evolution and ethics and other essays-第1章

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Evolution　and　Ethics　and　Other　Essays

by　Thomas　H。　Huxley





EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。　PROLEGOMENA
EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS
SCIENCE　AND　MORALS
CAPITALTHE　MOTHER　OF　LABOUR
SOCIAL　DISEASES　AND　WORSE　REMEDIES
The　Struggle　for　Existence　in　Human　Society
Letters　to　the　Times
Legal　Opinions
The　Articles　of　War　of　the　Salvation　Army










PREFACE

THE　discourse　on　〃Evolution　and　Ethics；〃　reprinted　in　the　first　half　of
the　present　volume；　was　delivered　before　the　University　of　Oxford；　as
the　second　of　the　annual　lectures　founded　by　Mr。　Romanes：　whose　name　I
may　not　write　without　deploring　the　untimely　death；　in　the　flower　of
his　age；　of　a　friend　endeared　to　me；　as　to　so　many　others；　by　his
kindly　nature；　and　justly　valued　by　all　his　colleagues　for　his　powers
of　investigation　and　his　zeal　for　the　advancement　of　knowledge。　I　well
remember；　when　Mr。　Romanes'　early　work　came　into　my　hands；　as　one　of
the　secretaries　of　the　Royal　Society；　how　much　I　rejoiced　in　the
accession　to　the　ranks　of　the　little　army　of　workers　in　science　of　a
recruit　so　well　qualified　to　take　a　high　place　among　us。

It　was　at　my　friend's　urgent　request　that　I　agreed　to　undertake　the
lecture；　should　I　be　honoured　with　an　official　proposal　to　give　it；
though　I　confess　not　without　misgivings；　if　only　on　account　of　the
serious　fatigue　and　hoarseness　which　public　speaking　has　for　some
years　caused　me；　while　I　knew　that　it　would　be　my　fate　to　follow　the
most　accomplished　and　facile　orator　of　our　time；　whose　indomitable
youth　is　in　no　matter　more　manifest　than　in　his　penetrating　and
musical　voice。　A　certain　saying　about　comparisons　intruded　itself
somewhat　importunately。

And　even　if　I　disregarded　the　weakness　of　my　body　in　the　matter　of
voice；　and　that　of　my　mind　in　the　matter　of　vanity；　there　remained　a
third　difficulty。　For　several　reasons；　my　attention；　during　a　number
of　years；　has　been　much　directed　to　the　bearing　of　modern　scientific
thought　on　the　problems　of　morals　and　of　politics；　and　I　did　not　care
to　be　diverted　from　that　topic。　Moreover；　I　thought　it　the　most
important　and　the　worthiest　which；　at　the　present　time；　could　engage
the　attention　even　of　an　ancient　and　renowned　University。

But　it　is　a　condition　of　the　Romanes　foundation　that　the　lecturer
shall　abstain　from　treating　of　either　Religion　or　Politics；　and　it
appeared　to　me　that；　more　than　most；　perhaps；　I　was　bound　to　act；　not
merely　up　to　the　letter；　but　in　the　spirit；　of　that　prohibition。　Yet
Ethical　Science　is；　on　all　sides；　so　entangled　with　Religion　and
Politics　that　the　lecturer　who　essays　to　touch　the　former　without
coming　into　contact　with　either　of　the　latter；　needs　all　the　dexterity
of　an　egg…dancer；　and　may　even　discover　that　his　sense　of　clearness
and　his　sense　of　propriety　come　into　conflict；　by　no　means　to　the
advantage　of　the　former。

I　have　little　notion　of　the　real　magnitude　of　these　difficulties　when　I
set　about　my　task；　but　I　am　consoled　for　my　pains　and　anxiety　by
observing　that　none　of　the　multitudinous　criticisms　with　which　I　have
been　favoured　and；　often；　instructed；　find　fault　with　me　on　the　score
of　having　strayed　out　of　bounds。

Among　my　critics　there　are　not　a　few　to　whom　I　feel　deeply　indebted　for
the　careful　attention　which　they　have　given　to　the　exposition　thus
hampered；　and　further　weakened；　I　am　afraid；　by　my　forgetfulness　of　a
maxim　touching　lectures　of　a　popular　character；　which　has　descended　to
me　from　that　prince　of　lecturers；　Mr。　Faraday。　He　was　once　asked　by　a
beginner；　called　upon　to　address　a　highly　select　and　cultivated
audience；　what　he　might　suppose　his　hearers　to　know　already。　Whereupon
the　past　master　of　the　art　of　exposition　emphatically　replied
〃Nothing！〃

To　my　shame　as　a　retired　veteran；　who　has　all　his　life　profited　by
this　great　precept　of　lecturing　strategy；　I　forgot　all　about　it　just
when　it　would　have　been　most　useful。　I　was　fatuous　enough　to　imagine
that　a　number　of　propositions；　which　I　thought　established；　and　which；
in　fact；　I　had　advanced　without　challenge　on　former　occasions；　needed
no　repetition。

