第3章

类别:其他 作者:G.K.Chesterton字数:18945更新时间:19/01/05 10:00:49
XI THEHOMELESSNESSOFJONES ThustheFutureofwhichwespokeatthebeginninghas(inEnglandatleast)alwaysbeentheallyoftyranny。 TheordinaryEnglishmanhasbeendupedoutofhisoldpossessions,suchastheywere,andalwaysinthenameofprogress。 Thedestroyersoftheabbeystookawayhisbreadandgavehimastone,assuringhimthatitwasapreciousstone,thewhitepebbleoftheLord\'select。TheytookawayhismaypoleandhisoriginalrurallifeandpromisedhiminsteadtheGoldenAgeofPeaceandCommerceinauguratedattheCrystalPalace。Andnowtheyaretakingawaythelittlethatremainsofhisdignityasahouseholderandtheheadofafamily,promisinghiminsteadUtopiaswhicharecalled(appropriatelyenough) \"Anticipations\"or\"NewsfromNowhere。\"Wecomeback,infact,tothemainfeaturewhichhasalreadybeenmentioned。 Thepastiscommunal:thefuturemustbeindividualist。 Inthepastarealltheevilsofdemocracy,varietyandviolenceanddoubt,butthefutureispuredespotism,forthefutureispurecaprice。Yesterday,IknowIwasahumanfool,butto-morrowIcaneasilybetheSuperman。 ThemodernEnglishman,however,islikeamanwhoshouldbeperpetuallykeptout,foronereasonafteranother,fromthehouseinwhichhehadmeanthismarriedlifetobegin。 Thisman(Jonesletuscallhim)hasalwaysdesiredthedivinelyordinarythings;hehasmarriedforlove,hehaschosenorbuiltasmallhousethatfitslikeacoat; heisreadytobeagreatgrandfatherandalocalgod。 Andjustasheismovingin,somethinggoeswrong。 Sometyranny,personalorpolitical,suddenlydebarshimfromthehome;andhehastotakehismealsinthefrontgarden。 Apassingphilosopher(whoisalso,byamerecoincidence,themanwhoturnedhimout)pauses,andleaningelegantlyontherailings,explainstohimthatheisnowlivingthatboldlifeuponthebountyofnaturewhichwillbethelifeofthesublimefuture。 Hefindslifeinthefrontgardenmoreboldthanbountiful,andhastomoveintomeanlodgingsinthenextspring。Thephilosopher(whoturnedhimout),happeningtocallattheselodgings,withtheprobableintentionofraisingtherent,stopstoexplaintohimthatheisnowinthereallifeofmercantileendeavor; theeconomicstrugglebetweenhimandthelandladyistheonlythingoutofwhich,inthesublimefuture,thewealthofnationscancome。 Heisdefeatedintheeconomicstruggle,andgoestotheworkhouse。 Thephilosopherwhoturnedhimout(happeningatthatverymomenttobeinspectingtheworkhouse)assureshimthatheisnowatlastinthatgoldenrepublicwhichisthegoalofmankind; heisinanequal,scientific,Socialisticcommonwealth,ownedbytheStateandruledbypublicofficers;infact,thecommonwealthofthesublimefuture。 Nevertheless,therearesignsthattheirrationalJonesstilldreamsatnightofthisoldideaofhavinganordinaryhome。 Heaskedforsolittle,andhehasbeenofferedsomuch。 Hehasbeenofferedbribesofworldsandsystems;hehasbeenofferedEdenandUtopiaandtheNewJerusalem,andheonlywantedahouse; andthathasbeenrefusedhim。 SuchanapologueisliterallynoexaggerationofthefactsofEnglishhistory。Therichdidliterallyturnthepooroutoftheoldguesthouseontotheroad,brieflytellingthemthatitwastheroadofprogress。Theydidliterallyforcethemintofactoriesandthemodernwage-slavery,assuringthemallthetimethatthiswastheonlywaytowealthandcivilization。 Justastheyhaddraggedtherusticfromtheconventfoodandalebysayingthatthestreetsofheavenwerepavedwithgold,sonowtheydraggedhimfromthevillagefoodandalebytellinghimthatthestreetsofLondonwerepavedwithgold。 AsheenteredthegloomyporchofPuritanism,soheenteredthegloomyporchofIndustrialism,beingtoldthateachofthemwasthegateofthefuture。Hithertohehasonlygonefromprisontoprison,nay,intodarkeningprisons,forCalvinismopenedonesmallwindowuponheaven。Andnowheisasked,inthesameeducatedandauthoritativetones,toenteranotherdarkporch,atwhichhehastosurrender,intounseenhands,hischildren,hissmallpossessionsandallthehabitsofhisfathers。 WhetherthislastopeningbeintruthanymoreinvitingthantheoldopeningsofPuritanismandIndustrialismcanbediscussedlater。 Buttherecanbelittledoubt,Ithink,thatifsomeformofCollectivismisimposeduponEnglanditwillbeimposed,aseverythingelsehasbeen,byaninstructedpoliticalclassuponapeoplepartlyapatheticandpartlyhypnotized。 Thearistocracywillbeasreadyto\"administer\"CollectivismastheyweretoadministerPuritanismorManchesterism;insomewayssuchacentralizedpoliticalpowerisnecessarilyattractivetothem。 ItwillnotbesohardassomeinnocentSocialistsseemtosupposetoinducetheHonorableTomnoddytotakeoverthemilksupplyaswellasthestampsupply——atanincreasedsalary。 Mr。BernardShawhasremarkedthatrichmenarebetterthanpoormenonparishcouncilsbecausetheyarefreefrom\"financialtimidity。\" Now,theEnglishrulingclassisquitefreefromfinancialtimidity。 TheDukeofSussexwillbequitereadytobeAdministratorofSussexatthesamescrew。SirWilliamHarcourt,thattypicalaristocrat,putitquitecorrectly。\"We\"(thatis,thearistocracy) \"areallSocialistsnow。\" ButthisisnottheessentialnoteonwhichIdesiretoend。 