erewhon revisited-第23章

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my　father；　if　it　made　against　his　views；　and　by　putting　his　own
glosses　on　all　that　he　could　gloze　into　an　appearance　of　being　in
his　favour。　　I　will　pass　over　his　attempt　to　combat　the　rapidly
spreading　belief　in　a　heaven　and　hell　such　as　we　accept；　and　will
only　summarise　his　contention　that；　of　our　two　livesnamely；　the
one　we　live　in　our　own　persons；　and　that　other　life　which　we　live
in　other　people　both　before　our　reputed　death　and　after　itthe
second　is　as　essential　a　factor　of　our　complete　life　as　the　first
is；　and　sometimes　more　so。

Life；　he　urged；　lies　not　in　bodily　organs；　but　in　the　power　to　use
them；　and　in　the　use　that　is　made　of　themthat　is　to　say；　in　the
work　they　do。　　As　the　essence　of　a　factory　is　not　in　the　building
wherein　the　work　is　done；　nor　yet　in　the　implements　used　in　turning
it　out；　but　in　the　will…power　of　the　master　and　in　the　goods　he
makes；　so　the　true　life　of　a　man　is　in　his　will　and　work；　not　in
his　body。　　〃Those；〃　he　argued；　〃who　make　the　life　of　a　man　reside
within　his　body；　are　like　one　who　should　mistake　the　carpenter's
tool…box　for　the　carpenter。〃

He　maintained　that　this　had　been　my　father's　teaching；　for　which　my
father　heartily　trusts　that　he　may　be　forgiven。

He　went　on　to　say　that　our　will…power　is　not　wholly　limited　to　the
working　of　its　own　special　system　of　organs；　but　under　certain
conditions　can　work　and　be　worked　upon　by　other　will…powers　like
itself：　　so　that　if；　for　example；　A's　will…power　has　got　such　hold
on　B's　as　to　be　able；　through　B；　to　work　B's　mechanism；　what　seems
to　have　been　B's　action　will　in　reality　have　been　more　A's　than
B's；　and　this　in　the　same　real　sense　as　though　the　physical　action
had　been　effected　through　A's　own　mechanical　systemA；　in　fact；
will　have　been　living　in　B。　　The　universally　admitted　maxim　that　he
who　does　this　or　that　by　the　hand　of　an　agent　does　it　himself；
shews　that　the　foregoing　view　is　only　a　roundabout　way　of　stating
what　common　sense　treats　as　a　matter　of　course。

Hence；　though　A's　individual　will…power　must　be　held　to　cease　when
the　tools　it　works　with　are　destroyed　or　out　of　gear；　yet；　so　long
as　any　survivors　were　so　possessed　by　it　while　it　was　still
efficient；　or；　again；　become　so　impressed　by　its　operation　on　them
through　work　that　he　has　left；　as　to　act　in　obedience　to　his　will…
power　rather　than　their　own；　A　has　a　certain　amount　of　bona　fide
life　still　remaining。　　His　vicarious　life　is　not　affected　by　the
dissolution　of　his　body；　and　in　many　cases　the　sum　total　of　a　man's
vicarious　action　and　of　its　outcome　exceeds　to　an　almost　infinite
extent　the　sum　total　of　those　actions　and　works　that　were　effected
through　the　mechanism　of　his　own　physical　organs。　　In　these　cases
his　vicarious　life　is　more　truly　his　life　than　any　that　he　lived　in
his　own　person。

〃True；〃　continued　the　Doctor；　〃while　living　in　his　own　person；　a
man　knows；　or　thinks　he　knows；　what　he　is　doing；　whereas　we　have　no
reason　to　suppose　such　knowledge　on　the　part　of　one　whose　body　is
already　dust；　but　the　consciousness　of　the　doer　has　less　to　do　with
the　livingness　of　the　deed　than　people　generally　admit。　　We　know
nothing　of　the　power　that　sets　our　heart　beating；　nor　yet　of　the
beating　itself　so　long　as　it　is　normal。　　We　know　nothing　of　our
breathing　or　of　our　digestion；　of　the　all…important　work　we
achieved　as　embryos；　nor　of　our　growth　from　infancy　to　manhood。　　No
one　will　say　that　these　were　not　actions　of　a　living　agent；　but　the
more　normal；　the　healthier；　and　thus　the　more　truly　living；　the
agent　is；　the　less　he　will　know　or　have　known　of　his　own　action。
The　part　of　our　bodily　life　that　enters　into　our　consciousness　is
very　small　as　compared　with　that　of　which　we　have　no　consciousness。
What　completer　proof　can　we　have　that　livingness　consists　in　deed
rather　than　in　consciousness　of　deed？

