erewhon-第38节

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for　whatever　fragments　could　be　found；　and　for　any　machines　that
might　have　been　hidden　away；　and　also　numberless　treatises　were
written；　showing　what　the　functions　of　each　rediscovered　machine
had　been；　all　being　done　with　no　idea　of　using　such　machinery
again；　but　with　the　feelings　of　an　English　antiquarian　concerning
Druidical　monuments　or　flint　arrow　heads。

On　my　return　to　the　metropolis；　during　the　remaining　weeks　or
rather　days　of　my　sojourn　in　Erewhon　I　made　a　resume　in　English　of
the　work　which　brought　about　the　already　mentioned　revolution。　　My
ignorance　of　technical　terms　has　led　me　doubtless　into　many　errors；
and　I　have　occasionally；　where　I　found　translation　impossible；
substituted　purely　English　names　and　ideas　for　the　original
Erewhonian　ones；　but　the　reader　may　rely　on　my　general　accuracy。　　I
have　thought　it　best　to　insert　my　translation　here。



CHAPTER　XXIII：　　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　MACHINES



The　writer　commences：…　〃There　was　a　time；　when　the　earth　was　to　all
appearance　utterly　destitute　both　of　animal　and　vegetable　life；　and
when　according　to　the　opinion　of　our　best　philosophers　it　was
simply　a　hot　round　ball　with　a　crust　gradually　cooling。　　Now　if　a
human　being　had　existed　while　the　earth　was　in　this　state　and　had
been　allowed　to　see　it　as　though　it　were　some　other　world　with
which　he　had　no　concern；　and　if　at　the　same　time　he　were　entirely
ignorant　of　all　physical　science；　would　he　not　have　pronounced　it
impossible　that　creatures　possessed　of　anything　like　consciousness
should　be　evolved　from　the　seeming　cinder　which　he　was　beholding？
Would　he　not　have　denied　that　it　contained　any　potentiality　of
consciousness？　　Yet　in　the　course　of　time　consciousness　came。　　Is
it　not　possible　then　that　there　may　be　even　yet　new　channels　dug
out　for　consciousness；　though　we　can　detect　no　signs　of　them　at
present？

〃Again。　　Consciousness；　in　anything　like　the　present　acceptation　of
the　term；　having　been　once　a　new　thinga　thing；　as　far　as　we　can
see；　subsequent　even　to　an　individual　centre　of　action　and　to　a
reproductive　system　（which　we　see　existing　in　plants　without
apparent　consciousness）why　may　not　there　arise　some　new　phase　of
mind　which　shall　be　as　different　from　all　present　known　phases；　as
the　mind　of　animals　is　from　that　of　vegetables？

〃It　would　be　absurd　to　attempt　to　define　such　a　mental　state　（or
whatever　it　may　be　called）；　inasmuch　as　it　must　be　something　so
foreign　to　man　that　his　experience　can　give　him　no　help　towards
conceiving　its　nature；　but　surely　when　we　reflect　upon　the　manifold
phases　of　life　and　consciousness　which　have　been　evolved　already；
it　would　be　rash　to　say　that　no　others　can　be　developed；　and　that
animal　life　is　the　end　of　all　things。　　There　was　a　time　when　fire
was　the　end　of　all　things：　　another　when　rocks　and　water　were　so。〃

The　writer；　after　enlarging　on　the　above　for　several　pages；
proceeded　to　inquire　whether　traces　of　the　approach　of　such　a　new
phase　of　life　could　be　perceived　at　present；　whether　we　could　see
any　tenements　preparing　which　might　in　a　remote　futurity　be　adapted
for　it；　whether；　in　fact；　the　primordial　cell　of　such　a　kind　of
life　could　be　now　detected　upon　earth。　　In　the　course　of　his　work
he　answered　this　question　in　the　affirmative　and　pointed　to　the
higher　machines。

〃There　is　no　security〃to　quote　his　own　words〃against　the
ultimate　development　of　mechanical　consciousness；　in　the　fact　of
machines　possessing　little　consciousness　now。　　A　mollusc　has　not
much　consciousness。　　Reflect　upon　the　extraordinary　advance　which
machines　have　made　during　the　last　few　hundred　years；　and　note　how
slowly　the　animal　and　vegetable　kingdoms　are　advancing。　　The　more
highly　organised　machines　are　creatures　not　so　much　of　yesterday；
as　of　the　last　five　minutes；　so　to　speak；　in　comparison　with　past
time。　　Assume　for　the　sake　of　argument　that　conscious　beings　have
existed　for　some　twenty　million　years：　　see　what　strides　machines
have　made　in　the　last　thousand！　　May　not　the　world　last　twenty
million　years　longer？　　If　so；　what　will　they　not　in　the　end　become？
Is　it　not　safer　to　nip　the　mischief　in　the　bud　and　to　forbid　them
further　progress？

〃But　who　can　say　that　the　vapour　engine　has　not　a　kind　of
consciousness？　　Where　does　consciousness　begin；　and　where　end？　　Who
can　draw　the　line？　　Who　can　draw　any　line？　　Is　not　everything
interwoven　with　everything？　　Is　not　machinery　linked　with　animal
life　in　an　infinite　variety　of　ways？　　The　shell　of　a　hen's　egg　is
made　of　a　delicate　white　ware　and　is　a　machine　as　much　as　an　egg…
cup　is：　　the　shell　is　a　device　for　holding　the　egg；　as　much　as　the
egg…cup　for　holding　the　shell：　　both　are　phases　of　the　same
function；　the　hen　makes　the　shell　in　her　inside；　but　it　is　pure
pottery。　　She　makes　her　nest　outside　of　herself　for　convenience'
sake；　but　the　nest　is　not　more　of　a　machine　than　the　egg…shell　is。
A　'machine'　is　only　a　'device。'〃