Mymaincontentionisthat,whethernecessaryornot,bothIndustrialismandCollectivismhavebeenacceptedasnecessities—— notasnakedidealsordesires。NobodylikedtheManchesterSchool; itwasenduredastheonlywayofproducingwealth。 NobodylikestheMarxianschool;itisenduredastheonlywayofpreventingpoverty。Nobody\'srealheartisintheideaofpreventingafreemanfromowninghisownfarm,oranoldwomanfromcultivatingherowngarden,anymorethananybody\'srealheartwasintheheartlessbattleofthemachines。 Thepurposeofthischapterissufficientlyservedinindicatingthatthisproposalalsoisapisaller,adesperatesecondbest—— liketeetotalism。IdonotproposetoproveherethatSocialismisapoison;itisenoughifImaintainthatitisamedicineandnotawine。 Theideaofprivatepropertyuniversalbutprivate,theideaoffamiliesfreebutstillfamilies,ofdomesticitydemocraticbutstilldomestic,ofonemanonehouse——thisremainstherealvisionandmagnetofmankind。 Theworldmayacceptsomethingmoreofficialandgeneral,lesshumanandintimate。Buttheworldwillbelikeabroken-heartedwomanwhomakesahumdrummarriagebecauseshemaynotmakeahappyone;Socialismmaybetheworld\'sdeliverance。butitisnottheworld\'sdesire。 *** PARTTWO IMPERIALISM,ORTHEMISTAKEABOUTMAN *** I THECHARMOFJINGOISM Ihavecastaboutwidelytofindatitleforthissection;andIconfessthattheword\"Imperialism\"isaclumsyversionofmymeaning。Butnootherwordcamenearer;\"Militarism\"wouldhavebeenevenmoremisleading,and\"TheSuperman\"makesnonsenseofanydiscussionthatheenters。 Perhaps,uponthewhole,theword\"Caesarism\"wouldhavebeenbetter; butIdesireapopularword;andImperialism(asthereaderwillperceive) doescoverforthemostpartthemenandtheoriesthatImeantodiscuss。 Thissmallconfusionisincreased,however,bythefactthatI doalsodisbelieveinImperialisminitspopularsense,asamodeortheoryofthepatrioticsentimentofthiscountry。 ButpopularImperialisminEnglandhasverylittletodowiththesortofCaesareanImperialismIwishtosketch。 IdifferfromtheColonialidealismofRhodes\'andKipling; butIdonotthink,assomeofitsopponentsdo,thatitisaninsolentcreationofEnglishharshnessandrapacity。 Imperialism,Ithink,isafictioncreated,notbyEnglishhardness,butbyEnglishsoftness;nay,inasense,evenbyEnglishkindness。 ThereasonsforbelievinginAustraliaaremostlyassentimentalasthemostsentimentalreasonsforbelievinginheaven。 NewSouthWalesisquiteliterallyregardedasaplacewherethewickedceasefromtroublingandthewearyareatrest;thatis,aparadiseforuncleswhohaveturneddishonestandfornephewswhoareborntired。 BritishColumbiaisinstrictsenseafairyland,itisaworldwhereamagicandirrationalluckissupposedtoattendtheyoungestsons。 ThisstrangeoptimismabouttheendsoftheearthisanEnglishweakness; buttoshowthatitisnotacoldnessoraharshnessitisquitesufficienttosaythatnooneshareditmorethanthatgiganticEnglishsentimentalist——thegreatCharlesDickens。Theendof\"DavidCopperfield\"isunrealnotmerelybecauseitisanoptimisticending,butbecauseitisanImperialisticending。 ThedecorousBritishhappinessplannedoutforDavidCopperfieldandAgneswouldbeembarrassedbytheperpetualpresenceofthehopelesstragedyofEmily,orthemorehopelessfarceofMicawber。Therefore,bothEmilyandMicawberareshippedofftoavaguecolonywherechangescomeoverthemwithnoconceivablecause,excepttheclimate。 Thetragicwomanbecomescontentedandthecomicmanbecomesresponsible,solelyastheresultofaseavoyageandthefirstsightofakangaroo。 ToImperialisminthelightpoliticalsense,therefore,myonlyobjectionisthatitisanillusionofcomfort;thatanEmpirewhoseheartisfailingshouldbespeciallyproudoftheextremities,istomenomoresublimeafactthanthatanolddandywhosebrainisgoneshouldstillbeproudofhislegs。ItconsolesmenfortheevidentuglinessandapathyofEnglandwithlegendsoffairyouthandheroicstrenuousnessindistantcontinentsandislands。 AmancansitamidthesqualorofSevenDialsandfeelthatlifeisinnocentandgodlikeinthebushorontheveldt。 JustsoamanmightsitinthesqualorofSevenDialsandfeelthatlifewasinnocentandgodlikeinBrixtonandSurbiton。BrixtonandSurbitonare\"new\";theyareexpanding;theyare\"nearertonature,\" inthesensethattheyhaveeatenupnaturemilebymile。 Theonlyobjectionistheobjectionoffact。TheyoungmenofBrixtonarenotyounggiants。TheloversofSurbitonarenotallpaganpoets,singingwiththesweetenergyofthespring。NorarethepeopleoftheColonieswhenyoumeetthemyounggiantsorpaganpoets。 TheyaremostlyCockneyswhohavelosttheirlastmusicofrealthingsbygettingoutofthesoundofBowBells。Mr。RudyardKipling,amanofrealthoughdecadentgenius,threwatheoreticglamouroverthemwhichisalreadyfading。Mr。Kiplingis,inapreciseandratherstartlingsense,theexceptionthatprovestherule。 Forhehasimagination,ofanorientalandcruelkind,buthehasit,notbecausehegrewupinanewcountry,butpreciselybecausehegrewupintheoldestcountryuponearth。Heisrootedinapast—— anAsiaticpast。Hemightneverhavewritten\"KabulRiver\" ifhehadbeenborninMelbourne。 Isayfrankly,therefore(lestthereshouldbeanyairofevasion),thatImperialisminitscommonpatrioticpretensionsappearstomebothweakandperilous。