evolution and ethics and other essays-第11部分

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　　　　〃Administrative　Nihilism。〃　Collected　Essays；　vol。　i。　p。　54。

I　think　it　must　be　obvious　to　every　one；　that；　whether　we　consider　the
internal　or　the　external　interests　of　society；　it　is　desirable　they
should　be　in　the　hands　of　those　who　are　endowed　with　the　largest　share
of　energy；　of　industry；　of　intellectual　capacity；　of　tenacity　of
purpose；　while　they　are　not　devoid　of　sympathetic　humanity；　and；　in　so
far　as　the　struggle　for　the　means　of　enjoyment　tends　to　place　such　men
in　possession　of　wealth　and　influence；　it　is　a　process　which　tends　to
the　good　of　society。　But　the　process；　as　we　have　seen；　has　no　real
resemblance　to　that　which　adapts　living　beings　to　current　conditions
in　the　state　of　nature；　nor　any　to　the　artificial　selection　of　the
horticulturist。

＇43＇　To　return；　once　more；　to　the　parallel　of　horticulture。　In　the
modern　world；　the　gardening　of　men　by　themselves　is　practically
restricted　to　the　performance；　not　of　selection；　but　of　that　other
function　of　the　gardener；　the　creation　of　conditions　more　favourable
than　those　of　the　state　of　nature；　to　the　end　of　facilitating　the　free
expansion　of　the　innate　faculties　of　the　citizen；　so　far　as　it　is
consistent　with　the　general　good。　　And　the　business　of　the　moral　and
political　philosopher　appears　to　me　to　be　the　ascertainment；　by　the
same　method　of　observation；　experiment；　and　ratiocination；　as　is
practised　in　other　kinds　of　scientific　work；　of　the　course　of　conduct
which　will　best　conduce　to　that　end。

But；　supposing　this　course　of　conduct　to　be　scientifically　determined
and　carefully　followed　out；　it　cannot　put　an　end　to　the　struggle　for
existence　in　the　state　of　nature；　and　it　will　not　so　much　as　tend；　in
any　way；　to　the　adaptation　of　man　to　that　state。　Even　should　the　whole
human　race　be　absorbed　in　one　vast　polity；　within　which　〃absolute
political　justice〃　reigns；　the　struggle　for　existence　with　the　state
of　nature　outside　it；　and　the　tendency　to　the　return　to　the　struggle
within；　in　consequence　of　over…multiplication；　will　remain；　and；
unless　men's　inheritance　from　the　ancestors　who　fought　a　good　fight　in
the　state　of　＇44＇　nature；　their　dose　of　original　sin；　is　rooted　out　by
some　method　at　present　unrevealed；　at　any　rate　to　disbelievers　in
supernaturalism；　every　child　born　into　the　world　will　still　bring　with
him　the　instinct　of　unlimited　self…assertion。　He　will　have　to　learn
the　lesson　of　self…restraint　and　renunciation。　But　the　practice　of
self…restraint　and　renunciation　is　not　happiness；　though　it　may　be
something　much　better。

That　man；　as　a　〃political　animal；〃　is　susceptible　of　a　vast　amount　of
improvement；　by　education；　by　instruction；　and　by　the　application　of
his　intelligence　to　the　adaptation　of　the　conditions　of　life　to　his
higher　needs；　I　entertain　not　the　slightest　doubt。　But　so　long　as　he
remains　liable　to　error；　intellectual　or　moral；　so　long　as　he　is
compelled　to　be　perpetually　on　guard　against　the　cosmic　forces；　whose
ends　are　not　his　ends；　without　and　within　himself；　so　long　as　he　is
haunted　by　inexpugnable　memories　and　hopeless　aspirations；　so　long　as
the　recognition　of　his　intellectual　limitations　forces　him　to
acknowledge　his　incapacity　to　penetrate　the　mystery　of　existence；　the
prospect　of　attaining　untroubled　happiness；　or　of　a　state　which　can；
even　remotely；　deserve　the　title　of　perfection；　appears　to　me　to　be　as
misleading　an　illusion　as　ever　was　dangled　before　the　eyes　of　poor
humanity。　And　there　have　been　many　of　them。

