any　special　tastes　could　not　be　restrained
from　developing　them：　　they　would　learn　what　they　wanted　to　learn
and　liked；　in　spite　of　obstacles　which　seemed　rather　to　urge　them
on　than　to　discourage　them；　while　for　those　who　had　no　special
capacity；　the　loss　of　time　was　of　comparatively　little　moment；　but
in　spite　of　these　alleviations　of　the　mischief；　I　am　sure　that　much
harm　was　done　to　the　children　of　the　sub…wealthy　classes；　by　the
system　which　passes　current　among　the　Erewhonians　as　education。
The　poorest　children　suffered　leastif　destruction　and　death　have
heard　the　sound　of　wisdom；　to　a　certain　extent　poverty　has　done　so
also。

And　yet　perhaps；　after　all；　it　is　better　for　a　country　that　its
seats　of　learning　should　do　more　to　suppress　mental　growth　than　to
encourage　it。　　Were　it　not　for　a　certain　priggishness　which　these
places　infuse　into　so　great　a　number　of　their　alumni；　genuine　work
would　become　dangerously　common。　　It　is　essential　that　by　far　the
greater　part　of　what　is　said　or　done　in　the　world　should　be　so
ephemeral　as　to　take　itself