I　have　endeavoured　to　repair　my　error　by　prefacing　the　lecture　with
some　matterchiefly　elementary　or　recapitulatoryto　which　I　have
given　the　title　of　〃Prolegomena〃　I　wish　I　could　have　hit　upon　a
heading　of　less　pedantic　aspect　which　would　have　served　my　purpose；
and　if　it　be　urged　that　the　new　building　looks　over　large　for　the
edifice　to　which　it　is　added；　I　can　only　plead　the　precedent　of　the
ancient　architects；　who　always　made　the　adytum　the　smallest　part　of
the　temple。

If　I　had　attempted　to　reply　in　full　to　the　criticisms　to　which　I　have
referred；　I　know　not　what　extent　of　ground　would　have　been　covered　by
my　pronaos。　All　I　have　endeavoured　to　do；　at　present；　is　to　remove
that　which　seems　to　have　proved　a　stumbling…block　to　manynamely；　the
apparent　paradox　that　ethical　nature；　while　born　of　cosmic　nature；　is
necessarily　at　enmity　with　its　parent。　Unless　the　arguments　set　forth
in　the　Prolegomena；　in　the　simplest　language　at　my　command；　have　some
flaw　which　I　am　unable　to　discern；　this　seeming　paradox　is　a　truth；　as
great　as　it　is　plain；　the　recognition　of　which　is　fundamental　for　the
ethical　philosopher。

We　cannot　do　without　our　inheritance　from　the　forefathers　who　were　the
puppets　of　the　cosmic　process；　the　society　which　renounces　it　must　be
destroyed　from　without。　Still　less　can　we　de　with　too　much　of　it；　the
society　in　which　it　dominates　must　be　destroyed　from　within。

The　motive　of　the　drama　of　human　life　is　the　necessity；　laid　upon　every
man　who　comes　into　the　world；　of　discovering　the　mean　between
self…assertion　and　self…restraint　suited　to　his　character　and　his
circumstances。　And　the　eternally　tragic　aspect　of　the　drama　lies　in
this：　that　the　problem　set　before　us　is　one　the　elements　of　which　can
be　but　imperfectly　known；　and　of　which　even　an　approximately　right
solution　rarely　presents　itself；　until　that　stern　critic；　aged
experience；　has　been　furnished　with　ample　justification　for　venting
his　sarcastic　humour　upon　the　irreparable　blunders　we　have　already
made。

I　have　reprinted　the　letters　on　the　〃Darkest　England〃　scheme；　published
in　the　〃Times〃　of　December；　1890；　and　January；　1891；　and　subsequently
issued；　with　additions；　as　a　pamphlet；　under　the　title　of　〃Social
Diseases　and　Worse　Remedies；〃　because；　although　the　clever　attempt　to
rush　the　country　on　behalf　of　that　scheme　has　been　balked；　Booth's
standing　army　remains　afoot；　retaining　all　the　capacities　for　mischief
which　are　inherent　in　its　constitution。　I　am　desirous　that　this　fact
should　be　kept　steadily　in　view；　and　that　the　moderation　of　the
clamour　of　the　drums　and　trumpets　should　not　lead　us　to　forget　the
existence　of　a　force；　which；　in　bad　hands；　may；　at　any　time；　be　used
for　bad　purposes。

In　1892；　a　Committee　was　〃formed　for　the　purpose　of　investigating　the
manner　in　which　the　moneys；　subscribed　in　response　to　the　appeal　made
in　the　book　entitled　'In　Darkest　England　and　the　Way　out；'　have　been
expended。〃　The　members　of　this　body　were　gentlemen　in　whose　competency
and　equity　every　one　must　have　complete　confidence；　and　in　December；
1892；　they　published　a　report　in　which　they　declare　that；　〃with　the
exception　of　the　sums　expended　on　the　'barracks'　at　Hadleigh；〃　the
moneys　in　question　have　been　〃devoted　only　to　the　objects　and　expended
in　the　methods　set　out　in　that　appeal；　and　to　and　in　no　others。〃

Nevertheless；　their　final　conclusion　runs　as　follows：　〃（4）　That　whilst
the　invested　property；　real　and　personal；　resulting　from　such　Appeal
is　so　vested　and　controlled　by　the　Trust　of　the　Deed　of　January　30th；
1891；　that　any　application　of　it　to　purposes　other　than　those　declared
in　the　deed　by　any　'General'　of　the　Salvation　Army　would　amount　to　a
breach　of　trust；　and　would　subject　him　to　the　proceedings　of　a　civil
and　criminal　character；　before　mentioned　in　the　Report；　ADEQUATE　LEGAL
SAFEGUARDS　DO　NOT　AT　PRESENT　EXIST　TO　PREVENT　THE　MISAPPLICATION　OF
SUCH　PROPERTY。〃

The　passage　I　have　italicised　forms　part　of　a　document　dated　December
19th；　1892。　It　follows；　that；　even　after　the　Deed　of　January　30th；
1891；　was　executed；