the altruist in politics-第2章

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other；　marks　the　end　of　individualism。　　The　one　system；　as　the



other；　would　make　each　man　the　image　of　his　neighbor。　　The　one



system；　as　the　other；　would　hold　back　the　progressive；　and；　by



uniformity　of　reward；　gain　uniformity　of　type。







I　can　look　forward　to　no　blissful　prospect　for　a　race　of　men



that；　under　the　dominion　of　the　State；　at　the　cost　of　all　freedom



of　action；　at　the　cost；　indeed；　of　their　own　true　selves；　shall



enjoy；　if　one　will；　a　fair　abundance　of　the　material　blessings　of



life。　　Some　Matthew　Arnold　of　the　future　would　inevitably　say　of



them　in　phase　like　that　applied　to　the　Puritans　of　old：　〃They



entered　the　prison　of　socialism　and　had　the　key　turned　upon　their



spirit　there　for　hundreds　of　years。〃　　Into　that　prison　of



socialism；　with　broken　enterprise　and　broken　energy；　as　serfs



under　the　mastery　of　the　State；　while　human　personality　is



preferred　to　unreasoning　mechanism；　mankind　must　hesitate　to



step。　　When　they　shall　once　have　entered　within　it；　when　the　key



shall　have　been　turned　upon　their　spirit　and　have　confined　them



in　narrower　straits　than　even　Puritanism　could　have　done；　it　will



be　left　for　them　to　find；　in　their　blind　obedience　and　passive



submission；　the　recompense　for　the　singleness　of　character；　the



foresight；　and　the　energy；　that　they　have　left　behind　them。







In　almost　every　phase　of　life；　this　doctrine　of　political



altruists　is　equally　impracticable　and　pernicious。　　In　its　social



results；　it　involves　the　substitution　of　the　community　in　the



family's　present　position。　　In　its　political　aspects；　it　involves



the　absolute　dominion　of　the　State　over　the　actions　and　property



of　its　subjects。　　Thus；　though　claiming　to　be　an　exaltation　of



the　so…called　natural　rights　of　liberty　and　equality；　it　is　in



reality　their　emphatic　debasement。　　It　teaches　that　thoughtless



docility　is　a　recompense　for　stunted　enterprise。　　It　magnifies



material　good　at　the　cost　of　every　rational　endowment。　　It



inculcates　a　self…denial　that　must　result　in　dwarfing　the



individual　to　a　mere　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　State　for　the



benefit　of　his　fellows。　　No　such　organization　of　society…no



organization　that　fails　to　take　note　of　the　fact　that　man　must



have　scope　for　the　exercise　and　development　of　his　faculties…no



such　organization　of　society　can　ever　reach　a　permanent　success。



However　beneficent　its　motives；　the　hypothesis　with　which　it



starts　can　never　be　realized。　　The　aphorism　of　Emerson；　〃Churches



have　been　built；　not　upon　principles；　but　upon　tropes；〃　is　as



true　in　the　field　of　politics　as　it　is　in　the　field　of　religion。



In　a　like　figurative　spirit；　the　followers　of　communism　have



reared　their　edifice；　and；　looking　back　upon　the　finished



structure；　seeking　to　discern　the　base　on　which　it　rests；　the



critic　finds；　not　principles；　but　tropes。　　The　builders　have



appealed　to　a　future　that　has　no　warrant　in　the　past；　and　fixing



their　gaze　upon　the　distant　dreamland；　captivated　by　the　vision



there　beheld；　entranced　by　its　ideal　effulgence；　their　eyes　were



blinded　to　the　real　conditions　of　the　human　problem　they　had　set



before　them。　　Their　enemies　have　not　been　slow　to　note　such



weakness　and　mistake；　and　perhaps　it　may　serve　to　clear　up



misconceptions；　perhaps　it　may　serve　to　lessen　cant　and　open　the



way　for　fresh　and　vigorous　thought；　if　we　shall　once　convince



ourselves　that　altruism　cannot　be　the　rule　of　life；　that　its



logical　result　is　the　dwarfing　of　the　individual　man；　and　that



not　by　the　death　of　human　personality　can　we　hope　to　banish　the



evils　of　our　day；　and　to　realize　the　ideal　of　all　existence；　a



nobler　or　purer　life。























End