ItistheattemptofaEuropeancountrytocreateakindofshamEuropewhichitcandominate,insteadoftherealEurope,whichitcanonlyshare。Itisaloveoflivingwithone\'sinferiors。 ThenotionofrestoringtheRomanEmpirebyoneselfandforoneselfisadreamthathashauntedeveryChristiannationinadifferentshapeandinalmosteveryshapeasasnare。TheSpanishareaconsistentandconservativepeople;thereforetheyembodiedthatattemptatEmpireinlongandlingeringdynasties。TheFrenchareaviolentpeople,andthereforetheytwiceconqueredthatEmpirebyviolenceofarms。 TheEnglishareaboveallapoeticalandoptimisticpeople; andthereforetheirEmpireissomethingvagueandyetsympathetic,somethingdistantandyetdear。Butthisdreamoftheirsofbeingpowerfulintheuttermostplaces,thoughanativeweakness,isstillaweaknessinthem;muchmoreofaweaknessthangoldwastoSpainorglorytoNapoleon。Ifeverwewereincollisionwithourrealbrothersandrivalsweshouldleaveallthisfancyoutofaccount。 WeshouldnomoredreamofpittingAustralianarmiesagainstGermanthanofpittingTasmaniansculptureagainstFrench。Ihavethusexplained,lestanyoneshouldaccusemeofconcealinganunpopularattitude,whyIdonotbelieveinImperialismascommonlyunderstood。 Ithinkitnotmerelyanoccasionalwrongtootherpeoples,butacontinuousfeebleness,arunningsore,inmyown。 ButitisalsotruethatIhavedweltonthisImperialismthatisanamiabledelusionpartlyinordertoshowhowdifferentitisfromthedeeper,moresinisterandyetmorepersuasivethingthatIhavebeenforcedtocallImperialismfortheconvenienceofthischapter。 Inordertogettotherootofthisevilandquiteun-EnglishImperialismwemustcastbackandbeginanewwithamoregeneraldiscussionofthefirstneedsofhumanintercourse。 *** II WISDOMANDTHEWEATHER Itisadmitted,onemayhope,thatcommonthingsarenevercommonplace。 Birthiscoveredwithcurtainspreciselybecauseitisastaggeringandmonstrousprodigy。Deathandfirstlove,thoughtheyhappentoeverybody,canstopone\'sheartwiththeverythoughtofthem。 Butwhilethisisgranted,somethingfurthermaybeclaimed。 Itisnotmerelytruethattheseuniversalthingsarestrange; itismoreovertruethattheyaresubtle。Inthelastanalysismostcommonthingswillbefoundtobehighlycomplicated。 Somemenofsciencedoindeedgetoverthedifficultybydealingonlywiththeeasypartofit:thus,theywillcallfirstlovetheinstinctofsex,andtheaweofdeaththeinstinctofself-preservation。Butthisisonlygettingoverthedifficultyofdescribingpeacockgreenbycallingitblue。Thereisblueinit。 ThatthereisastrongphysicalelementinbothromanceandtheMementoMorimakesthemifpossiblemorebafflingthaniftheyhadbeenwhollyintellectual。Nomancouldsayexactlyhowmuchhissexualitywascoloredbyacleanloveofbeauty,orbythemereboyishitchforirrevocableadventures,likerunningawaytosea。 Nomancouldsayhowfarhisanimaldreadoftheendwasmixedupwithmysticaltraditionstouchingmoralsandreligion。 Itisexactlybecausethesethingsareanimal,butnotquiteanimal,thatthedanceofallthedifficultiesbegins。 Thematerialistsanalyzetheeasypart,denythehardpartandgohometotheirtea。 Itiscompleteerrortosupposethatbecauseathingisvulgarthereforeitisnotrefined;thatis,subtleandhardtodefine。 Adrawing-roomsongofmyyouthwhichbegan\"Inthegloaming,O,mydarling,\"wasvulgarenoughasasong;buttheconnectionbetweenhumanpassionandthetwilightisnonethelessanexquisiteandeveninscrutablething。Ortotakeanotherobviousinstance: thejokesaboutamother-in-lawarescarcelydelicate,buttheproblemofamother-in-lawisextremelydelicate。 Amother-in-lawissubtlebecausesheisathinglikethetwilight。 Sheisamysticalblendoftwoinconsistentthings—— lawandamother。Thecaricaturesmisrepresenther; buttheyariseoutofarealhumanenigma。\"ComicCuts\" dealswiththedifficultywrongly,butitwouldneedGeorgeMeredithathisbesttodealwiththedifficultyrightly。 Theneareststatementoftheproblemperhapsisthis: itisnotthatamother-in-lawmustbenasty,butthatshemustbeverynice。 Butitisbestperhapstotakeinillustrationsomedailycustomwehaveallhearddespisedasvulgarortrite。 Take,forthesakeofargument,thecustomoftalkingabouttheweather。Stevensoncallsit\"theverynadirandscoffofgoodconversationalists。\"Nowthereareverydeepreasonsfortalkingabouttheweather,reasonsthataredelicateaswellasdeep;theylieinlayeruponlayerofstratifiedsagacity。 Firstofallitisagestureofprimevalworship。 Theskymustbeinvoked;andtobegineverythingwiththeweatherisasortofpaganwayofbeginningeverythingwithprayer。 JonesandBrowntalkabouttheweather:butsodoMiltonandShelley。Thenitisanexpressionofthatelementaryideainpoliteness——equality。FortheverywordpolitenessisonlytheGreekforcitizenship。Thewordpolitenessisakintothewordpoliceman:acharmingthought。Properlyunderstood,thecitizenshouldbemorepolitethanthegentleman;perhapsthepolicemanshouldbethemostcourtlyandelegantofthethree。 Butallgoodmannersmustobviouslybeginwiththesharingofsomethinginasimplestyle。Twomenshouldshareanumbrella; iftheyhavenotgotanumbrella,theyshouldatleastsharetherain,withallitsrichpotentialitiesofwitandphilosophy。 \"ForHemakethHissuntoshine……\"Thisisthesecondelementintheweather;itsrecognitionofhumanequalityinthatweallhaveourhatsunderthedarkbluespangledumbrellaoftheuniverse。 Arisingoutofthisisthethirdwholesomestraininthecustom; Imeanthatitbeginswiththebodyandwithourinevitablebodilybrotherhood。Alltruefriendlinessbeginswithfireandfoodanddrinkandtherecognitionofrainorfrost。 ThosewhowillnotbeginatthebodilyendofthingsarealreadyprigsandmaysoonbeChristianScientists。EachhumansoulhasinasensetoenactforitselfthegigantichumilityoftheIncarnation。Everymanmustdescendintothefleshtomeetmankind。 Briefly,inthemereobservation\"afineday\"thereisthewholegreathumanideaofcomradeship。Now,purecomradeshipisanotherofthosebroadandyetbewilderingthings。Weallenjoyit; yetwhenwecometotalkaboutitwealmostalwaystalknonsense,chieflybecausewesupposeittobeasimpleraffairthanitis。 Itissimpletoconduct;butitisbynomeanssimpletoanalyze。 Comradeshipisatthemostonlyonehalfofhumanlife; theotherhalfisLove,athingsodifferentthatonemightfancyithadbeenmadeforanotheruniverse。AndIdonotmeanmeresexlove;anykindofconcentratedpassion,maternallove,oreventhefiercerkindsoffriendshipareintheirnaturealientopurecomradeship。Bothsidesareessentialtolife;andbothareknownindifferingdegreestoeverybodyofeveryageorsex。 Butverybroadlyspeakingitmaystillbesaidthatwomenstandforthedignityofloveandmenforthedignityofcomradeship。 Imeanthattheinstitutionwouldhardlybeexpectedifthemalesofthetribedidnotmountguardoverit。Theaffectionsinwhichwomenexcelhavesomuchmoreauthorityandintensitythatpurecomradeshipwouldbewashedawayifitwerenotralliedandguardedinclubs,corps,colleges,banquetsandregiments。 Mostofushaveheardthevoiceinwhichthehostesstellsherhusbandnottosittoolongoverthecigars。ItisthedreadfulvoiceofLove,seekingtodestroyComradeship。 AlltruecomradeshiphasinitthosethreeelementswhichIhaveremarkedintheordinaryexclamationabouttheweather。First,ithasasortofbroadphilosophylikethecommonsky,emphasizingthatweareallunderthesamecosmicconditions。Weareallinthesameboat,the\"wingedrock\"ofMr。HerbertTrench。Secondly,itrecognizesthisbondastheessentialone;forcomradeshipissimplyhumanityseeninthatoneaspectinwhichmenarereallyequal。 Theoldwriterswereentirelywisewhentheytalkedoftheequalityofmen;buttheywerealsoverywiseinnotmentioningwomen。 Womenarealwaysauthoritarian;theyarealwaysaboveorbelow; thatiswhymarriageisasortofpoeticalsee-saw。Thereareonlythreethingsintheworldthatwomendonotunderstand; andtheyareLiberty,Equality,andFraternity。Butmen(aclasslittleunderstoodinthemodernworld)findthesethingsthebreathoftheirnostrils;andourmostlearnedladieswillnotevenbegintounderstandthemuntiltheymakeallowanceforthiskindofcoolcamaraderie。Lastly,itcontainsthethirdqualityoftheweather,theinsistenceuponthebodyanditsindispensablesatisfaction。 Noonehasevenbeguntounderstandcomradeshipwhodoesnotacceptwithitacertainheartyeagernessineating,drinking,orsmoking,anuproariousmaterialismwhichtomanywomenappearsonlyhoggish。 Youmaycallthethinganorgyorasacrament;itiscertainlyanessential。Itisatrootaresistancetothesuperciliousnessoftheindividual。Nay,itsveryswaggeringandhowlingarehumble。 Intheheartofitsrowdinessthereisasortofmadmodesty;adesiretomelttheseparatesoulintothemassofunpretentiousmasculinity。 Itisaclamorousconfessionoftheweaknessofallflesh。 Nomanmustbesuperiortothethingsthatarecommontomen。 Thissortofequalitymustbebodilyandgrossandcomic。 Notonlyareweallinthesameboat,butweareallseasick。 Thewordcomradeshipjustnowpromisestobecomeasfatuousastheword\"affinity。\"ThereareclubsofaSocialistsortwhereallthemembers,menandwomen,calleachother\"Comrade。\"Ihavenoseriousemotions,hostileorotherwise,aboutthisparticularhabit: attheworstitisconventionality,andatthebestflirtation。 Iamconvincedhereonlytopointoutarationalprinciple。 Ifyouchoosetolumpallflowerstogether,liliesanddahliasandtulipsandchrysanthemumsandcallthemalldaisies,youwillfindthatyouhavespoiledtheveryfineworddaisy。 Ifyouchoosetocalleveryhumanattachmentcomradeship,ifyouincludeunderthatnametherespectofayouthforavenerableprophetess,theinterestofamaninabeautifulwomanwhobaffleshim,thepleasureofaphilosophicaloldfogyinagirlwhoisimpudentandinnocent,theendofthemeanestquarrelorthebeginningofthemostmountainouslove;ifyouaregoingtocallallthesecomradeship,youwillgainnothing,youwillonlyloseaword。Daisiesareobviousanduniversalandopen; buttheyareonlyonekindofflower。Comradeshipisobviousanduniversalandopen;butitisonlyonekindofaffection; ithascharacteristicsthatwoulddestroyanyotherkind。 Anyonewhohasknowntruecomradeshipinacluborinaregiment,knowsthatitisimpersonal。Thereisapedanticphraseusedindebatingclubswhichisstrictlytruetothemasculineemotion; theycallit\"speakingtothequestion。