That　which　lies　before　the　human　race　is　a　＇45＇　constant　struggle　to
maintain　and　improve；　in　opposition　to　the　State　of　Nature；　the　State
of　Art　of　an　organized　polity；　in　which；　and　by　which；　man　may　develop
a　worthy　civilization；　capable　of　maintaining　and　constantly　improving
itself；　until　the　evolution　of　our　globe　shall　have　entered　so　far
upon　its　downward　course　that　the　cosmic　process　resumes　its　sway；
and；　once　more；　the　State　of　Nature　prevails　over　the　surface　of　our
planet。

　　　　　Note：　（See　p。　30）。It　seems　the　fashion　nowadays　to　ignore
Hartley；　though；　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　he　not　only　laid　the
foundations　but　built　up　much　of　the　superstructure　of　a　true　theory
of　the　Evolution　of　the　intellectual　and　moral　faculties。　He　speaks　of
what　I　have　termed　the　ethical　process　as　〃our　Progress　from
Self…interest　to　Self…annihilation。〃　Observations　on　Man　（1749）；　vol。
ii　p。　281。

＇46＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇The　Romanes　Lecture；　1893。＇

Soleo　enim　et　in　aliena　castra　transire；　non　tanquam　transfuga　sed
tanquam　explorator。　（L。　ANNAEI　SENECAE　EPIST。　II。　4。）

THERE　is　a　delightful　child's　story；　known　by　the　title　of　〃Jack　and
the　Bean…stalk；〃　with　which　my　contemporaries　who　are　present　will　be
familiar。　　But　so　many　of　our　grave　and　reverend　Juniors　have　been
brought　up　on　severer　intellectual　diet；　and；　perhaps；　have　become
acquainted　with　fairyland　only　through　primers　of　comparative
mythology；　that　it　may　be　needful　to　give　an　outline　of　the　tale。　It
is　a　legend　of　a　bean…plant；　which　grows　and　grows　until　it　reaches
the　high　heavens　and　there　spreads　out　into　a　vast　canopy　of　foliage。
The　hero；　being　moved　to　climb　the　stalk；　discovers　that　the　leafy
expanse　supports　a　world　composed　of　the　same　elements　as　that　below
but　yet　strangely　new；　and　his　adventures　there；　on　which　I　may　not
dwell；　must　＇47＇　have　completely　changed　his　views　of　the　nature　of
things；　though　the　story；　not　having　been　composed　by；　or　for；
philosophers；　has　nothing　to　say　about　views。

My　present　enterprise　has　a　certain　analogy　to　that　of　the　daring
adventurer。　I　beg　you　to　accompany　me　in　an　attempt　to　reach　a　world
which；　to　many；　is　probably　strange；　by　the　help　of　a　bean。　It　is；　as
you　know；　a　simple；　inert…looking　thing。　Yet；　if　planted　under　proper
conditions；　of　which　sufficient　warmth　is　one　of　the　most　important；
it　manifests　active　powers　of　a　very　remarkable　kind。　A　small　green
seedling　emerges；　rises　to　the　surface　of　the　soil；　rapidly　increases
in　size　and；　at　the　same　time；　undergoes　a　series　of　metamorphoses
which　do　not　excite　our　wonder　as　much　as　those　which　meet　us　in
legendary　history；　merely　because　they　are　to　be　seen　every　day　and
all　day　long。

By　insensible　steps；　the　plant　builds　itself　up　into　a　large　and
various　fabric　of　root；　stem；　leaves；　flowers；　and　fruit；　every　one
moulded　within　and　without　in　accordance　with　an　extremely　complex
but；　at　the　same　time；　minutely　defined　pattern。　In　each　of　these
complicated　structures；　as　in　their　smallest　constituents；　there　is　an
immanent　energy　which；　in　harmony　with　that　resident　in　all　the
others；　incessantly　works　towards　the　maintenance　；of　the　whole　and
the　efficient　performance　of　the　part　which　it　has　to　play　in　the
economy　of　nature。

＇48＇　But　no　sooner　has　the　edifice；　reared　with　such　exact
elaboration；　attained　completeness；　than　it　begins　to　crumble。　By
degrees；　the　plant　withers　and　disappears　from　view；　leaving　behind
more　or　fewer　apparently　inert　and　simple　bodies；　just　like　the　bean
from　which　it　sprang；　and；　like　it；　endowed　with　the　potentiality　of
giving　rise　to