evolution and ethics and other essays-第10章

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unless　men's　inheritance　from　the　ancestors　who　fought　a　good　fight　in
the　state　of　＇44＇　nature；　their　dose　of　original　sin；　is　rooted　out　by
some　method　at　present　unrevealed；　at　any　rate　to　disbelievers　in
supernaturalism；　every　child　born　into　the　world　will　still　bring　with
him　the　instinct　of　unlimited　self…assertion。　He　will　have　to　learn
the　lesson　of　self…restraint　and　renunciation。　But　the　practice　of
self…restraint　and　renunciation　is　not　happiness；　though　it　may　be
something　much　better。

That　man；　as　a　〃political　animal；〃　is　susceptible　of　a　vast　amount　of
improvement；　by　education；　by　instruction；　and　by　the　application　of
his　intelligence　to　the　adaptation　of　the　conditions　of　life　to　his
higher　needs；　I　entertain　not　the　slightest　doubt。　But　so　long　as　he
remains　liable　to　error；　intellectual　or　moral；　so　long　as　he　is
compelled　to　be　perpetually　on　guard　against　the　cosmic　forces；　whose
ends　are　not　his　ends；　without　and　within　himself；　so　long　as　he　is
haunted　by　inexpugnable　memories　and　hopeless　aspirations；　so　long　as
the　recognition　of　his　intellectual　limitations　forces　him　to
acknowledge　his　incapacity　to　penetrate　the　mystery　of　existence；　the
prospect　of　attaining　untroubled　happiness；　or　of　a　state　which　can；
even　remotely；　deserve　the　title　of　perfection；　appears　to　me　to　be　as
misleading　an　illusion　as　ever　was　dangled　before　the　eyes　of　poor
humanity。　And　there　have　been　many　of　them。

That　which　lies　before　the　human　race　is　a　＇45＇　constant　struggle　to
maintain　and　improve；　in　opposition　to　the　State　of　Nature；　the　State
of　Art　of　an　organized　polity；　in　which；　and　by　which；　man　may　develop
a　worthy　civilization；　capable　of　maintaining　and　constantly　improving
itself；　until　the　evolution　of　our　globe　shall　have　entered　so　far
upon　its　downward　course　that　the　cosmic　process　resumes　its　sway；
and；　once　more；　the　State　of　Nature　prevails　over　the　surface　of　our
planet。

　　　　　Note：　（See　p。　30）。It　seems　the　fashion　nowadays　to　ignore
Hartley；　though；　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　he　not　only　laid　the
foundations　but　built　up　much　of　the　superstructure　of　a　true　theory
of　the　Evolution　of　the　intellectual　and　moral　faculties。　He　speaks　of
what　I　have　termed　the　ethical　process　as　〃our　Progress　from
Self…interest　to　Self…annihilation。〃　Observations　on　Man　（1749）；　vol。
ii　p。　281。

＇46＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇The　Romanes　Lecture；　1893。＇

Soleo　enim　et　in　aliena　castra　transire；　non　tanquam　transfuga　sed
tanquam　explorator。　（L。　ANNAEI　SENECAE　EPIST。　II。　4。）

THERE　is　a　delightful　child's　story；　known　by　the　title　of　〃Jack　and
the　Bean…stalk；〃　with　which　my　contemporaries　who　are　present　will　be
familiar。　　But　so　many　of　our　grave　and　reverend　Juniors　have　been
brought　up　on　severer　intellectual　diet；　and；　perhaps；　have　become
acquainted　with　fairyland　only　through　primers　of　comparative
mythology；　that　it　may　be　needful　to　give　an　outline　of　the　tale。　It
is　a　legend　of　a　bean…plant；　which　grows　and　grows　until　it　reaches
the　high　heavens　and　there　spreads　out　into　a　vast　canopy　of　foliage。
The　hero；　being　moved　to　climb　the　stalk；　discovers　that　the　leafy
expanse　supports　a　world　composed　of　the　same　elements　as　that　below
but　yet　strangely　new；　and　his　adventures　there；　on　which　I　may　not
dwell；　must　＇47＇　have　completely　changed　his　views　of　the　nature　of
things；　though　the　story；　not　having　been　composed　by；　or　for；
philosophers；　has　nothing　to　say　about　views。

My　present　enterprise　has　a　certain　analogy　to　that　of　the　daring
adventurer。　I　beg　you　to　accompany　me　in　an　attempt　to　reach　a　world
which；　to　many；　is　probably　strange；　by　the　help　of　a　bean。　It　is；　as
you　know；　a　simple；　inert…looking　thing。　Yet；　if　planted　under　proper
conditions；　of　which　sufficient　warmth　is　one　of　the　most　important；
it　manifests　active　powers　of　a　very　remarkable　kind。　A　small　green
seedling　emerges；　rises　to　the　surface　of　the　soil；　rapidly　increases
in　size　and；　at　the　same　time；　undergoes　a　series　of　metamorphoses
which　do　not　excite　our　wonder　as　much　as　those　which　meet　us　in
legendary　history；　merely　because　they　are　to　be　seen　every　day　and
all　day　long。

