erewhon-第43节

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emergencies　that　may　arise　to　harass　the　machines；　and　then　let　him
think　of　a　hundred　thousand　years；　and　the　accumulated　progress
which　they　will　bring　unless　man　can　be　awakened　to　a　sense　of　his
situation；　and　of　the　doom　which　he　is　preparing　for　himself。　｛6｝

〃The　misery　is　that　man　has　been　blind　so　long　already。　　In　his
reliance　upon　the　use　of　steam　he　has　been　betrayed　into　increasing
and　multiplying。　　To　withdraw　steam　power　suddenly　will　not　have
the　effect　of　reducing　us　to　the　state　in　which　we　were　before　its
introduction；　there　will　be　a　general　break…up　and　time　of　anarchy
such　as　has　never　been　known；　it　will　be　as　though　our　population
were　suddenly　doubled；　with　no　additional　means　of　feeding　the
increased　number。　　The　air　we　breathe　is　hardly　more　necessary　for
our　animal　life　than　the　use　of　any　machine；　on　the　strength　of
which　we　have　increased　our　numbers；　is　to　our　civilisation；　it　is
the　machines　which　act　upon　man　and　make　him　man；　as　much　as　man
who　has　acted　upon　and　made　the　machines；　but　we　must　choose
between　the　alternative　of　undergoing　much　present　suffering；　or
seeing　ourselves　gradually　superseded　by　our　own　creatures；　till　we
rank　no　higher　in　comparison　with　them；　than　the　beasts　of　the
field　with　ourselves。

〃Herein　lies　our　danger。　　For　many　seem　inclined　to　acquiesce　in　so
dishonourable　a　future。　　They　say　that　although　man　should　become
to　the　machines　what　the　horse　and　dog　are　to　us；　yet　that　he　will
continue　to　exist；　and　will　probably　be　better　off　in　a　state　of
domestication　under　the　beneficent　rule　of　the　machines　than　in　his
present　wild　condition。　　We　treat　our　domestic　animals　with　much
kindness。　　We　give　them　whatever　we　believe　to　be　the　best　for
them；　and　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　our　use　of　meat　has　increased
their　happiness　rather　than　detracted　from　it。　　In　like　manner
there　is　reason　to　hope　that　the　machines　will　use　us　kindly；　for
their　existence　will　be　in　a　great　measure　dependent　upon　ours；
they　will　rule　us　with　a　rod　of　iron；　but　they　will　not　eat　us；
they　will　not　only　require　our　services　in　the　reproduction　and
education　of　their　young；　but　also　in　waiting　upon　them　as
servants；　in　gathering　food　for　them；　and　feeding　them；　in
restoring　them　to　health　when　they　are　sick；　and　in　either　burying
their　dead　or　working　up　their　deceased　members　into　new　forms　of
mechanical　existence。

〃The　very　nature　of　the　motive　power　which　works　the　advancement　of
the　machines　precludes　the　possibility　of　man's　life　being　rendered
miserable　as　well　as　enslaved。　　Slaves　are　tolerably　happy　if　they
have　good　masters；　and　the　revolution　will　not　occur　in　our　time；
nor　hardly　in　ten　thousand　years；　or　ten　times　that。　　Is　it　wise　to
be　uneasy　about　a　contingency　which　is　so　remote？　　Man　is　not　a
sentimental　animal　where　his　material　interests　are　concerned；　and
though　here　and　there　some　ardent　soul　may　look　upon　himself　and
curse　his　fate　that　he　was　not　born　a　vapour…engine；　yet　the　mass
of　mankind　will　acquiesce　in　any　arrangement　which　gives　them
better　food　and　clothing　at　a　cheaper　rate；　and　will　refrain　from
yielding　to　unreasonable　jealousy　merely　because　there　are　other
destinies　more　glorious　than　their　own。

〃The　power　of　custom　is　enormous；　and　so　gradual　will　be　the
change；　that　man's　sense　of　what　is　due　to　himself　will　be　at　no
time　rudely　shocked；　our　bondage　will　steal　upon　us　noiselessly　and
by　imperceptible　approaches；　nor　will　there　ever　be　such　a　clashing
of　desires　between　man　and　the　machines　as　will　lead　to　an
encounter　between　them。　　Among　themselves　the　machines　will　war
eternally；　but　they　will　still　require　man　as　the　being　through
whose　agency　the　struggle　will　be　principally　conducted。　　In　point
of　fact　there　is　no　occasion　for　anxiety　about　the　future　happiness
of　man　so　long　as　he　continues　to　be　in　any　way　profitable　to　the
machines；　he　may　become　the　inferior　race；　but　he　will　be
infinitely　better　off　than　he　is　now。　　Is　it　not　then　both　absurd
and　unreasonable　to　be　envious　of　our　benefactors？　　And　should　we
not　be　guilty　of　consummate　folly　if　we　were　to　reject　advantages
which　we　cannot　obtain　otherwise；　merely　because　they　involve　a
greater　gain　to　others　than　to　ourselves？

