autobiography and selected essays-第12节

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mankind；have　they　been　able　to　confine　their　vision　more

absolutely　to　the　strictly　useful？　　I　fear　they　are　the　worst

offenders　of　all。　　For　if　the　astronomer　has　set　before　us　the

infinite　magnitude　of　space；　and　the　practical　eternity　of　the

duration　of　the　universe；　if　the　physical　and　chemical　philosophers

have　demonstrated　the　infinite　minuteness　of　its　constituent　parts；

and　the　practical　eternity　of　matter　and　of　force；　and　if　both　have

alike　proclaimed　the　universality　of　a　definite　and　predicable

order　and　succession　of　events；　the　workers　in　biology　have　not

only　accepted　all　these；　but　have　added　more　startling　theses　of

their　own。　　For；　as　the　astronomers　discover　in　the　earth　no　centre

of　the　universe；　but　an　eccentric　＇48＇　speck；　so　the　naturalists　find

man　to　be　no　centre　of　the　living　world；　but　one　amidst　endless

modifications　of　life；　and　as　the　astronomers　observe　the　mark　of

practically　endless　time　set　upon　the　arrangements　of　the　solar

system　so　the　student　of　life　finds　the　records　of　ancient　forms　of

existence　peopling　the　world　for　ages；　which；　in　relation　to　human

experience；　are　infinite。



Furthermore；　the　physiologist　finds　life　to　be　as　dependent　for　its

manifestation　of　particular　molecular　arrangements　as　any　physical

or　chemical　phenomenon；　and　wherever　he　extends　his　researches；

fixed　order　and　unchanging　causation　reveal　themselves；　as　plainly

as　in　the　rest　of　Nature。



Nor　can　I　find　that　any　other　fate　has　awaited　the　germ　of

Religion。　　Arising；　like　all　other　kinds　of　knowledge；　out　of　the

action　and　interaction　of　man's　mind；　with　that　which　is　not　man's

mind；　it　has　taken　the　intellectual　coverings　of　Fetishism　or

Polytheism；　of　Theism　or　Atheism；　of　Superstition　or　Rationalism。

With　these；　and　their　relative　merits　and　demerits；　I　have　nothing

to　do；　but　this　it　is　needful　for　my　purpose　to　say；　that　if　the

religion　of　the　present　differs　from　that　of　the　past；　it　is

because　the　theology　of　the　present　has　become　more　scientific　than

that　of　the　past；　because　it　has　not　only　renounced　idols　of　wood

and　idols　of　stone；　but　begins　to　see　the　necessity　of　breaking　in

pieces　the　idols　built　up　of　books　and　traditions　and　fine…spun

ecclesiastical　cobwebs：　and　of　cherishing　the　noblest　and　most

human　of　man's　emotions；　by　worship　〃for　the　most　part　of　the

silent　sort〃　at　the　Altar　of　the　Unknown。



Such　are　a　few　of　the　new　conceptions　implanted　in　our　minds　by　the

improvement　of　natural　knowledge。　　Men　have　acquired　the　ideas　of

the　practically　infinite　extent　of　the　universe　and　of　its

practical　eternity；　they　are　familiar　with　the　conception　that　our

earth　is　but　an　infinitesimal　fragment　of　that　part　of　the　universe

which　can　be　seen；　and　that；　nevertheless；　its　duration　is；　as

compared　with　our　standards　of　time；　infinite。　　They　have　further

acquired　the　idea　that　man　is　but　one　of　innumerable　forms　of　life

now　existing　on　the　globe；　and　that　the　present　existences　are　but

the　last　of　an　immeasurable　series　of　predecessors。　　Moreover；

every　step　they　have　made　in　natural　knowledge　has　tended　to　extend

and　rivet　in　their　minds　the　conception　of　a　definite　order　of　the

universewhich　is　embodied　in　what　are　called；　by　an　unhappy

metaphor；　the　laws　of　Natureand　to　narrow　the　range　and　loosen

the　force　of　men's　belief　in　spontaneity；　or　in　changes　other　than

such　as　arise　out　of　that　definite　order　itself。



Whether　these　ideas　are　well　or　ill　founded　is　not　the　question。

No　one　can　deny　that　they　exist；　and　have　been　the　inevitable

outgrowth　of　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge。　　And　if　so；　it

cannot　be　doubted　that　they　are　changing　the　form　of　men's　most

cherished　and　most　important　convictions。





And　as　regards　the　second　pointthe　extent　to　which　the

improvement　of　natural　knowledge　has　remodelled　and　altered　what

may　be　termed　the　intellectual　ethics　of　men；what　are　among　the

moral　convictions　most　fondly　held　by　barbarous　and　semi…barbarous

people？



They　are　the　convictions　that　authority　is　the　soundest　basis　of

belief；　that　merit　attaches　to　a　readiness　to　believe；　that　the

doubting　disposition　is　a　bad　one；　and　scepticism　a　sin；　that　when

good　authority　has　pronounced　what　is　to　be　believed；　and　faith　has

accepted　it；　reason　has　no　further　duty。　　There　are　many　excellent

persons　who　yet　hold　by　these　principles；　and　it　is　not　my　present

business；　or　intention；　to　discuss　their　views。　　All　I　wish　to

bring　clearly　before　your　minds　is　the　unquestionable　fact；　that

the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge　is　effected　by　methods　which