By　insensible　steps；　the　plant　builds　itself　up　into　a　large　and
various　fabric　of　root；　stem；　leaves；　flowers；　and　fruit；　every　one
moulded　within　and　without　in　accordance　with　an　extremely　complex
but；　at　the　same　time；　minutely　defined　pattern。　In　each　of　these
complicated　structures；　as　in　their　smallest　constituents；　there　is　an
immanent　energy　which；　in　harmony　with　that　resident　in　all　the
others；　incessantly　works　towards　the　maintenance　；of　the　whole　and
the　efficient　performance　of　the　part　which　it　has　to　play　in　the
economy　of　nature。

＇48＇　But　no　sooner　has　the　edifice；　reared　with　such　exact
elaboration；　attained　completeness；　than　it　begins　to　crumble。　By
degrees；　the　plant　withers　and　disappears　from　view；　leaving　behind
more　or　fewer　apparently　inert　and　simple　bodies；　just　like　the　bean
from　which　it　sprang；　and；　like　it；　endowed　with　the　potentiality　of
giving　rise　to　a　similar　cycle　of　manifestations。　Neither　the　poetic
nor　the　scientific　imagination　is　put　to　much　strain　in　the　search
after　analogies　with　this　process　of　going　forth　and；　as　it　were；
returning　to　the　starting…point。　It　may　be　likened　to　the　ascent　and
descent　of　a　slung　stone；　or　the　course　of　an　arrow　along　its
trajectory。　Or　we　may　say　that　the　living　energy　takes　first　an　upward
and　then　a　downward　road。　Or　it　may　seem　preferable　to　compare　the
expansion　of　the　germ　into　the　full…grown　plant；　to　the　unfolding　of　a
fan；　or　to　the　rolling　forth　and　widening　of　a　stream；　and　thus　to
arrive　at　the　conception　of　〃development；〃　or　〃evolution。〃　Here；　as
elsewhere；　names　are　〃noise　and　smoke〃；　the　important　point　is　to　have
a　clear　and　adequate　conception　of　the　fact　signified　by　a　name。　And；
in　this　case；　the　fact　is　the　Sisyphaean　process；　in　the　course　of
which；　the　living　and　growing　plant　passes　from　the　relative
simplicity　and　latent　potentiality　of　the　seed　to　the　full　epiphany　of
a　highly　differentiated　type；　thence　to　fall　back　to　simplicity　and
potentiality。

＇49＇　The　value　of　a　strong　intellectual　grasp　of　the　nature　of　this
process　lies　in　the　circumstance　that　what　is　true　of　the　bean　is　true
of　living　things　in　general。　From　very　low　forms　up　to　the　highestin
the　animal　no　less　than　in　the　vegetable　kingdomthe　process　of　life
presents　the　same　appearance　＇Note　1＇　of　cyclical　evolution。　Nay；　we
have　but　to　cast　our　eyes　over　the　rest　of　the　world　and　cyclical
change　presents　itself　on　all　sides。　　It　meets　us　in　the　water　that
flows　to　the　sea　and　returns　to　the　springs；　in　the　heavenly　bodies
that　wax　and　wane；　go　and　return　to　their　places；　in　the　inexorable
sequence　of　the　ages　of　man's　life；　in　that　successive　rise；　apogee；
and　fall　of　dynasties　and　of　states　which　is　the　most　prominent　topic
of　civil　history。

As　no　man　fording　a　swift　stream　can　dip　his　foot　twice　into　the　same
water；　so　no　man　can；　with　exactness；　affirm　of　anything　in　the
sensible　world　that　it　is。＇Note　2＇　As　he　utters　the　words；　nay；　as　he
thinks　them；　the　predicate　ceases　to　be　applicable；　the　present　has
become　the　past；　the　〃is〃　should　be　〃was。〃　And　the　more　we　learn　of
the　nature　of　things；　the　more　evident　is　it　that　what　we　call　rest　is
only　unperceived　activity；　that　seeming　peace　is　silent　but　strenuous
battle。　In　every　part；　at　every　moment；　the　state　of　the　cosmos　is　the
expression　of　a　transitory　adjustment　of　contending　forces；　a　scene；
of　strife；　in　which　all　the　combatants　fall　in　turn。　What　is　＇50＇　true
of　each　part；　is　true　of　the　whole。　Natural　knowledge　tends　more　and
more　to　the　conclusion　that　〃all　the　choir　of　heaven　and　furniture　of
the　earth〃　are　the　transitory　forms　of　parcels　of　cosmic　substance
wending　along　the　road　of　evolution；　from　nebulous　potentiality；
through　endless　growths　of　sun　and　planet　and　satellite；　through　all
varieties　of　matter；　through　infinite　diversities　of　life　and　thought；
possibly；　through　modes　of　being　of　which　we　neither　have　a
conception；　nor　are　comp