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became　more　and　more　obscure；　so　that　I　was　obliged　to　give　up　all
attempt　at　translation；　neither　did　I　follow　the　drift　of　his
argument。　　On　coming　to　the　next　part　which　I　could　construe；　I
found　that　he　had　changed　his　ground。

〃Either；〃　he　proceeds；　〃a　great　deal　of　action　that　has　been　called
purely　mechanical　and　unconscious　must　be　admitted　to　contain　more
elements　of　consciousness　than　has　been　allowed　hitherto　（and　in
this　case　germs　of　consciousness　will　be　found　in　many　actions　of
the　higher　machines）Or　（assuming　the　theory　of　evolution　but　at
the　same　time　denying　the　consciousness　of　vegetable　and
crystalline　action）　the　race　of　man　has　descended　from　things　which
had　no　consciousness　at　all。　　In　this　case　there　is　no　a　priori
improbability　in　the　descent　of　conscious　（and　more　than　conscious）
machines　from　those　which　now　exist；　except　that　which　is　suggested
by　the　apparent　absence　of　anything　like　a　reproductive　system　in
the　mechanical　kingdom。　　This　absence　however　is　only　apparent；　as
I　shall　presently　show。

〃Do　not　let　me　be　misunderstood　as　living　in　fear　of　any　actually
existing　machine；　there　is　probably　no　known　machine　which　is　more
than　a　prototype　of　future　mechanical　life。　　The　present　machines
are　to　the　future　as　the　early　Saurians　to　man。　　The　largest　of
them　will　probably　greatly　diminish　in　size。　　Some　of　the　lowest
vertebrate　attained　a　much　greater　bulk　than　has　descended　to　their
more　highly　organised　living　representatives；　and　in　like　manner　a
diminution　in　the　size　of　machines　has　often　attended　their
development　and　progress。

〃Take　the　watch；　for　example；　examine　its　beautiful　structure；
observe　the　intelligent　play　of　the　minute　members　which　compose
it：　　yet　this　little　creature　is　but　a　development　of　the　cumbrous
clocks　that　preceded　it；　it　is　no　deterioration　from　them。　　A　day
may　come　when　clocks；　which　certainly　at　the　present　time　are　not
diminishing　in　bulk；　will　be　superseded　owing　to　the　universal　use
of　watches；　in　which　case　they　will　become　as　extinct　as
ichthyosauri；　while　the　watch；　whose　tendency　has　for　some　years
been　to　decrease　in　size　rather　than　the　contrary；　will　remain　the
only　existing　type　of　an　extinct　race。

〃But　returning　to　the　argument；　I　would　repeat　that　I　fear　none　of
the　existing　machines；　what　I　fear　is　the　extraordinary　rapidity
with　which　they　are　becoming　something　very　different　to　what　they
are　at　present。　　No　class　of　beings　have　in　any　time　past　made　so
rapid　a　movement　forward。　　Should　not　that　movement　be　jealously
watched；　and　checked　while　we　can　still　check　it？　　And　is　it　not
necessary　for　this　end　to　destroy　the　more　advanced　of　the　machines
which　are　in　use　at　present；　though　it　is　admitted　that　they　are　in
themselves　harmless？

〃As　yet　the　machines　receive　their　impressions　through　the　agency
of　man's　senses：　　one　travelling　machine　calls　to　another　in　a
shrill　accent　of　alarm　and　the　other　instantly　retires；　but　it　is
through　the　ears　of　the　driver　that　the　voice　of　the　one　has　acted
upon　the　other。　　Had　there　been　no　driver；　the　callee　would　have
been　deaf　to　the　caller。　　There　was　a　time　when　it　must　have　seemed
highly　improbable　that　machines　should　learn　to　make　their　wants
known　by　sound；　even　through　the　ears　of　man；　may　we　not　conceive；
then；　that　a　day　will　come　when　those　ears　will　be　no　longer
needed；　and　the　hearing　will　be　done　by　the　delicacy　of　the
machine's　own　construction？when　its　language　shall　have　been
developed　from　the　cry　of　animals　to　a　speech　as　intricate　as　our
own？

〃It　is　possible　that　by　that　time　children　will　learn　the
differential　calculusas　they　learn　now　to　speakfrom　their
mothers　and　nurses；　or　that　they　may　talk　in　the　hypothetical
language；　and　work　rule　of　three　sums；　as　soon　as　they　are　born；
but　this　is　not　probable；　we　cannot　calculate　on　any　corresponding
advance　in　man's　intellectual　or　physical　powers　which　shall　be　a
set…off　against　the　far　greater　development　which　seems　in　store
for　the　machines。　　Some　people　may　say　that　man's　moral　influence
will　suffice　to　rule　them；　but　I　cannot　think　it　will　ever　be　safe
to　repose　much　trust　in　the　moral　sense　of　any　machine。

〃Again；　might　not　the　glory　of　the　machines　consist　in　their　being
without　this　same　boasted　gift　of　language？　　'Silence；'　it　has　been
said　by　one　writer；　'is　a　virtue　which　renders　us　agreeable　to　our
fellow…creatures。'〃