\"Womenspeaktoeachother; menspeaktothesubjecttheyarespeakingabout。Manyanhonestmanhassatinaringofhisfivebestfriendsunderheavenandforgottenwhowasintheroomwhileheexplainedsomesystem。 Thisisnotpeculiartointellectualmen;menarealltheoretical,whethertheyaretalkingaboutGodoraboutgolf。 Menareallimpersonal;thatistosay,republican。Nooneremembersafterareallygoodtalkwhohassaidthegoodthings。 Everymanspeakstoavisionarymultitude;amysticalcloud,thatiscalledtheclub。 Itisobviousthatthiscoolandcarelessqualitywhichisessentialtothecollectiveaffectionofmalesinvolvesdisadvantagesanddangers。 Itleadstospitting;itleadstocoarsespeech;itmustleadtothesethingssolongasitishonorable;comradeshipmustbeinsomedegreeugly。Themomentbeautyismentionedinmalefriendship,thenostrilsarestoppedwiththesmellofabominablethings。 Friendshipmustbephysicallydirtyifitistobemorallyclean。 Itmustbeinitsshirtsleeves。Thechaosofhabitsthatalwaysgoeswithmaleswhenleftentirelytothemselveshasonlyonehonorablecure; andthatisthestrictdisciplineofamonastery。AnyonewhohasseenourunhappyyoungidealistsinEastEndSettlementslosingtheircollarsinthewashandlivingontinnedsalmonwillfullyunderstandwhyitwasdecidedbythewisdomofSt。BernardorSt。Benedict,thatifmenweretolivewithoutwomen,theymustnotlivewithoutrules。 Somethingofthesamesortofartificialexactitude,ofcourse,isobtainedinanarmy;andanarmyalsohastobeinmanywaysmonastic; onlythatithascelibacywithoutchastity。Butthesethingsdonotapplytonormalmarriedmen。Thesehaveaquitesufficientrestraintontheirinstinctiveanarchyinthesavagecommon-senseoftheothersex。 Thereisonlyoneverytimidsortofmanthatisnotafraidofwomen。 *** III THECOMMONVISION Nowthismasculineloveofanopenandlevelcamaraderieisthelifewithinalldemocraciesandattemptstogovernbydebate; withoutittherepublicwouldbeadeadformula。Evenasitis,ofcourse,thespiritofdemocracyfrequentlydifferswidelyfromtheletter,andapothouseisoftenabettertestthanaParliament。Democracyinitshumansenseisnotarbitramentbythemajority;itisnotevenarbitramentbyeverybody。 Itcanbemorenearlydefinedasarbitramentbyanybody。 Imeanthatitrestsonthatclubhabitoftakingatotalstrangerforgranted,ofassumingcertainthingstobeinevitablycommontoyourselfandhim。Onlythethingsthatanybodymaybepresumedtoholdhavethefullauthorityofdemocracy。 Lookoutofthewindowandnoticethefirstmanwhowalksby。 TheLiberalsmayhavesweptEnglandwithanover-whelmingmajority; butyouwouldnotstakeabuttonthatthemanisaLiberal。TheBiblemaybereadinallschoolsandrespectedinalllawcourts;butyouwouldnotbetastrawthathebelievesintheBible。Butyouwouldbetyourweek\'swages,letussay,thathebelievesinwearingclothes。 Youwouldbetthathebelievesthatphysicalcourageisafinething,orthatparentshaveauthorityoverchildren。Ofcourse,hemightbethemillionthmanwhodoesnotbelievethesethings; ifitcomestothat,hemightbetheBeardedLadydressedupasaman。 Buttheseprodigiesarequiteadifferentthingfromanymerecalculationofnumbers。Peoplewhoholdtheseviewsarenotaminority,butamonstrosity。Butoftheseuniversaldogmasthathavefulldemocraticauthoritytheonlytestisthistestofanybody。 Whatyouwouldobservebeforeanynewcomerinatavern——thatistherealEnglishlaw。Thefirstmanyouseefromthewindow,heistheKingofEngland。 Thedecayoftaverns,whichisbutapartofthegeneraldecayofdemocracy,hasundoubtedlyweakenedthismasculinespiritofequality。IrememberthataroomfulofSocialistsliterallylaughedwhenItoldthemthattherewerenotwonoblerwordsinallpoetrythanPublicHouse。Theythoughtitwasajoke。 Whytheyshouldthinkitajoke,sincetheywanttomakeallhousespublichouses,Icannotimagine。Butifanyonewishestoseetherealrowdyegalitarianismwhichisnecessary(tomales,atleast) hecanfinditaswellasanywhereinthegreatoldtaverndisputeswhichcomedowntousinsuchbooksasBoswell\'sJohnson。Itisworthwhiletomentionthatonenameespeciallybecausethemodernworldinitsmorbidityhasdoneitastrangeinjustice。 ThedemeanorofJohnson,itissaid,was\"harshanddespotic。\" Itwasoccasionallyharsh,butitwasneverdespotic。 Johnsonwasnotintheleastadespot;Johnsonwasademagogue,heshoutedagainstashoutingcrowd。Theveryfactthathewrangledwithotherpeopleisproofthatotherpeoplewereallowedtowranglewithhim。Hisverybrutalitywasbasedontheideaofanequalscrimmage,likethatoffootball。Itisstrictlytruethathebawledandbangedthetablebecausehewasamodestman。 Hewashonestlyafraidofbeingoverwhelmedorevenoverlooked。 Addisonhadexquisitemannersandwasthekingofhiscompany; hewaspolitetoeverybody;butsuperiortoeverybody; thereforehehasbeenhandeddownforeverintheimmortalinsultofPope—— \"LikeCato,givehislittleSenatelawsAndsitattentivetohisownapplause。\" Johnson,sofarfrombeingkingofhiscompany,wasasortofIrishMemberinhisownParliament。Addisonwasacourteoussuperiorandwashated。 Johnsonwasaninsolentequalandthereforewaslovedbyallwhoknewhim,andhandeddowninamarvellousbook,whichisoneofthemeremiraclesoflove。 