〃The　foregoing　remarks　are　not　intended　to　apply　so　much　to
vicarious　action　in　virtue；　we　will　say；　of　a　settlement；　or
testamentary　disposition　that　cannot　be　set　aside。　　Such　action　is
apt　to　be　too　unintelligent；　too　far　from　variation　and　quick
change　to　rank　as　true　vicarious　action；　indeed　it　is　not　rarely
found　to　effect　the　very　opposite　of　what　the　person　who　made　the
settlement　or　will　desired。　　They　are　meant　to　apply　to　that　more
intelligent　and　versatile　action　engendered　by　affectionate
remembrance。　　Nevertheless；　even　the　compulsory　vicarious　action
taken　in　consequence　of　a　will；　and　indeed　the　very　name　〃will〃
itself；　shews　that　though　we　cannot　take　either　flesh　or　money　with
us；　we　can　leave　our　will…power　behind　us　in　very　efficient
operation。

〃This　vicarious　life　（on　which　I　have　insisted；　I　fear　at
unnecessary　length；　for　it　is　so　obvious　that　none　can　have　failed
to　realise　it）　is　lived　by　every　one　of　us　before　death　as　well　as
after　it；　and　is　little　less　important　to　us　than　that　of　which　we
are　to　some　extent　conscious　in　our　own　persons。　　A　man；　we　will
say；　has　written　a　book　which　delights　or　displeases　thousands　of
whom　he　knows　nothing；　and　who　know　nothing　of　him。　　The　book；　we
will　suppose；　has　considerable；　or　at　any　rate　some　influence　on
the　action　of　these　people。　　Let　us　suppose　the　writer　fast　asleep
while　others　are　enjoying　his　work；　and　acting　in　consequence　of
it；　perhaps　at　long　distances　from　him。　　Which　is　his　truest　life
the　one　he　is　leading　in　them；　or　that　equally　unconscious　life
residing　in　his　own　sleeping　body？　　Can　there　be　a　doubt　that　the
vicarious　life　is　the　more　efficient？

〃Or　when　we　are　waking；　how　powerfully　does　not　the　life　we　are
living　in　others　pain　or　delight　us；　according　as　others　think　ill
or　well　of　us？　　How　truly　do　we　not　recognise　it　as　part　of　our　own
existence；　and　how　great　an　influence　does　not　the　fear　of　a
present　hell　in　men's　bad　thoughts；　and　the　hope　of　a　present
heaven　in　their　good　ones；　influence　our　own　conduct？　　Have　we　not
here　a　true　heaven　and　a　true　hell；　as　compared　with　the　efficiency
of　which　these　gross　material　ones　so　falsely　engrafted　on　to　the
Sunchild's　teaching　are　but　as　the　flint　implements　of　a
prehistoric　race？　　'If　a　man；'　said　the　Sunchild；　'fear　not　man；
whom　he　hath　seen；　neither　will　he　fear　God；　whom　he　hath　not
seen。'〃

My　father　again　assures　me　that　he　never　said　this。　　Returning　to
Dr。　Gurgoyle；　he　continued：…　〃It　may　be　urged　that　on　a　man's　death
one　of　the　great　factors　of　his　life　is　so　annihilated　that　no　kind
of　true　life　can　be　any　further　conceded　to　him。　　For　to　live　is　to
be　influenced；　as　well　as　to　influence；　and　when　a　man　is　dead　how
can　he　be　influenced？　　He　can　haunt；　but　he　cannot　any　more　be
haunted。　　He　can　come　to　us；　but　we　cannot　go　to　him。　　On　ceasing；
therefore；　to　be　impressionable；　so　great　a　part　of　that　wherein
his　life　consisted　is　removed；　that　no　true　life　can　be　conceded　to
him。

〃I　do　not　pretend　that　a　man　is　as　fully　alive　after　his　so…called
death　as　before　it。　　He　is　not。　　All　I　contend　for　is；　that　a
considerable　amount　of　efficient　life　still　remains　to　some　of　us；
and　that　a　little　life　remains　to　all　of　us；　after　what　we　commonly
regard　as　the　complete　cessation　of　life。　　In　answer；　then；　to
those　who　have　just　urged　that　the　destruction　of　one　of　the　two
great　factors　of　life　destroys　life　altogether；　I　reply　that　the
same　must　hold　good　as　regards　death。

〃If　to　live　is　to　be　influenced　and　to　influence；　and　if　a　man
cannot　be　held　as　living　when　he　can　no　longer　be　influenced；
surely　to　die　is　to　be　no　longer　able　either　to　influence　or　be
influenced；　and　a　man　cannot　be　held　dead　until　both　these　two
factors　of　death　are　present。　　If　failure　of　the　power　to　be
influenced　vitiates　life；　presence　of　the　power　to　influence
vitiates　death。　　And　no　one　will　deny　that　a　man　can　influence　for
many　a　long　year　after　he　is　vulgarly　reputed　as　dead。

〃It　seems；　then；　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　either　absolute
life　without　any　alloy　of　death；　nor　absolute　death　without　any
alloy　of　life；　until；　that　is　to　say；　all　posthumous　power　to
influence　has　faded　away。　　And　this；　perhaps；　is　what　the　Sunchild
meant　by　saying　that　in　the　midst　of　life　we　are　in　death；　and　so
also　that　in　the　midst　of