evolution and ethics and other essays-第13部分

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competitors　were　much　commoner　than　beautiful　princesses；　and　where
the　everlasting　battle　with　self　was　much　less　sure　to　be　crowned　with
victory　than　a　turn…to　with　a　giant。　We　have　done　the　like。　Thousands
upon　thousands　of　our　fellows；　thousands　of　years　ago；　have　preceded
us　in　finding　themselves　face　to　face　with　the　same　dread　problem　of
evil。　They　also　have　seen　that　the　cosmic　process　is　evolution；　that
it　is　full　of　wonder；　full　of　beauty；　and；　at　the　same　time；　full　of
pain。　They　have　sought　to　discover　the　bearing　of　these　great　facts　on
ethics；　to　find　out　whether　there　is；　or　is　not；　a　sanction　for
morality　in　the　ways　of　the　cosmos。

Theories　of　the　universe；　in　which　the　conception　of　evolution　plays　a
leading　part；　were　extant　at　least　six　centuries　before　our　era。
Certain　knowledge　of　them；　in　the　fifth　century；　reaches　us　from
localities　as　distant　as　the　valley　of　the　Ganges　and　the　Asiatic
coasts　of　the　Aegean。　To　the　early　philosophers　of　Hindostan；　no　less
than　to　those　of　Ionia；　the　salient　and　characteristic　feature　of　the
phenomenal　world　was　its　＇54＇　changefulness；　the　unresting　flow　of　all
things；　through　birth　to　visible　being　and　thence　to　not　being；　in
which　they　could　discern　no　sign　of　a　beginning　and　for　which　they　saw
no　prospect　of　an　ending。　It　was　no　less　plain　to　some　of　these
antique　forerunners　of　modern　philosophy　that　suffering　is　the　badge
of　all　the　tribe　of　sentient　things；　that　it　is　no　accidental
accompaniment；　but　an　essential　constituent　of　the　cosmic　process。　The
energetic　Greek　might　find　fierce　joys　in　a　world　in　which　〃strife　is
father　and　king；〃　but　the　old　Aryan　spirit　was　subdued　to　quietism　in
the　Indian　sage；　the　mist　of　suffering　which　spread　over　humanity　hid
everything　else　from　his　view；　to　him　life　was　one　with　suffering　and
suffering　with　life。

In　Hindostan；　as　in　Ionia；　a　period　of　relatively　high　and　tolerably
stable　civilization　had　succeeded　long　ages　of　semi…barbarism　and
struggle。　Out　of　wealth　and　security　had　come　leisure　and　refinement；
and；　close　at　their　heels；　had　followed　the　malady　of　thought。　To　the
struggle　for　bare　existence；　which　never　ends；　though　it　may　be
alleviated　and　partially　disguised　for　a　fortunate　few；　succeeded　the
struggle　to　make　existence　intelligible　and　to　bring　the　order　of
things　into　harmony　with　the　moral　sense　of　man；　which　also　never
ends；　but；　for　the　thinking　few；　becomes　keen　er　with　every　increase
of　knowledge　and　with　every　step　towards　the　realization　of　a　worthy
ideal　of　life。

＇55＇　Two　thousand　five　hundred　years　ago；　the　value　of　civilization　was
as　apparent　as　it　is　now；　then；　as　now；　it　was　obvious　that　only　in
the　garden　of　an　orderly　polity　can　the　finest　fruits　humanity　is
capable　of　bearing　be　produced。　But　it　had　also　become　evident　that
the　blessings　of　culture　were　not　unmixed。　The　garden　was　apt　to　turn
into　a　hothouse。　The　stimulation　of　the　senses；　the　pampering　of　the
emotions；　endlessly　multiplied　the　sources　of　pleasure。　The　constant
widening　of　the　intellectual　field　indefinitely　extended　the　range　of
that　especially　human　faculty　of　looking　before　and　after；　which　adds
to　the　fleeting　present　those　old　and　new　worlds　of　the　past　and　the
future；　wherein　men　dwell　the　more　the　higher　their　culture。　　But　that
very　sharpening　of　the　sense　and　that　subtle　refinement　of　emotion；
which　brought　such　a　wealth　of　pleasures；　were　fatally　attended　by　a
proportional　enlargement　of　the　capacity　for　suffering；　and　the　divine
faculty　of　imagination；　while　it　created　new　heavens　and　new　earths；
provided　them　with　the　corresponding　hells　of　futile　regret　for　the
past　and　morbid　anxiety　for　the　future。　＇Note　3＇　Finally；　the
inevitable　penalty　of　over…stimulation；　exhaustion；　opened　the　gates
of　civilization　to　its　great　enemy；　ennui；　the　stale　and　flat
weariness　when　man　delights…not；　nor　woman　neither；　when　all　things
are　vanity　and　vexation；　and　life　seems　not　worth　living　except　to
escape　the　bore　of　dying。

