the story of my heart-第15章

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have　hitherto　been　failures。　Some　course　of　life　is　needed　based　on　things
that　are；　irrespective　of　tradition。　The　physical　ideal　must　be　kept
steadily　in　view。

CHAPTER　VIII

AN　enumeration　of　the　useless　would　almost　be　an　enumeration　of
everything　hitherto　pursued。　For　instance；　to　go　back　as　far　as
possible；　the　study　and　labour　expended　on　Egyptian　inscriptions
and　papyri；　which　contain　nothing　but　doubtful；　because　laudatory　history；
invocations　to　idols；　and　similar　matters：　all　these　labours　are　in　vain。
Take　a　broom　and　sweep　the　papyri　away　into　the　dust。　The　Assyrian
terra…cotta　tablets；　some　recording　fables；　and　some　even　saddercontracts
between　men　whose　bodies　were　dust　twenty　centuries　sincetake　a　hammer
and　demolish　them。　Set　a　battery　to　beat　down　the　pyramids；　and
a　mind…battery　to　destroy　the　deadening　influence　of　tradition。
The　Greek　statue　lives　to　this　day；　and　has　the　highest　use　of
all；　the　use　of　true　beauty。　The　Greek　and　Roman　philosophers
have　the　value　of　furnishing　the　mind　with　material　to　think
from。　Egyptian　and　Assyrian；　mediaeval　and　eighteenth…century
culture；　miscalled；　are　all　alike　mere　dust；　and　absolutely
useless。

There　is　a　mass　of　knowledge　so　called　at　the　present　day
equally　useless；　and　nothing　but　an　encumbrance。　We　are　forced
by　circumstances　to　become　familiar　with　it；　but　the　time
expended　on　it　is　lost。　No　physical　idealfar　less　any　soul…
idealwill　ever　be　reached　by　it。　In　a　recent　generation
erudition　in　the　text　of　the　classics　was　considered　the　most
honourable　of　pursuits；　certainly　nothing　could　be　less　valuable。　In　our　own
generation；　another　species　of　erudition
is　laudederudition　in　the　laws　of　matterwhich；　in　itself；　is
but　one　degree　better。　The　study　of　matter　for　matter's　sake　is
despicable；　if　any　can　turn　that　study　to　advance　the　ideal　of　life；　it
immediately　becomes　most　valuable。　But　not　without　the　human　ideal。　It　is
nothing　to　me　if　the　planets　revolve　around　the　sun；　or　the　sun　around　the
earth；　unless　I　can　thereby　gather　an　increase　of　body　or　mind。　As　the
conception　of　the　planets　revolving　around　the　sun；　the　present　astronomical
conception　of　the　heavens；　is　distinctly　grander　than　that　of　Ptolemy；　it　is
therefore　superior；　and　a　gain　to　the　human　mind。　So　with　other　sciences；
not　immediately　useful；　yet　if　they　furnish　the　mind　with　material　of
thought；　they　are　an　advance。

But　not　in　themselvesonly　in　conjunction　with　the　human　ideal。
Once　let　that　slip　out　of　the　thought；　and　science　is　of　no
more　use　than　the　invocations　in　the　Egyptian　papyri。　The　world　would　be　the
gainer　if　the　Nile　rose　and　swept　away　pyramid　and　tomb；　sarcophagus；
papyri；　and　inscription；　for　it　seems　as　if　most　of　the　superstitions　which
still　to　this　hour；　in　our　own　country；　hold　minds　in　their　sway；　originated
in　Egypt。　The　world　would　be　the　gainer　if　a　Nile　flood　of　new　thought　arose
and　swept　away　the　past；　concentrating　the　effort　of　all　the　races　of　the
earth　upon　man's　body；　that　it　might　reach　an　ideal　of　shape；　and　health；
and　happiness。

Nothing　is　of　any　use　unless　it　gives　me　a　stronger　body　and
mind；　a　more　beautiful　body；　a　happy　existence；　and　a　soul…life
now。　The　last　phase　of　philosophy　is　equally　useless　with　the
rest。　The　belief　that　the　human　mind　was　evolved；　in　the　process　of
unnumbered　years；　from　a　fragment　of　palpitating　slime　through　a　thousand
gradations；　is　a　modern　superstition；　and　proceeds　upon　assumption　alone。

Nothing　is　evolved；　no　evolution　takes　place；　there　is　no　record
of　such　an　event；　it　is　pure　assertion。　The　theory　fascinates
many；　because　they　find；　upon　study　of　physiology；　that　the
gradations　between　animal　and　vegetable　are　so　fine　and　so　close　together；
as　if　a　common　web　bound　them　together。　But　although　they　stand　so　near　they
never　change　places。　They　are　like　the
figures　on　the　face　of　a　clock；　there　are　minute　dots　between；
apparently　connecting　each　with　the　other；　and　the　hands　move
round　over　all。　Yet　ten　never　becomes　twelve；　and　each　second
even　is　parted　from　the　next；　as　you　may　hear　by　listening　to
the　beat。　So　the　gradations　of　life；　past　and　present；　though
standing　close　together　never　change　places。　Nothing　is　evolved。
There　is　no　evolution　any　more　than　there　is　any　design　in　nature。　　By
standing　face　to　face　with　nature；　and　not　from　books；　I　have　convinced
myself　that　there　is　no　design　and　no　evolution。　What　there　is；　what　was　the
cause；　how　and　why；　is　not　yet　known；　certainly　it　was　neither　of　these。

