evolution and ethics and other essays-第38部分

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swaying　to　and　fro　of　the　vast　Mongolian　hordes　in　late　times；　the
population　problem　comes　to　the　front　in　a　very　visible　shape。　Nor　is
it　less　plainly　manifest　in　the　everlasting　agrarian　questions　of
ancient　Rome　than　in　the　Arreoi　societies　of　the　Polynesian　Islands。

In　the　ancient　world；　and　in　a　large　part　of　that　in　which　we　live；
the　practice　of　infanticide　was；　or　is；　a　regular　and　legal　custom；
famine；　pestilence；　and　war　were　and　are　normal　factors　in　the
struggle　for　existence；　and　they　have　served；　in　a　gross　and　brutal
fashion；　to　mitigate　the　intensity　of　the　effects　of　its　chief　cause。

But；　in　the　more　advanced　civilizations；　the　progress　of　private　and
public　morality　has　steadily　tended　to　remove　all　these　checks。　We
declare　infanticide　murder；　and　punish　it　as　such；　we　decree；　not
quite　so　successfully；　that　no　one　shall　die　of　hunger；　we　regard
death　from　preventible　causes　of　other　kinds　as　a　sort　of　constructive
murder；　and　eliminate　pestilence　to　the　best　of　our　ability；　we
declaim　against　the　curse　＇209＇　of　war；　and　the　wickedness　of　the
military　spirit；　and　we　are　never　weary　of　dilating　on　the　blessedness
of　peace　and　the　innocent　beneficence　of　Industry。　In　their　moments　of
expansion；　even　statesmen　and　men　of　business　go　thus　far。　The　finer
spirits　look　to　an　ideal　civitas　Dei；　a　state　when；　every　man　having
reached　the　point　of　absolute　self…negation；　and　having　nothing　but
moral　perfection　to　strive　after；　peace　will　truly　reign；　not　merely
among　nations；　but　among　men；　and　the　struggle　for　existence　will　be
at　an　end。

Whether　human　nature　is　competent；　under　any　circumstances；　to　reach；
or　even　seriously　advance　towards；　this　ideal　condition；　is　a　question
which　need　not　be　discussed。　It　will　be　admitted　that　mankind　has　not
yet　reached　this　stage　by　a　very　long　way；　and　my　business　is　with　the
present。　And　that　which　I　wish　to　point　out　is　that；　so　long　as　the
natural　man　increases　and　multiplies　without　restraint；　so　long　will
peace　and　industry　not　only　permit；　but　they　will　necessitate；　a
struggle　for　existence　as　sharp　as　any　that　ever　went　on　under　the
regime　of　war。　If　Istar　is　to　reign　on　the　one　hand；　she　will　demand
her　human　sacrifices　on　the　other。

Let　us　look　at　home。　For　seventy　years　peace　and　industry　have　had
their　way　among　us　with　less　interruption　and　under　more　favourable
conditions　than　in　any　other　country　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　The
wealth　of　Croesus　was　nothing　to　＇210＇　that　which　we　have　accumulated；
and　our　prosperity　has　filled　the　world　with　envy。　But　Nemesis　did　not
forget　Croesus：　has　she　forgotten　us？

I　think　not。　There　are　now　36；000；000　of　people　in　our　islands；　and
every　year　considerably　more　than　300；000　are　added　to　our　numbers。*
That　is　to　say；　about　every　hundred　seconds；　or　so；　a　new　claimant　to
a　share　in　the　common　stock　or　maintenance　presents　him　or　herself
among　us。　At　the　present　time；　the　produce　of　the　soil　does　not
suffice　to　feed　half　its　population。　　The　other　moiety　has　to　be
supplied　with　food　which　must　be　bought　from　the　people　of
food…producing　countries。　That　is　to　say；　we　have　to　offer　them　the
things　which　they　want　in　exchange　for　the　things　we　want。　And　the
things　they　want　and　which　we　can　produce　better　than　they　can　are
mainly　manufacturesindustrial　products。

　　　　*　These　numbers　are　only　approximately　accurate。　In　1881；　our
　　　　population　amounted　to　35；241；482；　exceeding　the　number　in　1871
　　　　by　3；396；103。　The　average　annual　increase　in　the　decennial。
　　　　18711881　is　therefore　339；610。　The　number　of　minutes　in　a
　　　　calendar　year　is　525；600。