Thisdoctrineofequalityisessentialtoconversation; somuchmaybeadmittedbyanyonewhoknowswhatconversationis。 Oncearguingatatableinatavernthemostfamousmanonearthwouldwishtobeobscure,sothathisbrilliantremarksmightblazelikethestarsonthebackgroundofhisobscurity。 Toanythingworthcallingamannothingcanbeconceivedmorecoldorcheerlessthantobekingofyourcompany。 Butitmaybesaidthatinmasculinesportsandgames,otherthanthegreatgameofdebate,thereisdefiniteemulationandeclipse。 Thereisindeedemulation,butthisisonlyanardentsortofequality。Gamesarecompetitive,becausethatistheonlywayofmakingthemexciting。Butifanyonedoubtsthatmenmustforeverreturntotheidealofequality,itisonlynecessarytoanswerthatthereissuchathingasahandicap。 Ifmenexultedinmeresuperiority,theywouldseektoseehowfarsuchsuperioritycouldgo;theywouldbegladwhenonestrongrunnercameinmilesaheadofalltherest。 Butwhatmenlikeisnotthetriumphofsuperiors,butthestruggleofequals;and,therefore,theyintroduceevenintotheircompetitivesportsanartificialequality。 Itissadtothinkhowfewofthosewhoarrangeoursportinghandicapscanbesupposedwithanyprobabilitytorealizethattheyareabstractandevensevererepublicans。 No;therealobjectiontoequalityandself-rulehasnothingtodowithanyofthesefreeandfestiveaspectsofmankind;allmenaredemocratswhentheyarehappy。Thephilosophicopponentofdemocracywouldsubstantiallysumuphispositionbysayingthatit\"willnotwork。\" Beforegoingfurther,Iwillregisterinpassingaprotestagainsttheassumptionthatworkingistheonetestofhumanity。 Heavendoesnotwork;itplays。Menaremostthemselveswhentheyarefree;andifIfindthatmenaresnobsintheirworkbutdemocratsontheirholidays,Ishalltakethelibertytobelievetheirholidays。 Butitisthisquestionofworkwhichreallyperplexesthequestionofequality;anditiswiththatthatwemustnowdeal。 Perhapsthetruthcanbeputmostpointedlythus:thatdemocracyhasonerealenemy,andthatiscivilization。Thoseutilitarianmiracleswhichsciencehasmadeareanti-democratic,notsomuchintheirperversion,orevenintheirpracticalresult,asintheirprimaryshapeandpurpose。TheFrame-BreakingRioterswereright; notperhapsinthinkingthatmachineswouldmakefewermenworkmen; butcertainlyinthinkingthatmachineswouldmakefewermenmasters。 Morewheelsdomeanfewerhandles;fewerhandlesdomeanfewerhands。 Themachineryofsciencemustbeindividualisticandisolated。 Amobcanshoutroundapalace;butamobcannotshoutdownatelephone。 Thespecialistappearsanddemocracyishalfspoiledatastroke。 *** IV THEINSANENECESSITY ThecommonconceptionamongthedregsofDarwiniancultureisthatmenhaveslowlyworkedtheirwayoutofinequalityintoastateofcomparativeequality。Thetruthis,Ifancy,almostexactlytheopposite。Allmenhavenormallyandnaturallybegunwiththeideaofequality;theyhaveonlyabandoneditlateandreluctantly,andalwaysforsomematerialreasonofdetail。 Theyhavenevernaturallyfeltthatoneclassofmenwassuperiortoanother;theyhavealwaysbeendriventoassumeitthroughcertainpracticallimitationsofspaceandtime。 Forexample,thereisoneelementwhichmustalwaystendtooligarchy——orrathertodespotism;Imeantheelementofhurry。 Ifthehousehascaughtfireamanmustringupthefireengines; acommitteecannotringthemup。Ifacampissurprisedbynightsomebodymustgivetheordertofire;thereisnotimetovoteit。 Itissolelyaquestionofthephysicallimitationsoftimeandspace; notatallofanymentallimitationsinthemassofmencommanded。 Ifallthepeopleinthehouseweremenofdestinyitwouldstillbebetterthattheyshouldnotalltalkintothetelephoneatonce;nay,itwouldbebetterthatthesilliestmanofallshouldspeakuninterrupted。IfanarmyactuallyconsistedofnothingbutHanibalsandNapoleons,itwouldstillbebetterinthecaseofasurprisethattheyshouldnotallgiveorderstogether。 Nay,itwouldbebetterifthestupidestofthemallgavetheorders。 Thus,weseethatmerelymilitarysubordination,sofarfromrestingontheinequalityofmen,actuallyrestsontheequalityofmen。 DisciplinedoesnotinvolvetheCarlyleannotionthatsomebodyisalwaysrightwheneverybodyiswrong,andthatwemustdiscoverandcrownthatsomebody。Onthecontrary,disciplinemeansthatincertainfrightfullyrapidcircumstances,onecantrustanybodysolongasheisnoteverybody。Themilitaryspiritdoesnotmean(asCarlylefancied)obeyingthestrongestandwisestman。 Onthecontrary,themilitaryspiritmeans,ifanything,obeyingtheweakestandstupidestman,obeyinghimmerelybecauseheisaman,andnotathousandmen。Submissiontoaweakmanisdiscipline。 Submissiontoastrongmanisonlyservility。 NowitcanbeeasilyshownthatthethingwecallaristocracyinEuropeisnotinitsoriginandspiritanaristocracyatall。 Itisnotasystemofspiritualdegreesanddistinctionslike,forexample,thecastesystemofIndia,orevenliketheoldGreekdistinctionbetweenfreemenandslaves。Itissimplytheremainsofamilitaryorganization,framedpartlytosustainthesinkingRomanEmpire,partlytobreakandavengetheawfulonslaughtofIslam。ThewordDukesimplymeansColonel,justasthewordEmperorsimplymeansCommander-in-Chief。