evolution and ethics and other essays-第6章

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Thus；　as　soon　as　the　colonists　began　to　multiply；　the　administrator
would　have　to　face　the　tendency　to　the　reintroduction　of　the　cosmic
struggle　into　his　artificial　fabric；　in　consequence　of　the
competition；　not　merely　for　the　commodities；　but　for　the　means　of
existence。　When　the　colony　reached　the　limit　of　possible　expansion；
the　surplus　population　must　be　disposed　of　somehow；　or　the　fierce
struggle　for　existence　must　recommence　and　destroy　that　peace；　which
is　the　fundamental　condition　of　the　maintenance　of　the　state　of　art
against　the　state　of　nature。

Supposing　the　administrator　to　be　guided　by　purely　scientific
considerations；　he　would；　like　the　gardener；　meet　this　most　serious
difficulty　by　systematic　extirpation；　or　exclusion；　of　the　superfluous。
The　hopelessly　diseased；　the　infirm　aged；　the　weak　or　deformed　in　body
or　in　mind；　the　excess　of　infants　born；　would　be　put　away；　as　the
gardener　pulls　up　defective　and　superfluous　plants；　or　the　breeder
destroys　undesirable　cattle。　Only　the　strong　and　the　healthy；
carefully　matched；　with　a　view　to　the　progeny　best　adapted　to　the
purposes　of　the　administrator；　would　be　permitted　to　perpetuate　their
kind。

＇22＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII。

Of　the　more　thoroughgoing　of　the　multitudinous　attempts　to　apply　the
principles　of　cosmic　evolution；　or　what　are　supposed　to　be　such；　to
social　and　political　problems；　which　have　appeared　of　late　years；　a
considerable　proportion　appear　to　me　to　be　based　upon　the　notion　that
human　society　is　competent　to　furnish；　from　its　own　resources；　an
administrator　of　the　kind　I　have　imagined。　The　pigeons；　in　short；　are
to　be　their　own　Sir　John　Sebright。*　A　despotic　government；　whether
individual　or　collective；　is　to　be　endowed　with　the　preternatural
intelligence；　and　with　what；　I　am　afraid；　many　will　consider　the
preternatural　ruthlessness；　required　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　out
the　principle　of　improvement　by　selection；　with　the　somewhat　drastic
thoroughness　upon　which　the　success　of　the　method　depends。　　Experience
certainly　does　not　justify　us　in　limiting　the　ruthlessness　of
individual　〃saviours　of　society〃；　and；　on　the　well…known　grounds　of
the　aphorism　which　denies　both　body　and　soul　to　corporations；　it　seems
probable　（indeed　the　belief　is　not　without　support　in　history）　that　a
collective　despotism；　a　mob　got　to　believe　in　its　own　divine　right　by
demagogic　missionaries；　would　be　capable　of　more　thorough　＇23＇　work　in
this　direction　than　any　single　tyrant；　puffed　up　with　the　same
illusion；　has　ever　achieved。　　But　intelligence　is　another　affair。　The
fact　that　〃saviours　of　society〃　take　to　that　trade　is　evidence　enough
that　they　have　none　to　spare。　And　such　as　they　possess　is　generally
sold　to　the　capitalists　of　physical　force　on　whose　resources　they
depend。　However；　I　doubt　whether　even　the　keenest　judge　of　character；
if　he　had　before　him　a　hundred　boys　and　girls　under　fourteen；　could
pick　out；　with　the　least　chance　of　success；　those　who　should　be　kept；
as　certain　to　be　serviceable　members　of　the　polity；　and　those　who
should　be　chloroformed；　as　equally　sure　to　be　stupid；　idle；　or
vicious。　The　〃points〃　of　a　good　or　of　a　bad　citizen　are　really　far
harder　to　discern　than　those　of　a　puppy　or　a　short…horn　calf；　many　do
not　show　themselves　before　the　practical　difficulties　of　life
stimulate　manhood　to　full　exertion。　And　by　that　time　the　mischief　is
done。　The　evil　stock；　if　it　be　one；　has　had　time　to　multiply；　and
selection　is　nullified。

　　　　*　Not　that　the　conception　of　such　a　society　is　necessarily　based
　　　　upon　the　idea　of　evolution。　The　Platonic　state　testifies　to　the
　　　　contrary。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX。