The　insolent　reproach　of　the　first　Napoleon　had　a　very　solid
foundation。　We　not　only　are；　but；　under　penalty　of　starvation；　we　are
bound　to　be；　a　nation　of　shopkeepers。　But　other　nations　also　lie　under
the　same　necessity　of　keeping　shop；　and　some　of　them　deal　in　the　same
goods　as　ourselves。　Our　customers　naturally　seek　to　get　the　most　and
＇211＇　the　best　in　exchange　for　their　produce。　If　our　goods　are
inferior　to　those　of　our　competitors；　there　is　no　ground；　compatible
with　the　sanity　of　the　buyers；　which　can　be　alleged；　why　they　should
not　prefer　the　latter。　And；　if　that　result　should　ever　take　place　on　a
large　and　general　scale；　five　or　six　millions　of　us　would　soon　have
nothing　to　eat。　We　know　what　the　cotton　famine　was；　and　we　can
therefore　form　some　notion　of　what　a　dearth　of　customers　would　be。

Judged　by　an　ethical　standard；　nothing　can　be　less　satisfactory　than
the　position　in　which　we　find　ourselves。　In　a　real；　though　incomplete；
degree　we　have　attained　the　condition　of　peace　which　is　the　main
object　of　social　organization；　and；　for　argument's　sake；　it　may　be
assumed　that　we　desire　nothing　but　that　which　is　in　itself　innocent
and　praiseworthynamely；　the　enjoyment　of　the　fruits　of　honest
industry。　And　lo！　in　spite　of　ourselves；　we　are　in　reality　engaged　in
an　internecine　struggle　for　existence　with　our　presumably　no　less
peaceful　and　well…meaning　neighbours。　We　seek　peace　and　we　do　not
ensue　it。　The　moral　nature　in　us　asks　for　no　more　than　is　compatible
with　the　general　good；　the　non…moral　nature　proclaims　and　acts　upon
that　fine　old　Scottish　family　motto；　〃Thou　shalt　starve　ere　I　want。〃
Let　us　be　under　no　illusions；　then。　So　long　as　unlimited　multiplication
goes　on；　no　social　organization　which　has　ever　been　devised；　or　is
likely　to　＇212＇　be　devised；　no　fiddle…faddling　with　the　distribution
of　wealth；　will　deliver　society　from　the　tendency　to　be　destroyed　by
the　reproduction　within　itself；　in　its　intensest　form；　of　that
struggle　for　existence　the　limitation　of　which　is　the　object　of
society。　And　however　shocking　to　the　moral　sense　this　eternal
competition　of　man　against　man　and　of　nation　against　nation　may　be；
however　revolting　may　be　the　accumulation　of　misery　at　the　negative
pole　of　society；　in　contrast　with　that　of　monstrous　wealth　at　the
positive　pole；*　this　state　of　things　must　abide；　and　grow　continually
worse；　so　long　as　Istar　holds　her　way　unchecked。　It　is　the　true　riddle
of　the　Sphinx；　and　every　nation　which　does　not　solve　it　will　sooner　or
later　be　devoured　by　the　monster　itself　has　generated。

The　practical　and　pressing　question　for　us；　just　now；　seems　to　me　to　be
how　to　gain　time。　〃Time　brings　counsel；〃　as　the　Teutonic　proverb　has
it；　and　wiser　folk　among　our　posterity　may　see　their　way　out　of　that
which　at　present　looks　like　an　impasse。

It　would　be　folly　to　entertain　any　ill…feeling　towards　those　neighbours
and　rivals　who；　like　ourselves；　are　slaves　of　Istar；　but；　if　somebody
is　to　be　starved；　the　modern　world　has　no　Oracle　of　Delphi　to　which
the　nations　can　appeal　for　an　＇213＇　indication　of　the　victim。　It　is
open　to　us　to　try　our　fortune；　and；　if　we　avoid　impending　fate；　there
will　be　a　certain　ground　for　believing　that　we　are　the　right　people　to
escape。　Securus　judicat　orbis。

　　　　*　＇It　is　hard　to　say　whether　the　increase　of　the　unemployed
　　　　poor；　or　that　of　the　unemployed　rich；　is　the　greater　social
　　　　evil。　　1894＇

To　this　end；　it　is　well　to　look　into　the　necessary　condition　of　our
salvation　by　works。　They　are　two；　one　plain　to　all　the　world