〃With　those　who　can　argue　in　this　way　I　have　nothing　in　common。　　I
shrink　with　as　much　horror　from　believing　that　my　race　can　ever　be
superseded　or　surpassed；　as　I　should　do　from　believing　that　even　at
the　remotest　period　my　ancestors　were　other　than　human　beings。
Could　I　believe　that　ten　hundred　thousand　years　ago　a　single　one　of
my　ancestors　was　another　kind　of　being　to　myself；　I　should　lose　all
self…respect；　and　take　no　further　pleasure　or　interest　in　life。　　I
have　the　same　feeling　with　regard　to　my　descendants；　and　believe　it
to　be　one　that　will　be　felt　so　generally　that　the　country　will
resolve　upon　putting　an　immediate　stop　to　all　further　mechanical
progress；　and　upon　destroying　all　improvements　that　have　been　made
for　the　last　three　hundred　years。　　I　would　not　urge　more　than　this。
We　may　trust　ourselves　to　deal　with　those　that　remain；　and　though　I
should　prefer　to　have　seen　the　destruction　include　another　two
hundred　years；　I　am　aware　of　the　necessity　for　compromising；　and
would　so　far　sacrifice　my　own　individual　convictions　as　to　be
content　with　three　hundred。　　Less　than　this　will　be　insufficient。〃

This　was　the　conclusion　of　the　attack　which　led　to　the　destruction
of　machinery　throughout　Erewhon。　　There　was　only　one　serious
attempt　to　answer　it。　　Its　author　said　that　machines　were　to　be
regarded　as　a　part　of　man's　own　physical　nature；　being　really
nothing　but　extra…corporeal　limbs。　　Man；　he　said；　was　a　machinate
mammal。　　The　lower　animals　keep　all　their　limbs　at　home　in　their
own　bodies；　but　many　of　man's　are　loose；　and　lie　about　detached；
now　here　and　now　there；　in　various　parts　of　the　worldsome　being
kept　always　handy　for　contingent　use；　and　others　being　occasionally
hundreds　of　miles　away。　　A　machine　is　merely　a　supplementary　limb；
this　is　the　be　all　and　end　all　of　machinery。　　We　do　not　use　our　own
limbs　other　than　as　machines；　and　a　leg　is　only　a　much　better
wooden　leg　than　any　one　can　manufacture。

〃Observe　a　man　digging　with　a　spade；　his　right　fore…arm　has　become
artificially　lengthened；　and　his　hand　has　become　a　joint。　　The
handle　of　the　spade　is　like　the　knob　at　the　end　of　the　humerus；　the
shaft　is　the　additional　bone；　and　the　oblong　iron　plate　is　the　new
form　of　the　hand　which　enables　its　possessor　to　disturb　the　earth
in　a　way　to　which　his　original　hand　was　unequal。　　Having　thus
modified　himself；　not　as　other　animals　are　modified；　by
circumstances　over　which　they　have　had　not　even　the　appearance　of
control；　but　having；　as　it　were；　taken　forethought　and　added　a
cubit　to　his　stature；　civilisation　began　to　dawn　upon　the　race；　the
social　good　offices；　the　genial　companionship　of　friends；　the　art
of　unreason；　and　all　those　habits　of　mind　which　most　elevate　man
above　the　lower　animals；　in　the　course　of　time　ensued。

〃Thus　civilisation　and　mechanical　progress　advanced　hand　in　hand；
each　developing　and　being　developed　by　the　other；　the　earliest
accidental　use　of　the　stick　having　set　the　ball　rolling；　and　the
prospect　of　advantage　keeping　it　in　motion。　　In　fact；　machines　are
to　be　regarded　as　the　mode　of　development　by　which　human　organism
is　now　especially　advancing；　every　past　invention　being　an　addition
to　the　resources　of　the　human　body。　　Even　community　of　limbs　is
thus　rendered　possible　to　those　who　have　so　much　community　of　soul
as　to　own　money　enough　to　pay　a　railway　fare；　for　a　train　is　only　a
seven…leagued　foot　that　five　hundred　may　own　at　once。〃

The　one　serious　danger　which　this　writer　apprehended　was　that　the
machines　would　so　equalise　men's　powers；　and　so　lessen　the　severity
of　competition；　that　many　persons　of　inferior　physique　would　escape
detection　and　transmit　their　inferiority　to　their　descendants。　　He
feared　that　the　removal　of　the　present　pressure　might　cause　a
degeneracy　of　the　human　race；　and　indeed　that　the　whole　body　might
become　purely　rudimentary；　the　man　himself　being　nothing　but　soul
and　mechanism；　an　intelligent　but　passionless　principle　of
mechanical　action。

〃How　greatly；〃　he　wrote；　〃do　we　not　now　live　with　our　external
limbs？　　We　vary　our　physique　with　the　seasons；　with　age；　with
advancing　or　decreasing　wealth。　　If　it　is　wet　we　are　furnished　with
an　organ　commonly　called　an　umbrella；　and　which　is　designed　for　the
purpose　of　protecting　our　clothes　or　our　skins　from　the　injurious
effects　of　rain。　　Man　has　now　many　extra…corporeal　members；　which
are　of　more　importance　to　him　than　a　good　deal　of　his　hair；　or　at
any　rate　than　his　whiskers。　　His　memory　goes　in　his　pocket…book。
He　becomes　more　and　more　complex　as　he　grows　older；　he　will　then　be
seen　with　see…engines；　or　perhaps　with　artificial　teeth　and　hair：
if　he　be　a　really　well…developed　specimen　of　his　race；　he　will　be
furnished　with　a　large　box　upon　wheels；　two　horses；　and　a
coachman。〃

It　was　this　writer　who　originated　the　custom　of　classifying　men　by
their　horse…power；　and　who　divided　them　into　genera；　species；
varieties；　and　subvarieties