the soul of man-第4节

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Christlike　when　he　went　out　to　live　with　the　lepers；　because　in

such　service　he　realised　fully　what　was　best　in　him。　　But　he　was

not　more　Christlike　than　Wagner　when　he　realised　his　soul　in　music；

or　than　Shelley；　when　he　realised　his　soul　in　song。　　There　is　no

one　type　for　man。　　There　are　as　many　perfections　as　there　are

imperfect　men。　　And　while　to　the　claims　of　charity　a　man　may　yield

and　yet　be　free；　to　the　claims　of　conformity　no　man　may　yield　and

remain　free　at　all。



Individualism；　then；　is　what　through　Socialism　we　are　to　attain　to。

As　a　natural　result　the　State　must　give　up　all　idea　of　government。

It　must　give　it　up　because；　as　a　wise　man　once　said　many　centuries

before　Christ；　there　is　such　a　thing　as　leaving　mankind　alone；

there　is　no　such　thing　as　governing　mankind。　　All　modes　of

government　are　failures。　　Despotism　is　unjust　to　everybody；

including　the　despot；　who　was　probably　made　for　better　things。

Oligarchies　are　unjust　to　the　many；　and　ochlocracies　are　unjust　to

the　few。　　High　hopes　were　once　formed　of　democracy；　but　democracy

means　simply　the　bludgeoning　of　the　people　by　the　people　for　the

people。　　It　has　been　found　out。　　I　must　say　that　it　was　high　time；

for　all　authority　is　quite　degrading。　　It　degrades　those　who

exercise　it；　and　degrades　those　over　whom　it　is　exercised。　　When　it

is　violently；　grossly；　and　cruelly　used；　it　produces　a　good　effect；

by　creating；　or　at　any　rate　bringing　out；　the　spirit　of　revolt　and

Individualism　that　is　to　kill　it。　　When　it　is　used　with　a　certain

amount　of　kindness；　and　accompanied　by　prizes　and　rewards；　it　is

dreadfully　demoralising。　　People；　in　that　case；　are　less　conscious

of　the　horrible　pressure　that　is　being　put　on　them；　and　so　go

through　their　lives　in　a　sort　of　coarse　comfort；　like　petted

animals；　without　ever　realising　that　they　are　probably　thinking

other　people's　thoughts；　living　by　other　people's　standards；

wearing　practically　what　one　may　call　other　people's　second…hand

clothes；　and　never　being　themselves　for　a　single　moment。　　'He　who

would　be　free；'　says　a　fine　thinker；　'must　not　conform。'　　And

authority；　by　bribing　people　to　conform；　produces　a　very　gross　kind

of　over…fed　barbarism　amongst　us。



With　authority；　punishment　will　pass　away。　　This　will　be　a　great

gain　…　a　gain；　in　fact；　of　incalculable　value。　　As　one　reads

history；　not　in　the　expurgated　editions　written　for　school…boys　and

passmen；　but　in　the　original　authorities　of　each　time；　one　is

absolutely　sickened；　not　by　the　crimes　that　the　wicked　have

committed；　but　by　the　punishments　that　the　good　have　inflicted；　and

a　community　is　infinitely　more　brutalised　by　the　habitual

employment　of　punishment；　than　it　is　by　the　occurrence　of　crime。

It　obviously　follows　that　the　more　punishment　is　inflicted　the　more

crime　is　produced；　and　most　modern　legislation　has　clearly

recognised　this；　and　has　made　it　its　task　to　diminish　punishment　as

far　as　it　thinks　it　can。　　Wherever　it　has　really　diminished　it；　the

results　have　always　been　extremely　good。　　The　less　punishment；　the

less　crime。　　When　there　is　no　punishment　at　all；　crime　will　either

cease　to　exist；　or；　if　it　occurs；　will　be　treated　by　physicians　as

a　very　distressing　form　of　dementia；　to　be　cured　by　care　and

kindness。　　For　what　are　called　criminals　nowadays　are　not　criminals

at　all。　　Starvation；　and　not　sin；　is　the　parent　of　modern　crime。

That　indeed　is　the　reason　why　our　criminals　are；　as　a　class；　so

absolutely　uninteresting　from　any　psychological　point　of　view。

They　are　not　marvellous　Macbeths　and　terrible　Vautrins。　　They　are

merely　what　ordinary；　respectable；　commonplace　people　would　be　if

they　had　not　got　enough　to　eat。　　When　private　property　is　abolished

there　will　be　no　necessity　for　crime；　no　demand　for　it；　it　will

cease　to　exist。　　Of　course；　all　crimes　are　not　crimes　against

property；　though　such　are　the　crimes　that　the　English　law；　valuing

what　a　man　has　more　than　what　a　man　is；　punishes　with　the　harshest

and　most　horrible　severity；　if　we　except　the　crime　of　murder；　and

regard　death　as　worse　than　penal　servitude；　a　point　on　which　our

criminals；　I　believe；　disagree。　　But　though　a　crime　may　not　be

against　property；　it　may　spring　from　the　misery　and　rage　and

depression　produced　by　our　wrong　system　of　property…holding；　and

so；　when　that　system　is　abolished；　will　disappear。　　When　each

member　of　the　community　has　sufficient　for　his　wants；　and　is　not