＇56＇　Even　purely　intellectual　progress　brings　about　its　revenges。
Problems　settled　in　a　rough　and　ready　way　by　rude　men；　absorbed　in
action；　demand　renewed　attention　and　show　themselves　to　be　still
unread　riddles　when　men　have　time　to　think。　The　beneficent　demon；
doubt；　whose　name　is　Legion　and　who　dwells　amongst　the　tombs　of　old
faiths；　enters　into　mankind　and　thenceforth　refuses　to　be　cast　out。
Sacred　customs；　venerable　dooms　of　ancestral　wisdom；　hallowed　by
tradition　and　professing　to　hold　good　for　all　time；　are　put　to　the
question。　Cultured　reflection　asks　for　their　credentials；　judges　them
by　its　own　standards；　finally；　gathers　those　of　which　it　approves　into
ethical　systems；　in　which　the　reasoning　is　rarely　much　more　than　a
decent　pretext　for　the　adoption　of　foregone　conclusions。

One　of　the　oldest　and　most　important　elements　in　such　systems　is　the
conception　of　justice。　Society　is　impossible　unless　those　who　are
associated　agree　to　observe　certain　rules　of　conduct　towards　one
another；　its　stability　depends　on　the　steadiness　with　which　they　abide
by　that　agreement；　and；　so　far　as　they　waver；　that　mutual　trust　which
is　the　bond　of　society　is　weakened　or　destroyed。　Wolves　could　not　hunt
in　packs　except　for　the　real；　though　unexpressed；　understanding　that
they　should　not　attack　one　another　during　the　chase。　The　most
rudimentary　polity　is　a　pack　of　men　living　under　the　like　tacit；　or
expressed；　＇57＇　understanding；　and　having　made　the　very　important
advance　upon　wolf　society；　that　they　agree　to　use　the　force　of　the
whole　body　against　individuals　who　violate　it　and　in　favour　of　those
who　observe　it。　This　observance　of　a　common　understanding；　with　the
consequent　distribution　of　punishments　and　rewards　according　to
accepted　rules；　received　the　name　of　justice；　while　the　contrary　was
called　injustice。　Early　ethics　did　not　take　much　note　of　the　animus　of
the　violator　of　the　rules。　　But　civilization　could　not　advance　far；
without　the　establishment　of　a　capital　distinction　between　the　case　of
involuntary　and　that　of　wilful　misdeed；　between　a　merely　wrong　action
and　a　guilty　one。　And；　with　increasing　refinement　of　moral
appreciation；　the　problem　of　desert；　which　arises　out　of　this
distinction；　acquired　more　and　more　theoretical　and　practical
importance。　If　life　must　be　given　for　life；　yet　it　was　recognized　that
the　unintentional　slayer　did　not　altogether　deserve　death；　and；　by　a
sort　of　compromise　between　the　public　and　the　private　conception　of
justice；　a　sanctuary　was　provided　in　which　he　might　take　refuge　from
the　avenger　of　blood。

The　idea　of　justice　thus　underwent　a　gradual　sublimation　from
punishment　and　reward　according　to　acts；　to　punishment　and　reward
according　to　desert；　or；　in　other　words；　according　to　motive。
Righteousness；　that　is；　action　from　right　motive；　＇58＇　not　only　became
synonymous　with　justice；　but　the　positive　constituent　of　innocence　and
the　very　heart　of　goodness。

Now　when　the　ancient　sage；　whether　Indian　or　Greek；　who　had　attained　to
this　conception　of　goodness；　looked　the　world；　and　especially　human
life；　in　the　face；　he　found　it　as　hard　as　we　do　to　bring　the　course　of
evoluti