directly　give　the　lie　to　all　these　convictions；　and　assume　the

exact　reverse　of　each　to　be　true。



The　improver　of　natural　knowledge　absolutely　refuses　to　acknowledge

authority；　as　such。　　For　him；　scepticism　is　the　highest　of　duties；

blind　faith　the　one　unpardonable　sin。　　And　it　cannot　be　otherwise；

for　every　great　advance　in　natural　knowledge　has　involved　the

absolute　rejection　of　authority；　the　cherishing　of　the　keenest

scepticism；　the　annihilation　of　the　spirit　of　blind　faith；　and　the

most　ardent　votary　of　science　holds　his　firmest　convictions；　not

because　the　men　he　most　venerates　hold　them；　not　because　their

verity　is　testified　by　portents　and　wonders；　but　because　his

experience　teaches　him　that　whenever　he　chooses　to　bring　these

convictions　into　contact　with　their　primary　source；　Nature

whenever　he　thinks　fit　to　test　them　by　appealing　to　experiment　and

to　observationNature　will　confirm　them。　　The　man　of　science　has

learned　to　believe　in　justification；　not　by　faith；　but　by

verification。



Thus；　without　for　a　moment　pretending　to　despise　the　practical

results　of　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge；　and　its　beneficial

influence　on　material　civilisation；　it　must；　I　think；　be　admitted

that　the　great　ideas；　some　of　which　I　have　indicated；　and　the

ethical　spirit　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　sketch；　in　the　few

moments　which　remained　at　my　disposal；　constitute　the　real　and

permanent　significance　of　natural　knowledge。



If　these　ideas　be　destined；　as　I　believe　they　are；　to　be　more　and

more　firmly　established　as　the　world　grows　older；　if　that　spirit　be

fated；　as　I　believe　it　is；　to　extend　itself　into　all　departments　of

human　thought；　and　to　become　co…extensive　with　the　range　of

knowledge；　if；　as　our　race　approaches　its　maturity；　it　discovers；

as　I　believe　it　will；　that　there　is　but　one　kind　of　knowledge　and

but　one　method　of　acquiring　it；　then　we；　who　are　still　children；

may　justly　feel　it　our　highest　duty　to　recognise　the　advisableness

of　improving　natural　knowledge；　and　so　to　aid　ourselves　and　our

successors　in　our　course　towards　the　noble　goal　which　lies　before

mankind。







A　LIBERAL　EDUCATION　　　　　＇49＇





The　business　which　the　South　London　Working　Men's　College　has

undertaken　is　a　great　work；　indeed；　I　might　say；　that　Education；

with　which　that　college　proposes　to　grapple；　is　the　greatest　work

of　all　those　which　lie　ready　to　a　man's　hand　just　at　present。



And；　at　length；　this　fact　is　becoming　generally　recognised。　　You

cannot　go　anywhere　without　hearing　a　buzz　of　more　or　less　confused

and　contradictory　talk　on　this　subjectnor　can　you　fail　to　notice

that；　in　one　point　at　any　rate；　there　is　a　very　decided　advance

upon　like　discussions　in　former　days。　　Nobody　outside　the

agricultural　interest　now　dares　to　say　that　education　is　a　bad

thing。　　If　any　representative　of　the　once　large　and　powerful　party；

which；　in　former　days；　proclaimed　this　opinion；　still　exists　in　the

semi…fossil　state；　he　keeps　his　thoughts　to　himself。　　In　fact；

there　is　a　chorus　of　voices；　almost　distressing　in　their　harmony；

raised　in　favour　of　the　doctrine　that　education　is　the　great

panacea　for　human　troubles；　and　that；　if　the　country　is　not　shortly

to　go　to　the　dogs；　everybody　must　be　educated。



The　politicians　tell　us；　〃You　must　educate　the　masses　because　they

are　going　to　be　masters。〃　　The　clergy　join　in　the　cry　for

education；　for　they　affirm　that　the　people　are　drifting　away　from

church　and　chapel　into　the　broadest　infidelity。　　The　manufacturers

and　the　capitalists　swell　the　chorus　lustily。　　They　declare　that

ignorance　makes　bad　workmen；　that　England　will　soon　be　unable　to

turn　out　cotton　goods；　or　steam　engines；　cheaper　than　other　people；

and　then；　Ichabod！　Ichabod！＇50＇　the　glory　will　be　departed　from　us。

And　a　few　voices　are　lifted　up　in　favour　of　the　doctrine　that　the

masses　should　be　educated　because　they　are　men　and　women　with

unlimited　capacities　of　being；　doing；　and　suffering；　and　that　it　is

as　true　now；　as　it　ever　was；　that　the　people　perish　for　lack　of

knowledge。



These　members　of　the　minority；　with　whom　I　confess　I　have　a　good

deal　of　sympathy；　are　doubtful　whether　any　of　the　other　reasons

urged　in　favour　of　the　education　of　the　people　are　of　much　value

whether；　indeed；　some　of　them　are　based　upon　either　wise　or　noble

gro