interfered　with　by　his　neighbour；　it　will　not　be　an　object　of　any

interest　to　him　to　interfere　with　anyone　else。　　Jealousy；　which　is

an　extraordinary　source　of　crime　in　modern　life；　is　an　emotion

closely　bound　up　with　our　conceptions　of　property；　and　under

Socialism　and　Individualism　will　die　out。　　It　is　remarkable　that　in

communistic　tribes　jealousy　is　entirely　unknown。



Now　as　the　State　is　not　to　govern；　it　may　be　asked　what　the　State

is　to　do。　　The　State　is　to　be　a　voluntary　association　that　will

organise　labour；　and　be　the　manufacturer　and　distributor　of

necessary　commodities。　　The　State　is　to　make　what　is　useful。　　The

individual　is　to　make　what　is　beautiful。　　And　as　I　have　mentioned

the　word　labour；　I　cannot　help　saying　that　a　great　deal　of　nonsense

is　being　written　and　talked　nowadays　about　the　dignity　of　manual

labour。　　There　is　nothing　necessarily　dignified　about　manual　labour

at　all；　and　most　of　it　is　absolutely　degrading。　　It　is　mentally　and

morally　injurious　to　man　to　do　anything　in　which　he　does　not　find

pleasure；　and　many　forms　of　labour　are　quite　pleasureless

activities；　and　should　be　regarded　as　such。　　To　sweep　a　slushy

crossing　for　eight　hours；　on　a　day　when　the　east　wind　is　blowing　is

a　disgusting　occupation。　　To　sweep　it　with　mental；　moral；　or

physical　dignity　seems　to　me　to　be　impossible。　　To　sweep　it　with

joy　would　be　appalling。　　Man　is　made　for　something　better　than

disturbing　dirt。　　All　work　of　that　kind　should　be　done　by　a

machine。



And　I　have　no　doubt　that　it　will　be　so。　　Up　to　the　present；　man　has

been；　to　a　certain　extent；　the　slave　of　machinery；　and　there　is

something　tragic　in　the　fact　that　as　soon　as　man　had　invented　a

machine　to　do　his　work　he　began　to　starve。　　This；　however；　is；　of

course；　the　result　of　our　property　system　and　our　system　of

competition。　　One　man　owns　a　machine　which　does　the　work　of　five

hundred　men。　　Five　hundred　men　are；　in　consequence；　thrown　out　of

employment；　and；　having　no　work　to　do；　become　hungry　and　take　to

thieving。　　The　one　man　secures　the　produce　of　the　machine　and　keeps

it；　and　has　five　hundred　times　as　much　as　he　should　have；　and

probably；　which　is　of　much　more　importance；　a　great　deal　more　than

he　really　wants。　　Were　that　machine　the　property　of　all；　every　one

would　benefit　by　it。　　It　would　be　an　immense　advantage　to　the

community。　　All　unintellectual　labour；　all　monotonous；　dull　labour；

all　labour　that　deals　with　dreadful　things；　and　involves　unpleasant

conditions；　must　be　done　by　machinery。　　Machinery　must　work　for　us

in　coal　mines；　and　do　all　sanitary　services；　and　be　the　stoker　of

steamers；　and　clean　the　streets；　and　run　messages　on　wet　days；　and

do　anything　that　is　tedious　or　distressing。　　At　present　machinery

competes　against　man。　　Under　proper　conditions　machinery　will　serve

man。　　There　is　no　doubt　at　all　that　this　is　the　future　of

machinery；　and　just　as　trees　grow　while　the　country　gentleman　is

asleep；　so　while　Humanity　will　be　amusing　itself；　or　enjoying

cultivated　leisure　…　which；　and　not　labour；　is　the　aim　of　man　…　or

making　beautiful　things；　or　reading　beautiful　things；　or　simply

contemplating　the　world　with　admiration　and　delight；　machinery　will

be　doing　all　the　necessary　and　unpleasant　work。　　The　fact　is；　that

civilisation　requires　slaves。　　The　Greeks　were　quite　right　there。

Unless　there　are　slaves　to　do　the　ugly；　horrible；　uninteresting

work；　culture　and　contemplation　become　almost　impossible。　　Human

slavery　is　wrong；　insecure；　and　demoralising。　　On　mechanical

slavery；　on　the　slavery　of　the　machine；　the　future　of　the　world

depends。　　And　when　scientific　men　are　no　longer　called　upon　to　go

down　to　a　depressing　East　End　and　distribute　bad　cocoa　and　worse

blankets　to　starving　people；　they　will　have　delightful　leisure　in

which　to　devise　wonderful　and　marvellous　things　for　their　own　joy

and　the　joy　of　everyone　else。　　There　will　be　great　storages　of

force　for　every　city；　and　for　every　house　if　required；　and　this

force　man　will　convert　into　heat；　light；　or　motion；　according　to

his　needs。　　Is　this　Utopian？　　A　map　of　the　world　that　does　not

include　Utopia　is　not　worth　even　glancing　at；　for　it　leaves　out　the

one　country　at　which　Humanity　is　always　landing。　　And　when　Humanity

lands　there；　it　looks　out；　and；　seeing　a　better　country；　sets　sail。

Progress　is　the　realisation　of　Utopias。



Now；　I　have　said　that　the　community　by　means　of　organisation　of

machinery　will　supply　the　useful　things；　and　that　the　beautiful

things　will　be　made　by　the　indi