ThewholestoryistoldinthesingletitleofCountsoftheHolyRomanEmpire,whichmerelymeansofficersintheEuropeanarmyagainstthecontemporaryYellowPeril。Nowinanarmynobodyeverdreamsofsupposingthatdifferenceofrankrepresentsadifferenceofmoralreality。 Nobodyeversaysaboutaregiment,\"YourMajorisveryhumorousandenergetic;yourColonel,ofcourse,mustbeevenmorehumorousandyetmoreenergetic\"Nooneeversays,inreportingamess-roomconversation,\"LieutenantJoneswasverywitty,butwasnaturallyinferiortoCaptainSmith。\"Theessenceofanarmyistheideaofofficialinequality,foundedonunofficialequality。 TheColonelisnotobeyedbecauseheisthebestman,butbecauseheistheColonel。SuchwasprobablythespiritofthesystemofdukesandcountswhenitfirstaroseoutofthemilitaryspiritandmilitarynecessitiesofRome。Withthedeclineofthosenecessitiesithasgraduallyceasedtohavemeaningasamilitaryorganization,andbecomehoneycombedwithuncleanplutocracy。Evennowitisnotaspiritualaristocracy——itisnotsobadasallthat。 Itissimplyanarmywithoutanenemy——billeteduponthepeople。 Man,therefore,hasaspecialistaswellascomrade-likeaspect; andthecaseofmilitarismisnottheonlycaseofsuchspecialistsubmission。Thetinkerandtailor,aswellasthesoldierandsailor,requireacertainrigidityofrapidityofaction: atleast,ifthetinkerisnotorganizedthatislargelywhyhedoesnottinkonanylargescale。ThetinkerandtailoroftenrepresentthetwonomadicracesinEurope:theGipsyandtheJew;buttheJewalonehasinfluencebecausehealoneacceptssomesortofdiscipline。 Man,wesay,hastwosides,thespecialistsidewherehemusthavesubordination,andthesocialsidewherehemusthaveequality。 Thereisatruthinthesayingthattentailorsgotomakeaman; butwemustrememberalsothattenPoetsLaureateortenAstronomersRoyalgotomakeaman,too。TenmilliontradesmengotomakeManhimself; buthumanityconsistsoftradesmenwhentheyarenottalkingshop。 Nowthepeculiarperilofourtime,whichIcallforargument\'ssakeImperialismorCaesarism,isthecompleteeclipseofcomradeshipandequalitybyspecialismanddomination。 Thereareonlytwokindsofsocialstructureconceivable—— personalgovernmentandimpersonalgovernment。Ifmyanarchicfriendswillnothaverules——theywillhaverulers。 Preferringpersonalgovernment,withitstactandflexibility,iscalledRoyalism。Preferringimpersonalgovernment,withitsdogmasanddefinitions,iscalledRepublicanism。 ObjectingbroadmindedlybothtokingsandcreedsiscalledBosh; atleast,Iknownomorephilosophicwordforit。Youcanbeguidedbytheshrewdnessorpresenceofmindofoneruler,orbytheequalityandascertainedjusticeofonerule;butyoumusthaveoneortheother,oryouarenotanation,butanastymess。 Nowmenintheiraspectofequalityanddebateadoretheideaofrules;theydevelopandcomplicatethemgreatlytoexcess。 Amanfindsfarmoreregulationsanddefinitionsinhisclub,wheretherearerules,thaninhishome,wherethereisaruler。 Adeliberateassembly,theHouseofCommons,forinstance,carriesthismummerytothepointofamethodicalmadness。 Thewholesystemisstiffwithrigidunreason; liketheRoyalCourtinLewisCarroll。YouwouldthinktheSpeakerwouldspeak;thereforeheismostlysilent。 Youwouldthinkamanwouldtakeoffhishattostopandputitontogoaway;thereforehetakesoffhishattowalkoutandputsinontostopin。Namesareforbidden,andamanmustcallhisownfather\"myrighthonorablefriendthememberforWestBirmingham。\"Theseare,perhaps,fantasiesofdecay: butfundamentallytheyansweramasculineappetite。 Menfeelthatrules,evenifirrational,areuniversal; menfeelthatlawisequal,evenwhenitisnotequitable。 Thereisawildfairnessinthething——asthereisintossingup。 Again,itisgravelyunfortunatethatwhencriticsdoattacksuchcasesastheCommonsitisalwaysonthepoints(perhapsthefewpoints)wheretheCommonsareright。 TheydenouncetheHouseastheTalking-Shop,andcomplainthatitwastestimeinwordymazes。NowthisisjustonerespectinwhichtheCommonsareactuallyliketheCommonPeople。Iftheyloveleisureandlongdebate,itisbecauseallmenloveit; thattheyreallyrepresentEngland。TheretheParliamentdoesapproachtothevirilevirtuesofthepothouse。 Therealtruthisthatadumbratedintheintroductorysectionwhenwespokeofthesenseofhomeandproperty,asnowwespeakofthesenseofcounselandcommunity。Allmendonaturallylovetheideaofleisure,laughter,loudandequalargument; buttherestandsaspecterinourhall。Weareconsciousofthetoweringmodernchallengethatiscalledspecialismorcut-throatcompetition——Business。Businesswillhavenothingtodowithleisure;businesswillhavenotruckwithcomradeship; businesswillpretendtonopatiencewithallthelegalfictionsandfantastichandicapsbywhichcomradeshipprotectsitsegalitarianideal。Themodernmillionaire,whenengagedintheagreeableandtypicaltaskofsackinghisownfather,willcertainlynotrefertohimastherighthonorableclerkfromtheLaburnumRoad,Brixton。Thereforetherehasariseninmodernlifealiteraryfashiondevotingitselftotheromanceofbusiness,togreatdemigodsofgreedandtofairylandoffinance。 Thispopularphilosophyisutterlydespoticandanti-democratic; thisfashionistheflowerofthatCaesarismagainstwhichIamconcernedtoprotest。