kwaidan-第21节

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his　praise　of　the　ant　with　this　cautious　observation：







〃The　competence　of　the　ant　is　not　like　that　of　man。　It　is　devoted　to　the

welfare　of　the　species　rather　than　to　that　of　the　individual；　which　is；　as

it　were；　sacrificed　or　specialized　for　the　benefit　of　the　community。〃







　The　obvious　implication；　that　any　social　state；　in　which　the

improvement　of　the　individual　is　sacrificed　to　the　common　welfare；　leaves

much　to　be　desired；　is　probably　correct；　from　the　actual　human

standpoint。　For　man　is　yet　imperfectly　evolved；　and　human　society　has　much

to　gain　from　his　further　individualization。　But　in　regard　to　social　insects

the　implied　criticism　is　open　to　question。　〃The　improvement　of　the

individual；〃　says　Herbert　Spencer；　〃consists　in　the　better　fitting　of　him

for　social　cooperation；　and　this；　being　conducive　to　social　prosperity；　is

conducive　to　the　maintenance　of　the　race。〃　In　other　words；　the　value　of　the

individual　can　be　only　in　relation　to　the　society；　and　this　granted；

whether　the　sacrifice　of　the　individual　for　the　sake　of　that　society　be

good　or　evil　must　depend　upon　what　the　society　might　gain　or　lose　through　a

further　individualization　of　its　members。。。　But　as　we　shall　presently　see；

the　conditions　of　ant…society　that　most　deserve　our　attention　are　the

ethical　conditions；　and　these　are　beyond　human　criticism；　since　they

realize　that　ideal　of　moral　evolution　described　by　Mr。　Spencer　as　〃a　state

in　which　egoism　and　altruism　are　so　conciliated　that　the　one　merges　into

the　other。〃　That　is　to　say；　a　state　in　which　the　only　possible　pleasure　is

the　pleasure　of　unselfish　action。　Or；　again　to　quote　Mr。　Spencer；　the

activities　of　the　insect…society　are　〃activities　which　postpone　individual

well…being　so　completely　to　the　well…being　of　the　community　that　individual

life　appears　to　be　attended　to　only　just　so　far　as　is　necessary　to　make

possible　due　attention　to　social　life；。。。　the　individual　taking　only　just

such　food　and　just　such　rest　as　are　needful　to　maintain　its　vigor。〃







III





I　hope　my　reader　is　aware　that　ants　practise　horticulture　and　agriculture；

that　they　are　skillful　in　the　cultivation　of　mushrooms；　that　they　have

domesticated　（according　to　present　knowledge）　five　hundred　and　eighty…four

different　kinds　of　animals；　that　they　make　tunnels　through　solid　rock；　that

they　know　how　to　provide　against　atmospheric　changes　which　might　endanger

the　health　of　their　children；　and　that；　for　insects；　their　longevity　is

exceptional；　members　of　the　more　highly　evolved　species　living　for　a

considerable　number　of　years。





But　it　is　not　especially　of　these　matters　that　I　wish　to　speak。　What　I

want　to　talk　about　is　the　awful　propriety；　the　terrible　morality；　of　the

ant　＇1＇。　Our　most　appalling　ideals　of　conduct　fall　short　of　the　ethics　of

the　ant；　as　progress　is　reckoned　in　time；　by　nothing　less　than　millions

of　years！。。。　When　I　say　〃the　ant；〃　I　mean　the　highest　type　of　ant；　not；

of　course；　the　entire　ant…family。　　About　two　thousand　species　of　ants　are

already　known；　and　these　exhibit；　in　their　social　organizations；　widely

varying　degrees　of　evolution。　Certain　social　phenomena　of　the　greatest

biological　importance；　and　of　no　less　importance　in　their　strange　relation

to　the　subject　of　ethics；　can　be　studied　to　advantage　only　in　the　existence

of　the　most　highly　evolved　societies　of　ants。







After　all　that　has　been　written　of　late　years　about　the　probable　value　of

relative　experience　in　the　long　life　of　the　ant；　I　suppose　that　few　persons

would　venture　to　deny　individual　character　to　the　ant。　The　intelligence　of

the　little　creature　in　meeting　and　overcoming　difficulties　of　a　totally　new

kind；　and　in　adapting　itself　to　conditions　entirely　foreign　to　its

experience；　proves　a　considerable　power　of　independent　thinking。　But　this

at　least　is　certain：　that　the　ant　has　no　individuality　capable　of　being

exercised　in　a　purely　selfish　direction；　I　am　using　the　word　〃selfish〃　in

its　ordinary　acceptation。　A　greedy　ant；　a　sensual　ant；　an　ant　capable　of

any　one　of　the　seven　deadly　sins；　or　even　of　a　small　venial　sin；　is

unimaginable。　Equally　unimaginable；　of　course；　a　romantic　ant；　an

ideological　ant；　a　poetical　ant；　or　an　ant　inclined　to　metaphysical

speculations。　No　human　mind　could　attain　to　the　absolute　matter…of…fact

quality　of　the　ant…mind；　no　human　being；　as　now　constituted；　could

cultivate　a　mental　habit　so　impeccably　practical　as　that　of　the　ant。　But

