the foundations of personality-第35章

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ment　are　more　important　than　obligation；　and　this　remains　true　of　many　people　throughout　life。　Gradually　right；　what　we　call　duty；　becomes　established　as　a　guiding　principle；　but　it　must　struggle　with　impulse　and　the　desire　for　immediate　pleasure　throughout　life。　In　fact；　one　of　the　dangers　of　the　development　of　the　feeling　of　duty　lies　in　the　view　often　held　by　those　guided　by　principle　and　duty　that　pleasure　is　in　itself　somehow　wrong　and　needs　justification。　Whereas；　in　my　opinion；　pleasure　is　right　and　needs　no　justification　and　is　wrong　only　when　it　offends　the　fundamental　moralities　and　purposes　of　Society。　The　feeling　of　〃right〃　depends　to　a　certain　extent　on　the　kind　of　teaching　in　early　childhood；　but　more　on　the　nature　of　the　individual。　It　is　based　on　his　social　feeling；　his　desire　to　be　in　harmony　with　a　group　or　a　God　that　essentially　stands　above　any　group。　For　the　idea　of　God　introduces　an　element　having　more　authority　than　the　group　whom　He　leads。　Here　also　is　a　factor　of　importance：　choice　is　difficult　for　the　great　majority。　Placed　in　a　situation　where　more　than　one　response　is　possible；　an　unhappy　state　of　bewilderment　results　unless　there　are　formulae　for　action。　The　leader　is　the　chooser　for　the　group；　religion　is　an　established　system　of　choices　even　in　its　〃Thou　shalt　not〃　injunctions；　and　to　be　at　one　with　God　implies　that　one　is　following　an　infallible　leader；　and　doubt　and　uncertainty　disappear。　Trotter＇1＇　points　out　clearly　the　role　the　feeling　of　certitude　plays　in　developing　codes。　As　life　becomes　more　complex；　as　more　choices　appear；　the　need　of　an　established　method　of　choosing　becomes　greater。　The　careful；　cautious；　conscientious　types　develop　a　system　of　principles　for　choice　of　action；　they　discard　the　uncertainty　of　pleasure　as　a　guide　for　the　certainty　of　a　code　laid　down　and　fixed。　Duty　is　the　north　star　of　conduct！　＇1＇　〃The　Herd　and　its　Instincts　in　Peace　and　War。〃

In　passing；　an　interesting　development　of　our　times　is　worth　noticing。　The　tendency　is　to　discard　established　codes；　to　weaken　dogma　and　to　throw　more　responsibility　on　the　individual　conscience。　That　is　the　meaning　of　the　Protestant　reformation；　and　it　is　the　meaning　of　the　growth　of　Unitarianism　within　the　Protestant　church；　it　is　also　the　meaning　of　the　reform　movement　in　Judaism。　The　Catholic　church　has　felt　it　in　the　breaking　away　of　state　after　state　from　its　authority；　which　virtually　means　that　the　states　have　thrown　their　citizens　back　on　their　own　consciences　and　the　state　laws。　In　fact；　reliance　on　law　is　in　part　an　effort　to　escape　the　necessity　of　choosing。　The　pressure　of　external　authority　has　its　burden；　but　in　giving　up　its　certainty　man　also　gives　up　tranquillity。　Much　of　modern　neurasthenia　is　characterized　by　a　feeling　of　uncertainty；　unreality；　doubt：　what　is　right；　what　is　real？　True；　as　religion　in　the　dogmatic　sense　relinquishes　its　power；　ethics　grow　in　value　and　men　seek　some　other　formula　which　will　compensate　for　the　dogma。　It　is　no　accident　that　as　the　old　religions　lose　their　complete　control　new　ones　appear；　with　all…embracing　formula；　like　Christian　Science；　New　Thought；　etc。　Though　these　start　with　elastic　general　principles；　sooner　or　later　the　directions　for　conduct　become　minute　and　then　fixed。　The　tragedy　of　a　great　founder　of　religion　like　Buddha　or　Christ　is　that　though　he　gives　out　a　great　pure　principle；　his　followers　must　have；　demand　and　evolve　a　dogmatic　religion　with　fixed　ceremonials。　Man；　on　the　whole；　does　not　want　to　choose；　he　wants　to　have　the　feeling　that　he　ought　to　do　this　or　that　according　to　a　code　laid　down　by　authority。　This　will　make　a　real　democracy　always　impossible。　However　the　sentiment　of　duty　arises；　it　becomes　the　central　feeling　in　all　inner　conflicts；　and　it　wrestles　with　inclination　and　the　pleasant　choice。　Duty　is　the　great　inhibitor；　but　also　it　says　〃Thou　shalt！〃　Ideally；　duty　involves　self…sacrifice；　and　practically　man　dislikes　self…sacrifice　save　where　love　is　very　strong。　Duty　chains　a　man　to　his　task　where　he　is　inclined　for　a　holiday。　Duty　may　demand　a　man's　life；　and　that　sacrifice　seems　easier　for　men　to　make　than　the　giving　up　of　power　and　pelf。　（In　the　late　war　it　was　no　great　trouble　to　pass　laws　conscripting　life；　it　was　impossible　to　pass　laws　conscripting　wealth。　It　was　easier　for　a　man　to　allow　his　son　to　go　to　war　than　to　give　up　his　wealth　en　masse。）　The　power　of　the　feeling　of　duty　and　right　over　men　is　very　variable。　There　are　a　few　to　whom　the　feeling　of　〃ought〃　is　all　powerful；　they　cannot　struggle　against　it；　even　though　they　wish　to。　All　of　their　goings；　comings　and　doings　are　governed　thereby；　and　even　though　they　find　the　rest　of　the　world　dropping　from　them；　they　resist　the　herd。　For　the　mass　of　men　duty　governs　a　few　relationshipsto　family　and　countryand　even　here　self…interest　is　camouflaged　by　the　term　〃duty〃　in　the　phrase　〃a　man　owes　a　duty　to　himself。〃　This　is　the　end　of　real　duty。　The　average　man　or　woman　makes　a　duty　of　nonessentials；　of　ceremonials；　but　is　greatly　moved　by　the　cry　of　duty　if　it　comes　from　authority　or　from　those　he　respects。　He　fiercely　resents　it　if　told　he　is　not　doing　his　duty；　but　is　quick　to　tell　others　they　are　not　doing　theirs。　There　is　also　a　group　in　whom　the　sense　of　duty　is　almost　completely　lacking；　or　rather　fails　to　govern　action。　Ordinarily　these　are　spoken　of　as　lacking　moral　fiber；　but　in　reality　the　organizing　energy　of　character　and　the　inhibition　of　the　impulse　to　seek　pleasure　and　present　desire　is　feeble。　Sometimes　there　is　lack　of　affection　toward　others；　little　of　the　real　glow　of　tender　feeling；　either　towards　children＇1＇　or　parents　or　any　one。　Though　these　are　often　emotional；　they　are　not；　in　the　good　meaning　of　the　term；　sentimental。　＇1＇　It　is　again　to　be　emphasized　that　the　most　vital　instincts　may　be　lacking。　Even　the　maternal　feeling　may　be　absent；　not　only　in　the　human　mother　but　in　the　animal　mother。　So　we　need　not　be　surprised　if　there　are　those　with　no　sense　of　right　or　duty。