Then　returning　to　consciousness；　and　endeavouring　to　detect　its
earliest　manifestations；　the　writer　continued：…

〃There　is　a　kind　of　plant　that　eats　organic　food　with　its　flowers：
when　a　fly　settles　upon　the　blossom；　the　petals　close　upon　it　and
hold　it　fast　till　the　plant　has　absorbed　the　insect　into　its
system；　but　they　will　close　on　nothing　but　what　is　good　to　eat；　of
a　drop　of　rain　or　a　piece　of　stick　they　will　take　no　notice。
Curious！　that　so　unconscious　a　thing　should　have　such　a　keen　eye　to
its　own　interest。　　If　this　is　unconsciousness；　where　is　the　use　of
consciousness？

〃Shall　we　say　that　the　plant　does　not　know　what　it　is　doing　merely
because　it　has　no　eyes；　or　ears；　or　brains？　　If　we　say　that　it　acts
mechanically；　and　mechanically　only；　shall　we　not　be　forced　to
admit　that　sundry　other　and　apparently　very　deliberate　actions　are
also　mechanical？　　If　it　seems　to　us　that　the　plant　kills　and　eats　a
fly　mechanically；　may　it　not　seem　to　the　plant　that　a　man　must　kill
and　eat　a　sheep　mechanically？

〃But　it　may　be　said　that　the　plant　is　void　of　reason；　because　the
growth　of　a　plant　is　an　involuntary　growth。　　Given　earth；　air；　and
due　temperature；　the　plant　must　grow：　　it　is　like　a　clock；　which
being　once　wound　up　will　go　till　it　is　stopped　or　run　down：　　it　is
like　the　wind　blowing　on　the　sails　of　a　shipthe　ship　must　go　when
the　wind　blows　it。　　But　can　a　healthy　boy　help　growing　if　he　have
good　meat　and　drink　and　clothing？　can　anything　help　going　as　long
as　it　is　wound　up；　or　go　on　after　it　is　run　down？　　Is　there　not　a
winding　up　process　everywhere？

〃Even　a　potato　｛5｝　in　a　dark　cellar　has　a　certain　low　cunning　about
him　which　serves　him　in　excellent　stead。　　He　knows　perfectly　well
what　he　wants　and　how　to　get　it。　　He　sees　the　light　coming　from　the
cellar　window　and　sends　his　shoots　crawling　straight　thereto：　　they
will　crawl　along　the　floor　and　up　the　wall　and　out　at　the　cellar
window；　if　there　be　a　little　earth　anywhere　on　the　journey　he　will
find　it　and　use　it　for　his　own　ends。　　What　deliberation　he　may
exercise　in　the　matter　of　his　roots　when　he　is　planted　in　the　earth
is　a　thing　unknown　to　us；　but　we　can　imagine　him　saying；　'I　will
have　a　tuber　here　and　a　tuber　there；　and　I　will　suck　whatsoever
advantage　I　can　from　all　my　surroundings。　　This　neighbour　I　will
overshadow；　and　that　I　will　undermine；　and　what　I　can　do　shall　be
the　limit　of　what　I　will　do。　　He　that　is　stronger　and　better　placed
than　I　shall　overcome　me；　and　him　that　is　weaker　I　will　overcome。'

〃The　potato　says　these　things　by　doing　them；　which　is　the　best　of
languages。　　What　is　consciousness　if　this　is　not　consciousness？　　We
find　it　difficult　to　sympathise　with　the　emotions　of　a　potato；　so
we　do　with　those　of　an　oyster。　　Neither　of　these　things　makes　a
noise　on　being　boiled　or　opened；　and　noise　appeals　to　us　more
strongly　than　anything　else；　because　we　make　so　much　about　our　own
sufferings。　　Since；　then；　they　do　not　annoy　us　by　any　expression　of
pain　we　call　them　emotionless；　and　so　qua　mankind　they　are；　but
mankind　is　not　everybody。

If　it　be　urged　that　the　action　of　the　potato　is　chemical　and
mechanical　only；　and　that　it　is　due　to　the　chemical　and　mechanical
effects　of　light　and　heat；　the　answer　would　seem　to　lie　in　an
inquiry　whether　every　sensation　is　not　chemical　and　mechanical　in
its　operation？　whether　those　things　which　we　deem　most　purely
spiritual　are　anything　but　disturbances　of　equilibrium　in　an
infinite　series　of　levers；　beginning　with　those　that　are　too　small
for　microscopic　detection；　and　going　up　to　the　human　arm　and　the
appliances　which　it　makes　use　of？　whether　there　be　not　a　molecular
action　of　thought；　whence　a　dynamical　theory　of　the　passions　shall
be　deducible？　　Whether　strictly　speaking　we　should　not　ask　what
kind　of　levers　a　man　is　made　of　rather　than　what　is　his
temperament？　　How　are　they　balanced？　　How　much　of　such　and　such
will　it　take　to　weigh　them　down　so　as　to　make　him　do　so　and　so？〃

The　writer　went　on　to　say　that　he　anticipated　a　time　when　it　would
be　possible；　by　examining　a　single　hair　with　a　powerful　microscope；
to　know　whether　its　owner　could　be　insulted　with　impunity。　　He　then
became　more　and　more　obscure；　so　that　I　was　obliged　to　give　up　all
attempt　at　translation；　neither　did