evolution and ethics and other essays-第35部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


of　Siena；　without　wishing　that；　for　the　furtherance　of　his　own　ideals；
he　might　be　even　as　they；　or　who　can　contemplate　unmoved　the　steadfast
veracity　and　true　heroism　which　loom　through　the　fogs　of　mystical
utterance　in　George　Fox。　In　all　these　great　men　and　women　there　lay
the　root　of　the　matter；　a　burning　desire　to　amend　the　condition　of
their　fellow…men；　and　to　put　aside　all　other　things　for　that　end。　If；
in　spite　of　all　the　dogmatic　helps　or　hindrances　in　which　they　were
entangled；　these　people　are　not　to　be　held　in　high　honour；　who　are？

I　have　never　expressed　a　doubtfor　I　have　nonethat；　when　Mr。　Booth
left　the　Methodist　connection；　and　started　that　organisation　of　the
Salvation　Army　upon　which；　comparatively　recently；　such　ambitious
schemes　of　social　reform　have　been　grafted；　he　may　have　deserved　some
share　of　such　honour。　I　do　not　say　that；　so　far　as　his　personal
desires　and　intentions　go；　he　may　not　still　deserve　it。　But　the
correlate　of　despotic　authority　is　unlimited　responsibility。　If　Mr。
Booth　is　to　take　＇193＇　credit　for　any　good　that　the　Army　system　has
effected；　he　must　be　prepared　to　bear　blame　for　its　inherent　evils。　As
it　seems　to　me；　that　has　happened　to　him　which　sooner　or　later　happens
to　all　despots：　he　has　become　the　slave　of　his　own　creationthe
prosperity　and　glory　of　the　soul…saving　machine　have　become　the　end；
instead　of　a　means；　of　soul…saving；　and　to　maintain　these　at　the
proper　pitch；　the　〃General〃　is　led　to　do　things　which　the　Mr。　Booth　of
twenty　years　ago　would　probably　have　scorned。

And　those　who　desire；　as　I　most　emphatically　desire；　to　be　just　to　Mr。
Booth；　however　badly　they　may　think　of　the　working　of　the　organization
he　has　founded；　will　bear　in　mind　that　some　astute　backers　of　his
probably　care　little　enough　for　Salvationist　religion；　and；　perhaps；
are　not　very　keen　about　many　of　Mr。　Booth's　projects。　I　have　referred
to　the　rubbing　of　the　hands　of　the　Socialists　over　Mr。　Booth's
success；*　but；　unless　I　err　greatly；　there　are　politicians　of　a
certain　school　to　whom　it　affords　still　greater　satisfaction。　Consider
what　electioneering　agents　the　captains　of　the　Salvation　Army；
scattered　through　all　our　towns；　and　directed　from　a　political
〃bureau〃　in　London；　would　make！　Think　how　political　adversaries　could
be　harassed　by　our　local　attorney〃tribune　of　the　people；〃　I　mean；
and　how　a　troublesome　man；　on　the　other　side；　could　be　〃hunted　＇194＇
down〃　upon　any　convenient　charge；　whether　true　or　false；　brought　by
our　Vigilance…familiar！**

　　　　*　See　Letter　VIII。
　　　　**　See　Letter　II。

I　entirely　acquit　Mr。　Booth　of　any　complicity　in　far…reaching　schemes
of　this　kind；　but　I　did　not　write　idly　when；　in　my　first　letter；　I
gave　no　vague　warning　of　what　might　grow　out　of　the　organised　force；
drilled　in　the　habit　of　unhesitating　obedience；　which　he　has　created。

＇195＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　INTRODUCTORY　ESSAY。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　STRUGGLE　FOR　EXISTENCE　IN　HUMAN　SOCIETY。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇1888＇。

The　vast　and　varied　procession　of　events；　which　we　call　Nature；　affords
a　sublime　spectacle　and　an　inexhaustible　wealth　of　attractive　problems
to　the　speculative　observer。　If　we　confine　our　attention　to　that
aspect　which　engages　the　attention　of　the　intellect；　nature　appears　a
beautiful　and　harmonious　whole；　the　incarnation　of　a　faultless　logical
process；　from　certain　premises　in　the　past　to　an　inevitable　conclusion
in　the　future。　But　if　it　be　regarded　from　a　less　elevated；　though　more
human；　point　of　view；　if　our　moral　sympathies　are　allowed　to　influence
our　judgment；　and　we　permit　ourselves　to　criticise　our　great　mother　as
we　criticise　one　another；　then　our　verdict；　at　least　so　far　as
sentient　nature　is　concerned；　can　hardly　be　so　favourable。