this　superlatively　practical　mind　is　incapable　of　moral　error。　It　would　be

difficult；　perhaps；　to　prove　that　the　ant　has　no　religious　ideas。　But　it　is

certain　that　such　ideas　could　not　be　of　any　use　to　it。　The　being　incapable

of　moral　weakness　is　beyond　the　need　of　〃spiritual　guidance。〃







Only　in　a　vague　way　can　we　conceive　the　character　of　ant…society；　and　the

nature　of　ant…morality；　and　to　do　even　this　we　must　try　to　imagine　some　yet

impossible　state　of　human　society　and　human　morals。　Let　us；　then；　imagine　a

world　full　of　people　incessantly　and　furiously　working；　all　of　whom　seem

to　be　women。　No　one　of　these　women　could　be　persuaded　or　deluded　into

taking　a　single　atom　of　food　more　than　is　needful　to　maintain　her　strength；

and　no　one　of　them　ever　sleeps　a　second　longer　than　is　necessary　to　keep

her　nervous　system　in　good　working…order。　And　all　of　them　are　so　peculiarly

constituted　that　the　least　unnecessary　indulgence　would　result　in　some

derangement　of　function。





The　work　daily　performed　by　these　female　laborers　comprises　road…making；

bridge…building；　timber…cutting；　architectural　construction　of　numberless

kinds；　horticulture　and　agriculture；　the　feeding　and　sheltering　of　a

hundred　varieties　of　domestic　animals；　the　manufacture　of　sundry　chemical

products；　the　storage　and　conservation　of　countless　food…stuffs；　and　the

care　of　the　children　of　the　race。　All　this　labor　is　done　for　the

commonwealth　　no　citizen　of　which　is　capable　even　of　thinking　about

〃property；〃　except　as　a　res　publica；　and　the　sole　object　of　the

commonwealth　is　the　nurture　and　training　of　its　young；　nearly　all　of　whom

are　girls。　The　period　of　infancy　is　long：　the　children　remain　for　a　great

while；　not　only　helpless；　but　shapeless；　and　withal　so　delicate　that　they

must　be　very　carefully　guarded　against　the　least　change　of　temperature。

Fortunately　their　nurses　understand　the　laws　of　health：　each　thoroughly

knows　all　that　she　ought　to　know　in　regard　to　ventilation；　disinfection；

drainage；　moisture；　and　the　danger　of　germs；　germs　being　as　visible；

perhaps；　to　her　myopic　sight　as　they　become　to　our　own　eyes　under　the

microscope。　Indeed；　all　matters　of　hygiene　are　so　well　comprehended　that　no

nurse　ever　makes　a　mistake　about　the　sanitary　conditions　of　her

neighborhood。





In　spite　of　this　perpetual　labor　no　worker　remains　unkempt：　each　is

scrupulously　neat；　making　her　toilet　many　times　a　day。　But　as　every　worker

is　born　with　the　most　beautiful　of　combs　and　brushes　attached　to　her

wrists；　no　time　is　wasted　in　the　toilet…room。　Besides　keeping　themselves

strictly　clean；　the　workers　must　also　keep　their　houses　and　gardens　in

faultless　order；　for　the　sake　of　the　children。　Nothing　less　than　an

earthquake；　an　eruption；　an　inundation；　or　a　desperate　war；　is　allowed　to

interrupt　the　daily　routine　of　dusting；　sweeping；　scrubbing；　and

disinfecting。







IV





Now　for　stranger　facts：





This　world　of　incessant　toil　is　a　more　than　Vestal　world。　It　is　true　that

males　can　sometimes　be　perceived　in　it；　but　they　appear　only　at　particular

seasons；　and　they　have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　workers　or　with　the

work。　None　of　them　would　presume　to　address　a　worker；　except；　perhaps；

under　extraordinary　circumstances　of　common　peril。　And　no　worker　would

think　of　talking　to　a　male；　for　males；　in　this　queer　world；　are　inferior

beings；　equally　incapable　of　fighting　or　working；　and　tolerated　only　as

necessary　evils。　One　special　class　of　females；　the　Mothers…Elect　of　the

race；　do　condescend　to　consort　with　males；　during　a　very　brief　period；　at

particular　seasons。　But　the　Mothers…Elect　do　not　work；　and　they　most　accept

husbands。　A　worker　could　not　even　dream　of　keeping　company　with　a　male；

not　merely　because　such　association　would　signify　the　most　frivolous　waste

of　time；　nor　yet　because　the　worker　necessarily　regards　all　males　with

unspeakable　contempt；　but　because　the　worker　is　incapable　of　wedlock。　Some

workers；　indeed；　are　capable　of　parthenogenesis；　and　give　birth　to　children

who　never　had　fathers。　As　a　general　rule；　however；　the　worker　is　truly

feminine　by　her　moral　instincts　only：　she　has　all　the　tenderness；　the

patience；　and　the　foresight　that　we　call　〃maternal；〃　but　her　sex　has

disappeared；　like　the　sex　of　the　Dragon…Maiden　in　the　Buddhist　legend。





For　defense　against　creatures　of　prey；　or　enemies　of　the　state；　the

workers　are　provided　with　weapons；　and　they　are　furthermore　protected　by　a

larg