a new view of society-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ty　towards　a　single　human　creature？　The　child　who　from　infancy　has　been　rationally　instructed　in　these　principles；　will　readily　discover　and　trace　whence　the　opinions　and　habits　of　his　associates　have　arisen；　and　why　they　possess　them。　At　the　same　age　he　will　have　acquired　reason　sufficient　to　exhibit　to　him　forcibly　the　irrationality　of　being　angry　with　an　individual　for　possessing　qualities　which；　as　a　passive　being　during　the　formation　of　those　qualities；　he　had　not　the　means　of　preventing。　Such　are　the　impressions　these　principles　will　make　on　the　mind　of　every　child　so　taught；　and；　instead　of　generating　anger　or　displeasure；　they　will　produce　commiseration　and　pity　for　those　individuals　who　possess　either　habits　or　sentiments　which　appear　to　him　to　be　destructive　of　their　own　comfort；　pleasure；　or　happiness；　and　will　produce　on　his　part　a　desire　to　remove　those　causes　of　distress；　and　his　own　feelings　of　commiseration　and　pity　may　be　also　removed。　The　pleasure　which　he　cannot　avoid　experiencing　by　this　mode　of　conduct　will　likewise　stimulate　him　to　the　most　active　endeavours　to　withdraw　those　circumstances　which　surround　any　part　of　mankind　with　causes　of　misery；　and　to　replace　them　with　others　which　have　a　tendency　to　increase　happiness。　He　will　then　also　strongly　entertain　the　desire　'to　do　good　to　all　men'；　and　even　to　those　who　think　themselves　his　enemies。　　　　　Thus　shortly；　directly；　and　certainly　may　mankind　be　taught　the　essence；　and　to　attain　the　ultimate　object；　of　all　former　moral　and　religious　instruction。　　　　　These　Essays；　however；　are　intended　to　explain　that　which　is　true；　and　not　to　attack　that　which　is　false。　For　to　explain　that　which　is　true　may　permanently　improve；　without　creating　even　temporary　evil；　whereas　to　attack　that　which　is　false；　is　often　productive　of　very　fatal　consequences。　The　former　convinces　the　judgement　when　the　mind　possesses　full　and　deliberate　powers　of　judging；　the　latter　instantly　arouses　irritation；　and　renders　the　judgement　unfit　for　its　office；　and　useless。　But　why　should　we　ever　irritate？　Do　not　these　principles　make　it　so　obvious　as　to　place　it　beyond　any　doubt；　that　even　the　present　irrational　ideas　and　practices　prevalent　throughout　the　world　are　not　to　be　charged　as　either　a　fault　or　a　culpable　error　of　the　existing　generation？　The　immediate　cause　of　them　was　the　partial　ignorance　of　our　forefathers；　who；　although　they　acquire　some　vague　disjointed　knowledge　of　the　principles　on　which　character　is　formed；　could　not　discover　the　connected　chain　of　those　principles；　and　consequently　knew　not　how　to　apply　them　to　practice。　They　taught　their　children　that　which　they　had　themselves　been　taught；　that　which　they　had　acquired；　and　in　so　doing　they　acted　like　their　forefathers；　who　retained　the　established　customs　of　former　generations　until　better　and　superior　were　discovered　and　made　evident　to　them。　　　　　The　present　race　of　men　have　also　instructed　their　children　as　they　had　been　previously　instructed；　and　are　equally　unblameable　for　any　defects　which　their　systems　contain。　And　however　erroneous　or　injurious　that　instruction　and　those　systems　may　now　be　proved　to　be；　the　principles　on　which　these　Essays　are　founded　will　be　misunderstood；　and　their　spirit　will　be　wholly　misconceived；　if　either　irritation　or　the　slightest　degree　of　ill　will　shall　be　generated　against　those　who　even　tenaciously　adhere　to　the　worst　parts　of　that　instruction；　and　support　the　most　pernicious　of　those　systems。　For　such　individuals；　sects；　or　parties　have　been　trained　from　infancy　to　consider　it　their　duty　and　interest　so　to　act；　and　in　so　acting　they　merely　continue　the　customs　of　their　predecessors。　Let　truth　unaccompanied　with　error　be　placed　before　them；　give　them　time　to　examine　it　and　to　see　that　it　is　in　unison　with　all　previously　ascertained　truths；　and　conviction　and　acknowledgement　of　it　will　follow　of　course。　It　is　weakness　itself　to　require　assent　before　conviction；　and　afterwards　it　will　not　be　withheld。　