evolution and ethics and other essays-第33章

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civilized　society；　the　inevitable　result　of　such　obedience　is　the
re…establishment；　in　all　its　intensity；　of　that　struggle　for
existencethe　war　of　each　against　allthe　mitigation　or　abolition　of
which　was　the　chief　end　of　social　organization。

It　is　conceivable　that；　at　some。　in　the　history　of　the　fabled　Atlantis；
the　production　of　food　should　have　been　exactly　sufficient　to　meet　the
wants　of　the　population；　that　the　makers　of　the　commodities　of　the
artificer　should　have　amounted　to　just　the　number　supportable　by　the
surplus　food　of　the　agriculturists。　And；　as　there　is　no　harm　in　adding
another　monstrous　supposition　to　the　foregoing；　let　it　be　imagined
that　every　man；　woman；　and　child　was　perfectly　virtuous；　and　aimed　at
the　good　of　all　as　the　highest　personal　good。　In　that　happy　land；　the
natural　man　would　have　been　finally　put　down　by　the　ethical　man。　There
would　have　been　no　competition；　but　the　industry　of　each　would　have
been　serviceable　to　all；　nobody　being　vain　and　nobody　avaricious；
there　would　have　been　no　rivalries；　the　struggle　for　existence　would
have　been　abolished；　and　the　millennium　would　have　finally　set　in。　But
it　is　obvious　that　this　state　of　things　could　have　been　permanent　only
with　a　stationary　population。　Add　ten　fresh　mouths；　and　as；　by　the
supposition；　there　was　only　exactly　enough　before；　somebody　must　go　on
short　rations。　The　＇207＇　Atlantis　society　might　have　been　a　heaven
upon　earth；　the　whole　nation　might　have　consisted　of　just　men；　needing
no　repentance；　and　yet　somebody　must　starve。　Reckless　Istar；　non…moral
Nature；　would　have　riven　the　ethical　fabric。　I　was　once　talking　with　a
very　eminent　physician*　about　the　vis　medicatrix　naturae。　〃Stuff！〃
said　he；　〃nine　times　out　of　ten　nature　does　not　want　to　cure　the　man：
she　wants　to　put　him　in　his　coffin。〃　And　Istar…Nature　appears　to　have
equally　little　sympathy　with　the　ends　of　society。　〃Stuff！　she　wants
nothing　but　a　fair　field　and　free　play　for　her　darling　the　strongest。〃

　　　　*　The　late　Sir　W。　Gull

Our　Atlantis　may　be　an　impossible　figment；　but　the　antagonistic
tendencies　which　the　fable　adumbrates　have　existed　in　every　society
which　was　ever　established；　and；　to　all　appearance；　must　strive　for
the　victory　in　all　that　will　be。　Historians　point　to　the　greed　and
ambition　of　rulers；　to　the　reckless　turbulence　of　the　ruled；　to　the
debasing　effects　of　wealth　and　luxury；　and　to　the　devastating　wars
which　have　formed　a　great　part　of　the　occupation　of　mankind；　as　the
causes　of　the　decay　of　states　and　the　foundering　of　old　civilizations；
and　thereby　point　their　story　with　a　moral。　　No　doubt　immoral　motives
of　all　sorts　have　figured　largely　among　the　minor　causes　of　these
events。　But　beneath　all　this　＇208＇　superficial　turmoil　lay　the
deep…seated　impulse　given　by　unlimited　multiplication。　In　the　swarms
of　colonies　thrown　out　by　Phoenicia　and　by　old　Greece；　in　the　ver
sacrum　of　the　Latin　races；　in　the　floods　of　Gauls　and　of　Teutons　which
burst　over　the　frontiers　of　the　old　civilization　of　Europe；　in　the
swaying　to　and　fro　of　the　vast　Mongolian　hordes　in　late　times；　the
population　problem　comes　to　the　front　in　a　very　visible　shape。　Nor　is
it　less　plainly　manifest　in　the　everlasting　agrarian　questions　of
ancient　Rome　than　in　the　Arreoi　societies　of　the　Polynesian　Islands。

In　the　ancient　world；　and　in　a　large　part　of　that　in　which　we　live；
the　practice　of　infanticide　was；　or　is；　a　regular　and　legal　custom；
famine；　pestilence；　and　war　were　and　are　normal　factors　in　the
struggle　for　existence；　and　they　have　served；　in　a　gross　and　brutal
fashion；　to　mitigate　the　intensity　of　the　effects　of　its　chief　cause。