CHAPTER　XXIV：　　THE　MACHINEScontinued



〃But　other　questions　come　upon　us。　　What　is　a　man's　eye　but　a
machine　for　the　little　creature　that　sits　behind　in　his　brain　to
look　through？　　A　dead　eye　is　nearly　as　good　as　a　living　one　for
some　time　after　the　man　is　dead。　　It　is　not　the　eye　that　cannot
see；　but　the　restless　one　that　cannot　see　through　it。　　Is　it　man's
eyes；　or　is　it　the　big　seeing…engine　which　has　revealed　to　us　the
existence　of　worlds　beyond　worlds　into　infinity？　　What　has　made　man
familiar　with　the　scenery　of　the　moon；　the　spots　on　the　sun；　or　the
geography　of　the　planets？　　He　is　at　the　mercy　of　the　seeing…engine
for　these　things；　and　is　powerless　unless　he　tack　it　on　to　his　own
identity；　and　make　it　part　and　parcel　of　himself。　　Or；　again；　is　it
the　eye；　or　the　little　see…engine；　which　has　shown　us　the　existence
of　infinitely　minute　organisms　which　swarm　unsuspected　around　us？

〃And　take　man's　vaunted　power　of　calculation。　　Have　we　not　engines
which　can　do　all　manner　of　sums　more　quickly　and　correctly　than　we
can？　　What　prizeman　in　Hypothetics　at　any　of　our　Colleges　of
Unreason　can　compare　with　some　of　these　machines　in　their　own　line？
In　fact；　wherever　precision　is　required　man　flies　to　the　machine　at
once；　as　far　preferable　to　himself。　　Our　sum…engines　never　drop　a
figure；　nor　our　looms　a　stitch；　the　machine　is　brisk　and　active；
when　the　man　is　weary；　it　is　clear…headed　and　collected；　when　the
man　is　stupid　and　dull；　it　needs　no　slumber；　when　man　must　sleep　or
drop；　ever　at　its　post；　ever　ready　for　work；　its　alacrity　never
flags；　its　patience　never　gives　in；　its　might　is　stronger　than
combined　hundreds；　and　swifter　than　the　flight　of　birds；　it　can
burrow　beneath　the　earth；　and　walk　upon　the　largest　rivers　and　sink
not。　　This　is　the　green　tree；　what　then　shall　be　done　in　the　dry？

〃Who　shall　say　that　a　man　does　see　or　hear？　　He　is　such　a　hive　and
swarm　of　parasites　that　it　is　doubtful　whether　his　body　is　not　more
theirs　than　his；　and　whether　he　is　anything　but　another　kind　of
ant…heap　after　all。　　May　not　man　himself　become　a　sort　of　parasite
upon　the　machines？　　An　affectionate　machine…tickling　aphid？

〃It　is　said　by　some　that　our　blood　is　composed　of　infinite　living
agents　which　go　up　and　down　the　highways　and　byways　of　our　bodies
as　people　in　the　streets　of　a　city。　　When　we　look　down　from　a　high
place　upon　crowded　thoroughfares；　is　it　possible　not　to　think　of
corpuscles　of　blood　travelling　through　veins　and　nourishing　the
heart　of　the　town？　　No　mention　shall　be　made　of　sewers；　nor　of　the
hidden　nerves　which　serve　to　communicate　sensations　from　one　part
of　the　town's　body　to　another；　nor　of　the　yawning　jaws　of　the
railway　stations；　whereby　the　circulation　is　carried　directly　into
the　heart；which　receive　the　venous　lines；　and　disgorge　the
arterial；　with　an　eternal　pulse　of　people。　　And　the　sleep　of　the
town；　how　life…like！　with　its　change　in　the　circulation。〃

Here　the　writer　became　again　so　hopelessly　obscure　that　I　was
obliged　to　miss　several　pages。　　He　resumed：…

〃It　can　be　answered　that　even　though　machines　should　hear　never　so
well　and　speak　never　so　wisely；　they　will　still　always　do　the　one
or　the　other　for　our　advantage；　not　their　own；　that　man　will　be　the
ruling　spirit　and　the　machine　the　servant；　that　as　soon　as　a
machine　fails　to　discharge　the　service　which　man　expects　from　it；
it　is　doomed　to　extinction；　that　the　machines　stand　to　man　simply
in　the　relation　of　lower　animals；　the　vapour…engine　itself　being
only　a　more　economical　kind　of　horse；　so　that　instead　of　being
likely　to　be　developed　into　a　higher　kind　of　life　than　man's；　they
owe　their　very　existence　and　progress　to　their　power　of　ministering
to　human　wants；　and　must　therefore　both　now　and　ever　be　man's
inferiors。

〃This　is　all　very　well。　　But　the　servant　glides　by　imperceptible
approaches　into　the　master；　and　we　have　come　to　such　a　pass　that；
even　now；　man　must　suffer　terribly　on　ceasing　to　benefit　the
machines。　　If　all　machines　were　to　be　annihilated　at　one　moment；　so
that　not　a　knife　nor　lever　nor　rag　of　clothing　nor　anything
whatsoever　were　left　to　man　but　his　bare　body　alone　that　he　was
born　with；　and　if　all　knowledge　of　mechanical　laws　were　taken　from
him　so　that　he　could　make　no　more　machines；　and　all　machine…made
food　destroyed　so　that　the　race　of　man　should　be　left　as　it　were
naked　upon　a　desert　island；　we　should　become　extinct　in　six　weeks。
A　few　miserable　individuals　might　linger；　but　even　these　in　a　year
or　two　would　become　worse　than　monkeys。　　Man's　very　soul　is　due　to
the　machines；　it　is　a　machine…made　thing：　　he　thinks　as　he　thinks；
and　feels　as　he　feels；　through　the　work　that　machines　have　wrought
upon　him；　and　their　existence　is　quite　as　much　a　sine　qua　non　for