To　endeavour　to　force　conclusions　without　making　the　subject　clear　to　the　understanding；　is　most　unjustifiable　and　irrational；　and　must　prove　useless　or　injurious　to　the　mental　faculties。　　　　　In　the　spirit　thus　described　we　therefore　proceed　in　the　investigation　of　the　subject。　　　　　The　facts　which　by　the　invention　of　printing　have　gradually　accumulated　now　show　the　errors　of　the　systems　of　our　forefathers　so　distinctly；　that　they　must　be；　when　pointed　out；　evident　to　all　classes　of　the　community；　and　render　it　absolutely　necessary　that　new　legislative　measures　be　immediately　adopted　to　prevent　the　confusion　which　must　arise　from　even　the　most　ignorant　being　competent　to　detect　the　absurdity　and　glaring　injustice　of　many　of　those　laws　by　which　they　are　now　governed。　　　　　Such　are　those　laws　which　enact　punishments　for　a　very　great　variety　of　actions　designated　crimes；　while　those　from　whom　such　actions　proceed　are　regularly　trained　to　acquire　no　other　knowledge　than　that　which　compels　them　to　conclude　that　those　actions　are　the　best　they　could　perform。　　　　　How　much　longer　shall　we　continue　to　allow　generation　after　generation　to　be　taught　crime　from　their　infancy；　and；　when　so　taught；　hunt　them　like　beasts　of　the　forest；　until　they　are　entangled　beyond　escape　in　the　toils　and　nets　of　the　law？　when；　if　the　circumstances　of　those　poor　unpitied　sufferers　had　been　reversed　with　those　who　are　even　surrounded　with　the　pomp　and　dignity　of　justice；　these　latter　would　have　been　at　the　bar　of　the　culprit；　and　the　former　would　have　been　in　the　judgement　seat。　　　　　Had　the　present　Judges　of　these　realms　been　born　and　educated　among　the　poor　and　profligate　of　St　Giles's　or　some　similar　situation；　it　is　not　certain；　inasmuch　as　they　possess　native　energies　and　abilities；　that　ere　this　they　would　have　been　at　the　head　of　their　then　profession；　and；　in　consequence　of　that　superiority　and　proficiency；　would　have　already　suffered　imprisonment；　transportation；　or　death？　Can　we　for　a　moment　hesitate　to　decide；　that　if　some　of　those　men　whom　the　laws　dispensed　by　the　present　Judges　have　doomed　to　suffer　capital　punishments；　had　been　born；　trained；　and　circumstanced；　as　these　Judges　were　born；　trained；　and　circumstanced；　that　some　of　those　who　had　so　suffered　would　have　been　the　identical　individuals　who　would　have　passed　the　same　awful　sentences　on　the　present　highly　esteemed　dignitaries　of　the　law。　　　　　If　we　open　our　eyes　and　attentively　notice　events；　we　shall　observe　these　facts　to　multiply　before　us。　Is　the　evil　then　of　so　small　magnitude　as　to　be　totally　disregarded　and　passed　by　as　the　ordinary　occurrences　of　the　day；　and　as　not　deserving　of　one　reflection？　And　shall　we　be　longer　told；　that　the　convenient　time　to　attend　to　inquiries　of　this　nature　is　not　yet　come：　that　other　matters　of　far　weightier　import　engage　our　attention；　and　it　must　remain　over　till　a　season　of　more　leisure？'　　　　　To　those　who　may　be　inclined　to　think　and　speak　thus；　I　would　say　'Let　feelings　of　humanity　or　strict　justice　induce　you　to　devote　a　few　hours　to　visit　some　of　the　public　prisons　of　the　metropolis；　and　patiently　inquire；　with　kind　commiserating　solicitude；　of　their　various　inhabitants；　the　events　of　their　lives　and　the　lives　of　their　various　connections。　Then　will　tales　unfold　that　must　arrest　attention；　that　will　disclose　sufferings；　misery；　and　injustice；　upon　which；　for　obvious　reasons；　I　will　not　now　dwell；　but　which　previously；　I　am　persuaded；　you　could　not　suppose　it　possible　to　exist　in　any　civilized　state；　far　less　that　they　should　be　permitted　for　centuries　to　increase　around　the　very　fountain　of　British　jurisprudence。'　The　true　cause；　however；　of　this　conduct；　so　contrary　to　the　general　humanity　of　the　natives　of　these　Islands；　is；　that　a　practical　remedy　for　the　evil；　on　clearly　defined　and　sound　principles；　had　not　yet　been　suggested。　But　the　principles　developed　in　this　'New　View　of　Society'；　will　point　out　a　remedy　which　is　almost　simplicity　itself；　possessing　no　more　practical　difficulties　than　many　of　the　common　employments　of　life；；　and　such　as　are　readily　overcome　by　men　of　very　ordinary　practical　talents。　　　　　That　such　a　remedy　is　easily　practicable；　may　be　collected　from　the　account　of　the　following　very　partial　ex