Is　the　sentiment　of　duty　waning？　The　alarmists　say　it　is　and　point　to　the　increase　of　divorce；　falling　off　in　church　attendance；　and　the　unrest　among　the　laboring　classes　as　evidence　that　there　is　a　decadence。　Pleasure　is　sought；　excitement　is　the　goal；　and　sober；　solid　duty　is　〃forgotten。〃　They　point　out　a　resemblance　to　the　decadent　days　of　Rome；　in　the　rise　of　luxury　and　luxurious　tastes；　and　indicate　that　duty　and　the　love　of　luxury　cannot　coexist。　Woman　has　forgotten　her　duty　to　bear　children　and　to　maintain　the　home　and　man　has　forgotten　his　duty　to　God。　Superficially　these　critics　are　right。　There　is　a　demand　for　a　more　satisfying　life；　involving　less　self　sacrifice　on　the　part　of　those　who　have　in　the　past　made　the　bulk　of　the　sacrifices。　Woman；　demanding　equality；　refuses　to　be　regarded　as　merely　a　child　bearer　and　is　become　a　seeker　of　luxury。　The　working　man；　looking　at　the　world　he　has　built；　now　able　to　read；　write　and　vote；　asks　why　the　duty　is　all　on　his　side。　In　other　words；　a　demand　for　justice；　which　is　merely　reciprocal；　universal　duty；　has　weakened　something　of　the　sense　of　duty。　In　fact；　that　is　the　first　effect　of　the　feeling　of　injustice；　of　unjust　inequality。　Dealing　with　the　emancipated；　the　old　conception　of　duty　as　loyalty　under　all　conditions　has　not　worked；　and　we　need　new　ideals　of　duty　on　the　part　of　governments　and　governing　groups　before　we　can　get　the　proper　ideals　of　duty　in　the　governed。　Some　of　those　ideals　are　commencing　to　be　heard。　International　duty　for　governments　is　talked　of　and　some　are　bold　to　say　that　national　feeling　prevents　a　real　feeling　of　duty　to　the　world；　to　man。　These　claim　that　duty　must　have　its　origin　in　the　extension　of　tender　feeling；　in　fraternity；　to　all　men。　In　a　lesser　way　business　is　commencing　to　substitute　for　its　former　motto；　〃Handelschaft　ist　keine　Bruderschaft〃　（business　is　no　brotherhood）；　the　ideal　of　service；　as　the　duty　of　business。　Everywhere　we　are　commencing　to　hear　of　〃social　duty；〃　of　obligation　to　the　lesser　and　unfortunate；　of　the　responsibility　of　the　leaders　to　the　led；　of　the　well　to　the　sick；　of　the　law…abiding　to　the　criminal。　Strange　notion；　this　last；　but　one　at　bottom　sound　and　practical。　In　the　end；　the　true　sense