But　it　may　be　argued　the　world　must　have　been　created；　or　it
must　have　been　made　of　existing　things；　or　it　must　have　been
evolved；　or　it　must　have　existed　for　ever；　through　all　eternity。
I　think　not。　I　do　not　think　that　either　of　these　are　〃musts；〃　nor　that　any
〃must〃　has　yet　been　discovered；　not　even　that　there　〃must〃　be　a　first　cause。
There　may　be　other　thingsother　physical　forces　evenof　which　we　know
nothing。　I　strongly　suspect　there　are。　　There　may　be　other　ideas　altogether
from　any　we　have　hitherto　had　the　use　of。　For　many　ages　our　ideas　have　been
confined　to　two　or　three。　We　have　conceived　the　idea　of　creation；　which　is
the　highest　and　grandest　of　all；　if　not　historically　true；　we　have　conceived
the　idea　of　design；　that　is　of　an　intelligence　making　order　and　revolution
of　chaos；　and　we　have　conceived　the　idea　of　evolution　by　physical　laws　of
matter；　which；　though　now　so　much　insisted　on；　is　as　ancient　as　the　Greek
philosophers。　　But　there　may　be　another　alternative；　I　think　there　are　other
alternatives。

Whenever　the　mind　obtains　a　wider　view　we　may　find　that　origin。
for　instance；　is　not　always　due　to　what　is　understood　by　cause。
At　this　moment　the　mind　is　unable　to　conceive　of　anything　happening；　or　of
anything　coming　into　existence；　without　a　cause。　From　cause　to　effect　is　the
sequence　of　our　ideas。　　But　I　think　that　if　at　some　time　we　should　obtain　an
altogether　different　and　broader　sequence　of　ideas；　we　may　discover　that
there　are　various　other　alternatives。　As　the　world；　and　the　universe　at
large；　was　not　constructed　according　to　plan；　so　it　is　clear　that　the
sequence　or　circle　of　ideas　which　includes
plan；　and　cause；　and　effect；　are　not　in　the　circle　of　ideas
which　would　correctly　explain　it。　Put　aside　the　plan…circle　of
ideas；　and　it　will　at　once　be　evident　that　there　is　no　inherent
necessity　or　〃must。〃　There　is　no　inherent　necessity　for　a　first
cause；　or　that　the　world　and　the　universe　was　created；　or　that
it　was　shaped　of　existing　matter；　or　that　it　evolved　itself　and
its　inhabitants；　or　that　the　cosmos　has　existed　in　varying　forms
for　ever。　There　may　be　other　alternatives　altogether。　The　only
idea　I　can　give　is　the　idea　that　there　is　another　idea。

In　this　〃must〃〃it　must　follow〃lies　my　objection　to　the　logic　of　science。
The　arguments　proceed　from　premises　to　conclusions；　and　end　with　the
assumption　〃it　therefore　follows。〃　But　I　say　that；　however　carefully　the
argument　be　built　up；　even　though　apparently　flawless；　there　is　no　such
thing　at　present　as　〃it　must　follow。〃　Human　ideas　at　present　naturally　form
a　plan；　and　a　balanced　design；　they　might　be　indicated　by　a　geometrical
figure；　an　upright　straight　line　in　the　centre；　and　branching　from　that
straight　line　curves　on　either　hand　exactly　equal　to　each　other。　In　drawing
that　is　how　we　are　taught；　to　balance　the　outline　or　curves　on　one　side　with
the　curves　on　the　other。　In　nature　and　in　fact　there　is　no　such　thing。　The
stem　of　a　tree　represents　the　upright　line；　but　the　branches　do　not　balance；
those　on　one　side　are　larger　or　longer　than　those　on　the　other。　Nothing　is
straight；　but　all　things　curved；　crooked；　and　unequal。

The　human　body　is　the　most　remarkable　instance　of　inequality；
lack　of　balance；　and　want　of　plan。　The　exterior　is　beautiful　in
its　lines；　but　the　two　hands；　the　two　feet；　the　two　sides　of　the
face；　the　two　sides　of　the　profile；　are　not　precisely　equal。
The　very　nails　of　the　fingers　are　set　ajar；　as　it　were；　to
the　lines　of　the　hand；　and　not　quite　straight。　Examination　of　the　interior
organs　shows　a　total　absence　of　balance。　The　heart　is　not　in　the　centre；　nor
do　the　organs　correspond　in　any　wa