In　sober　truth；　to　those　who　have　made　a　study　of　the　phenomena　of　life
as　they　exhibited　by　the　higher　forms　of　the　animal　world；　＇196＇　the
optimistic　dogma；　that　this　is　the　best　of　all　possible　worlds；　will
seem　little　better　than　a　libel　upon　possibility。　It　is　really　only
another　instance　to　be　added　to　the　many　extant；　of　the　audacity　of　a
priori　speculators　who；　having　created　God　in　their　own　image；　find　no
difficulty　in　assuming　that　the　Almighty　must　have　been　actuated　by
the　same　motives　as　themselves。　They　are　quite　sure　that；　had　any
other　course　been　practicable；　He　would　no　more　have　made　infinite
suffering　a　necessary　ingredient　of　His　handiwork　than　a　respectable
philosopher　would　have　done　the　like。

But　even　the　modified　optimism　of　the　time…honoured　thesis　of
physico…theology；　that　the　sentient　world　is；　on　the　whole；　regulated
by　principles　of　benevolence；　does　but　ill　stand　the　test　of　impartial
confrontation　with　the　facts　of　the　case。　No　doubt　it　is　quite　true
that　sentient　nature　affords　hosts　of　examples　of　subtle　contrivances
directed　towards　the　production　of　pleasure　or　the　avoidance　of　pain；
and　it　may　be　proper　to　say　that　these　are　evidences　of　benevolence。
But　if　so；　why　is　it　not　equally　proper　to　say　of　the　equally　numerous
arrangements；　the　no　less　necessary　result　of　which　is　the　production
of　pain；　that　they　are　evidences　of　malevolence？

If　a　vast　amount　of　that　which；　in　a　piece　of　human　workmanship；　we
should　call　skill；　is　＇197＇　visible　in　those　parts　of　the　organization
of　a　deer　to　which　it　owes　its　ability　to　escape　from　beasts　of　prey；
there　is　at　least　equal　skill　displayed　in　that　bodily　mechanism　of
the　wolf　which　enables　him　to　track；　and　sooner　or　later　to　bring
down；　the　deer。　Viewed　under　the　dry　light　of　science；　deer　and　wolf
are　alike　admirable；　and；　if　both　were　non…sentient　automata；　there
would　be　nothing　to　qualify　our　admiration　of　the　action　of　the　one　on
the　other。　But　the　fact　that　the　deer　suffers；　while　the　wolf　inflicts
suffering；　engages　our　moral　sympathies。　We　should　call　men　like　the
deer　innocent　and　good；　men　such　as　the　wolf　malignant　and　bad；　we
should　call　those　who　defended　the　deer　and　aided　him　to　escape　brave
and　compassionate；　and　those　who　helped　the　wolf　in　his　bloody　work
base　and　cruel。　Surely；　if　we　transfer　these　judgments　to　nature
outside　the　world　of　man　at　all；　we　must　do　so　impartially。　In　that
case；　the　goodness　of　the　right　hand　which　helps　the　deer；　and　the
wickedness　of　the　left　hand　which　eggs　on　the　wolf；　will　neutralize
one　another：　and　the　course　of　nature　will　appear　to　be　neither　moral
nor　immoral；　but　non…moral。

This　conclusion　is　thrust　upon　us　by　analogous　facts　in　every　part　of
the　sentient　world；　yet；　inasmuch　as　it　not　only　jars　upon　prevalent
prejudices；　but　arouses　the　natural　dislike　to　that　which　is　painful；
much　ingenuity　has　been　exercised　in　devising　an　escape　from　it。

From　the　theological　side；　we　are　told　that　＇198＇　this　is　a　state　of
probation；　and　that　the　seeming　injustices　and　immoralities　of　nature
will　be　compensated　by　and　by。　But　how　this　compensation　is　to　be
effected；　in　the　case　of　the　great　majority　of　sentient　things；　is　not
clear。　I　apprehend　that　no　one　is　seriously　prepared　to　maintain　that
the　ghosts　of　all　the　myriads　of　generations　of　herbivorous　animals
which　lived　during　the　millions　of　years　of　the　ea