Theidealmillionaireisstronginthepossessionofabrainofsteel。Thefactthattherealmillionaireisrathermoreoftenstronginthepossessionofaheadofwood,doesnotalterthespiritandtrendoftheidolatry。Theessentialargumentis\"Specialistsmustbedespots;menmustbespecialists。 Youcannothaveequalityinasoapfactory;soyoucannothaveitanywhere。Youcannothavecomradeshipinawheatcorner; soyoucannothareitatall。Wemusthavecommercialcivilization; thereforewemustdestroydemocracy。\"Iknowthatplutocratshareseldomsufficientfancytosoartosuchexamplesassoaporwheat。 Theygenerallyconfinethemselves,withfinefreshnessofmind,toacomparisonbetweenthestateandaship。Oneanti-democraticwriterremarkedthathewouldnotliketosailinavesselinwhichthecabin-boyhadanequalvotewiththecaptain。 Itmighteasilybeurgedinanswerthatmanyaship(theVictoria,forinstance)wassunkbecauseanadmiralgaveanorderwhichacabin-boycouldseewaswrong。Butthisisadebatingreply; theessentialfallacyisbothdeeperandsimpler。Theelementaryfactisthatwewereallborninastate;wewerenotallbornonaship; likesomeofourgreatBritishbankers。Ashipstillremainsaspecialistexperiment,likeadiving-belloraflyingship: insuchpeculiarperilstheneedforpromptitudeconstitutestheneedforautocracy。Butweliveanddieinthevesselofthestate; andifwecannotfindfreedomcamaraderieandthepopularelementinthestate,wecannotfinditatall。Andthemoderndoctrineofcommercialdespotismmeansthatweshallnotfinditatall。 Ourspecialisttradesintheirhighlycivilizedstatecannot(itsays)berunwithoutthewholebrutalbusinessofbossingandsacking,\"toooldatforty\"andalltherestofthefilth。 Andtheymustberun,andthereforewecallonCaesar。NobodybuttheSupermancoulddescendtodosuchdirtywork。 Now(toreiteratemytitle)thisiswhatiswrong。Thisisthehugemodernheresyofalteringthehumansoultofititsconditions,insteadofalteringhumanconditionstofitthehumansoul。 Ifsoapboilingisreallyinconsistentwithbrotherhood,somuchtheworstforsoap-boiling,notforbrotherhood。 Ifcivilizationreallycannotgetonwithdemocracy,somuchtheworseforcivilization,notfordemocracy。Certainly,itwouldbefarbettertogobacktovillagecommunes,iftheyreallyarecommunes。Certainly,itwouldbebettertodowithoutsoapratherthantodowithoutsociety。Certainly,wewouldsacrificeallourwires,wheels,systems,specialties,physicalscienceandfrenziedfinanceforonehalf-hourofhappinesssuchashasoftencometouswithcomradesinacommontavern。 Idonotsaythesacrificewillbenecessary;Ionlysayitwillbeeasy。 *** PARTTHREE FEMINISM,ORTHEMISTAKEABOUTWOMAN *** I THEUNMILITARYSUFFRAGETTE Itwillbebettertoadoptinthischapterthesameprocessthatappearedapieceofmentaljusticeinthelast。 Mygeneralopinionsonthefemininequestionaresuchasmanysuffragistswouldwarmlyapprove;anditwouldbeeasytostatethemwithoutanyopenreferencetothecurrentcontroversy。 ButjustasitseemedmoredecenttosayfirstthatIwasnotinfavorofImperialismeveninitspracticalandpopularsense,soitseemsmoredecenttosaythesameofFemaleSuffrage,initspracticalandpopularsense。Inotherwords,itisonlyfairtostate,howeverhurriedly,thesuperficialobjectiontotheSuffragettesbeforewegoontothereallysubtlequestionsbehindtheSuffrage。 Well,togetthishonestbutunpleasantbusinessover,theobjectiontotheSuffragettesisnotthattheyareMilitantSuffragettes。 Onthecontrary,itisthattheyarenotmilitantenough。 Arevolutionisamilitarything;ithasallthemilitaryvirtues; oneofwhichisthatitcomestoanend。Twopartiesfightwithdeadlyweapons,butundercertainrulesofarbitraryhonor; thepartythatwinsbecomesthegovernmentandproceedstogovern。 Theaimofcivilwar,liketheaimofallwar,ispeace。 NowtheSuffragettescannotraisecivilwarinthissoldierlyanddecisivesense;first,becausetheyarewomen; and,secondly,becausetheyareveryfewwomen。Buttheycanraisesomethingelse;whichisaltogetheranotherpairofshoes。 Theydonotcreaterevolution;whattheydocreateisanarchy; andthedifferencebetweentheseisnotaquestionofviolence,butaquestionoffruitfulnessandfinality。Revolutionofitsnatureproducesgovernment;anarchyonlyproducesmoreanarchy。 MenmayhavewhatopinionstheypleaseaboutthebeheadingofKingCharlesorKingLouis,buttheycannotdenythatBradshawandCromwellruled,thatCarnotandNapoleongoverned。 Someoneconquered;somethingoccurred。YoucanonlyknockofftheKing\'sheadonce。ButyoucanknockofftheKing\'shatanynumberoftimes。Destructionisfinite,obstructionisinfinite: solongasrebelliontakestheformofmeredisorder(insteadofanattempttoenforceaneworder)thereisnologicalendtoit;itcanfeedonitselfandrenewitselfforever。 IfNapoleonhadnotwantedtobeaConsul,butonlywantedtobeanuisance,hecould,possibly,havepreventedanygovernmentarisingsuccessfullyoutoftheRevolution。Butsuchaproceedingwouldnothavedeservedthedignifiednameofrebellion。 ItisexactlythisunmilitantqualityintheSuffragettesthatmakestheirsuperficialproblem。Theproblemisthattheiractionhasnoneoftheadvantagesofultimateviolence;itdoesnotaffordatest。