I　have　other　reasons　for　fearing　that　this　logical　ideal　of
evolutionary　regimentationthis　pigeon…fanciers'　polityis
unattainable。　In　the　absence　of　any　such　a　severely　scientific
administrator　as　we　have　been　dreaming　of；　human　society　＇24＇　is　kept
together　by　bonds　of　such　a　singular　character；　that　the　attempt　to
perfect　society　after　his　fashion　would　run　serious　risk　of　loosening
them。　Social　organization　is　not　peculiar　to　men。　Other　societies；
such　as　those　constituted　by　bees　and　ants；　have　also　arisen　out　of
the　advantage　of　co…operation　in　the　struggle　for　existence；　and　their
resemblances　to；　and　their　differences　from；　human　society　are　alike
instructive。　The　society　formed　by　the　hive　bee　fulfils　the　ideal　of
the　communistic　aphorism　〃to　each　according　to　his　needs；　from　each
according　to　his　capacity。〃　Within　it；　the　struggle　for　existence　is
strictly　limited。　　Queen；　drones；　and　workers　have　each　their　allotted
sufficiency　of　food；　each　performs　the　function　assigned　to　it　in　the
economy　of　the　hive；　and　all　contribute　to　the　success　of　the　whole
cooperative　society　in　its　competition　with　rival　collectors　of　nectar
and　pollen　and　with　other　enemies；　in　the　state　of　nature　without。　In
the　same　sense　as　the　garden；　or　the　colony；　is　a　work　of　human　art；
the　bee　polity　is　a　work　of　apiarian　art；　brought　about　by　the　cosmic
process；　working　through　the　organization　of　the　hymenopterous　type。

Now　this　society　is　the　direct　product　of　an　organic　necessity；
impelling　every　member　of　it　to　a　course　of　action　which　tends　to　the
good　of　the　whole。　Each　bee　has　its　duty　and　none　＇25＇　has　any　rights。
Whether　bees　are　susceptible　of　feeling　and　capable　of　thought　is　a
question　which　cannot　be　dogmatically　answered。　As　a　pious　opinion；　I
am　disposed　to　deny　them　more　than　the　merest　rudiments　of
consciousness。*　But　it　is　curious　to　reflect　that　a　thoughtful　drone
（workers　and　queens　would　have　no　leisure　for　speculation）　with　a　turn
for　ethical　philosophy；　must　needs　profess　himself　an　intuitive
moralist　of　the　purest　water。　He　would　point　out；　with　perfect
justice；　that　the　devotion　of　the　workers　to　a　life　of　ceaseless　toil
for　a　mere　subsistence　wage；　cannot　be　accounted　for　either　by
enlightened　selfishness；　or　by　any　other　sort　of　utilitarian　motives；
since　these　bees　begin　to　work；　without　experience　or　reflection；　as
they　emerge　from　the　cell　in　which　they　are　hatched。　Plainly；　an
eternal　and　immutable　principle；　innate　in　each　bee；　can　alone　account
for　the　phenomena。　On　the　other　hand；　the　biologist；　who　traces　out
all　the　extant　stages　of　gradation　between　solitary　and　hive　bees；　as
clearly　sees　in　the　latter；　simply　the　perfection　of　an　automatic
mechanism；　hammered　out　by　the　blows　of　the　struggle　for　existence
upon　the　progeny　of　the　former；　during　long　ages　of　constant
variation。

　　　　*　Collected　Essays；　vol。　i。；　〃Animal　Automatism〃；　vol。　v。；
　　　　〃Prologue；〃　pp。　45　et　seq。

＇26＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X。

I　see　no　reason　to　doubt　that；　at　its　origin；　human　society　was　as　much
a　product　of　organic　necessity　as　that　of　the　bees。*　The　human　family；
to　begin　with；　rested　upon　exactly　the　same　conditions　as　those　which
gave　rise　to　similar　associations　among　animals　lower　in　the　scale。
Further；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　every　increase　in　the　duration　of　the
family　ties；　with　the　resulting　co…operation　of　a　larger　and　larger
number　of　descendants　for　protection　and　defence；　would　give　the
families　in　which　such　modification　took　place　a　distinct　advantage
over　the　others。　And；　as　in　the　hive；　the　progressive　limitation　of
the　struggle　for　existence　between　the　members　of　the　family　would
involve　increasing　efficiency　as　regards　outside　competition。

But　there　is　this　vast　and　fundamental　difference　between　bee　society
and　human　society。　In　the　former；　the　members　of　the　society　are　each
organically　predestined　to　the　performance　of　one　particular　class　of
functions　only。　If　they　were　endowed　with　desires；　each　could　desire
to　perform　none　but　those　offices　for　which　its　organization　specially
fits　it；　and　which；　in　view　of　the　good　of　the　whole；　it　is　proper　it
should　do。　So　long　as　a　new　queen　does　not　make　her　appearance；
rivalries；　and　competition　are　absent　from　the　bee　polity。

　　　　*　Collected　Essays；　vol　v。；　Prologue；　pp。　50…54；

＇27＇　Among　mankind；　on　the　contrary；　there　is　no　such　predestination　to
a　sharply　defined　place　in　the　social　organism。　However　much　men　may
differ　in　the　quality　of　their　i