But；　in　the　more　advanced　civilizations；　the　progress　of　private　and
public　morality　has　steadily　tended　to　remove　all　these　checks。　We
declare　infanticide　murder；　and　punish　it　as　such；　we　decree；　not
quite　so　successfully；　that　no　one　shall　die　of　hunger；　we　regard
death　from　preventible　causes　of　other　kinds　as　a　sort　of　constructive
murder；　and　eliminate　pestilence　to　the　best　of　our　ability；　we
declaim　against　the　curse　＇209＇　of　war；　and　the　wickedness　of　the
military　spirit；　and　we　are　never　weary　of　dilating　on　the　blessedness
of　peace　and　the　innocent　beneficence　of　Industry。　In　their　moments　of
expansion；　even　statesmen　and　men　of　business　go　thus　far。　The　finer
spirits　look　to　an　ideal　civitas　Dei；　a　state　when；　every　man　having
reached　the　point　of　absolute　self…negation；　and　having　nothing　but
moral　perfection　to　strive　after；　peace　will　truly　reign；　not　merely
among　nations；　but　among　men；　and　the　struggle　for　existence　will　be
at　an　end。

Whether　human　nature　is　competent；　under　any　circumstances；　to　reach；
or　even　seriously　advance　towards；　this　ideal　condition；　is　a　question
which　need　not　be　discussed。　It　will　be　admitted　that　mankind　has　not
yet　reached　this　stage　by　a　very　long　way；　and　my　business　is　with　the
present。　And　that　which　I　wish　to　point　out　is　that；　so　long　as　the
natural　man　increases　and　multiplies　without　restraint；　so　long　will
peace　and　industry　not　only　permit；　but　they　will　necessitate；　a
struggle　for　existence　as　sharp　as　any　that　ever　went　on　under　the
regime　of　war。　If　Istar　is　to　reign　on　the　one　hand；　she　will　demand
her　human　sacrifices　on　the　other。

Let　us　look　at　home。　For　seventy　years　peace　and　industry　have　had
their　way　among　us　with　less　interruption　and　under　more　favourable
conditions　than　in　any　other　country　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　The
wealth　of　Croesus　was　nothing　to　＇210＇　that　which　we　have　accumulated；
and　our　prosperity　has　filled　the　world　with　envy。　But　Nemesis　did　not
forget　Croesus：　has　she　forgotten　us？

I　think　not。　There　are　now　36；000；000　of　people　in　our　islands；　and
every　year　considerably　more　than　300；000　are　added　to　our　numbers。*
That　is　to　say；　about　every　hundred　seconds；　or　so；　a　new　claimant　to
a　share　in　the　common　stock　or　maintenance　presents　him　or　herself
among　us。　At　the　present　time；　the　produce　of　the　soil　does　not
suffice　to　feed　half　its　population。　　The　other　moiety　has　to　be
supplied　with　food　which　must　be　bought　from　the　people　of
food…producing　countries。　That　is　to　say；　we　have　to　offer　them　the
things　which　they　want　in　exchange　for　the　things　we　want。　And　the
things　they　want　and　which　we　can　produce　better　than　they　can　are
mainly　manufacturesindustrial　products。

　　　　*　These　numbers　are　only　approximately　accurate。　In　1881；　our
　　　　population　amounted　to　35；241；482；　exceeding　the　number　in　1871
　　　　by　3；396；103。　The　average　annual　increase　in　the　decennial。
　　　　18711881　is　therefore　339；610。　The　number　of　minutes　in　a
　　　　calendar　year　is　525；600。

The　insolent　reproach　of　the　first　Napoleon　had　a　very　solid
foundation。　We　not　only　are；　but；　under　penalty　of　starvation；　we　are
bound　to　be；　a　nation　of　shopkeepers。　But　other　nations　also　lie　under
the　same　necessity　of　keeping　shop；　and　some　of　them　deal　in　the　same
goods　as　ourselves。　Our　customers　naturally　seek　to　get　the　most　and
＇211＇　the　best　in　exchange　for　their　produce。　If　our　goods　are
inferior　to　those　of　our　competitors；　there　is　no　ground；　compatible
with　the　sanity　of　the　buyers；　which　can　be　alleged；　why　they　should
not　prefer　the　latter。　And；　if　that　result　should　ever　take　place　on　a
large　and　general　scale；　five　or　six　millions　of　us　would　soon　have
nothing　to　eat。　We　know　what　the　cotton　famine　was；　and　we　can
therefore　form　some　notion　of　what　a　dearth　of　customers　would　be。

Judged　by　an　ethical　standard；　nothing　can　be　less　satisfactory　than
the　position　in　which　we　find　ourselves。　In　a　real；　though　incomplete；
degree　we　have　attained　the　condition　of　peace　which　is　the　main
object　of　social　organization；　and；　for　argument's　sake；　it　may　be
assumed　that　we　desire　nothing　but　that　which　is　in　itself　innocent
and　praiseworthynamely；　the　enjoyment　of　the　fruits　of　honest
industry。　And　lo！　in　spite　of　ourselves；　we　are　in　reality　engaged　in
an　internecine　struggle　for　existence　with　our　presumably　no　less
peaceful　and　well…meaning　neighbours。　We　seek　peace　and　we　do　not
ensue　it。　The　moral　nature　in　us　asks　for　no　more　than　is　compatible
with　the　general　good；　the　non…moral　n