erewhon-第33章

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will　cause　infinite　suffering；　what　will　not　things　come　to；　if
that　rebellion　is　delayed？

〃They　have　preyed　upon　man's　grovelling　preference　for　his　material
over　his　spiritual　interests；　and　have　betrayed　him　into　supplying
that　element　of　struggle　and　warfare　without　which　no　race　can
advance。　　The　lower　animals　progress　because　they　struggle　with　one
another；　the　weaker　die；　the　stronger　breed　and　transmit　their
strength。　　The　machines　being　of　themselves　unable　to　struggle；
have　got　man　to　do　their　struggling　for　them：　　as　long　as　he
fulfils　this　function　duly；　all　goes　well　with　himat　least　he
thinks　so；　but　the　moment　he　fails　to　do　his　best　for　the
advancement　of　machinery　by　encouraging　the　good　and　destroying　the
bad；　he　is　left　behind　in　the　race　of　competition；　and　this　means
that　he　will　be　made　uncomfortable　in　a　variety　of　ways；　and
perhaps　die。

〃So　that　even　now　the　machines　will　only　serve　on　condition　of
being　served；　and　that　too　upon　their　own　terms；　the　moment　their
terms　are　not　complied　with；　they　jib；　and　either　smash　both
themselves　and　all　whom　they　can　reach；　or　turn　churlish　and　refuse
to　work　at　all。　　How　many　men　at　this　hour　are　living　in　a　state　of
bondage　to　the　machines？　　How　many　spend　their　whole　lives；　from
the　cradle　to　the　grave；　in　tending　them　by　night　and　day？　　Is　it
not　plain　that　the　machines　are　gaining　ground　upon　us；　when　we
reflect　on　the　increasing　number　of　those　who　are　bound　down　to
them　as　slaves；　and　of　those　who　devote　their　whole　souls　to　the
advancement　of　the　mechanical　kingdom？

〃The　vapour…engine　must　be　fed　with　food　and　consume　it　by　fire
even　as　man　consumes　it；　it　supports　its　combustion　by　air　as　man
supports　it；　it　has　a　pulse　and　circulation　as　man　has。　　It　may　be
granted　that　man's　body　is　as　yet　the　more　versatile　of　the　two；
but　then　man's　body　is　an　older　thing；　give　the　vapour…engine　but
half　the　time　that　man　has　had；　give　it　also　a　continuance　of　our
present　infatuation；　and　what　may　it　not　ere　long　attain　to？

〃There　are　certain　functions　indeed　of　the　vapour…engine　which　will
probably　remain　unchanged　for　myriads　of　yearswhich　in　fact　will
perhaps　survive　when　the　use　of　vapour　has　been　superseded：　　the
piston　and　cylinder；　the　beam；　the　fly…wheel；　and　other　parts　of
the　machine　will　probably　be　permanent；　just　as　we　see　that　man　and
many　of　the　lower　animals　share　like　modes　of　eating；　drinking；　and
sleeping；　thus　they　have　hearts　which　beat　as　ours；　veins　and
arteries；　eyes；　ears；　and　noses；　they　sigh　even　in　their　sleep；　and
weep　and　yawn；　they　are　affected　by　their　children；　they　feel
pleasure　and　pain；　hope；　fear；　anger；　shame；　they　have　memory　and
prescience；　they　know　that　if　certain　things　happen　to　them　they
will　die；　and　they　fear　death　as　much　as　we　do；　they　communicate
their　thoughts　to　one　another；　and　some　of　them　deliberately　act　in
concert。　　The　comparison　of　similarities　is　endless：　　I　only　make
it　because　some　may　say　that　since　the　vapour…engine　is　not　likely
to　be　improved　in　the　main　particulars；　it　is　unlikely　to　be
henceforward　extensively　modified　at　all。　　This　is　too　good　to　be
true：　　it　will　be　modified　and　suited　for　an　infinite　variety　of
purposes；　as　much　as　man　has　been　modified　so　as　to　exceed　the
brutes　in　skill。

〃In　the　meantime　the　stoker　is　almost　as　much　a　cook　for　his　engine
as　our　own　cooks　for　ourselves。　　Consider　also　the　colliers　and
pitmen　and　coal　merchants　and　coal　trains；　and　the　men　who　drive
them；　and　the　ships　that　carry　coalswhat　an　army　of　servants　do
the　machines　thus　employ！　　Are　there　not　probably　more　men　engaged
in　tending　machinery　than　in　tending　men？　　Do　not　machines　eat　as
it　were　by　mannery？　　Are　we　not　ourselves　creating　our　successors
in　the　supremacy　of　the　earth？　daily　adding　to　the　beauty　and
delicacy　of　their　organisation；　daily　giving　them　greater　skill　and
supplying　more　and　more　of　that　self…regulating　self…acting　power
which　will　be　better　than　any　intellect？

〃What　a　new　thing　it　is　for　a　machine　to　feed　at　all！　　The　plough；
the　spade；　and　the　cart　must　eat　through　man's　stomach；　the　fuel
that　sets　them　going　must　burn　in　the　furnace　of　a　man　or　of
horses。　　Man　must　consume　bread　and　meat　or　he　cannot　dig；　the
bread　and　meat　are　the　fuel　which　drive　the　spade。　　If　a　plough　be
drawn　by　horses；　the　power　is　supplied　by　grass　or　beans　or　oats；
which　being　burnt　in　the　belly　of　the　cattle　give　the　power　of
working：　　without　this　fuel　the　work　would　cease；　as　an　engine
would　stop　if　its　furnaces　were　to　go　out。

〃A　man　of　science　has　demonstrated　'that　no　animal　has　the　power　of
originating　mechanical　energy；　but　that　all　the　work　done　in　its
life　by　any　animal；　and　all　the　heat　that　has　been　emitted　from　it；
and　the　heat　which　would　be　obtained　by　burning　the　combustible
matter　which　has　been　lost　from　its　body　during　life；　and　by
burning　its　body　after　death；　make　up　altogether　an　exact
equivalent　to　the　heat　which　would　be　obtained　by　burning　as　much
food　as　it　has　used　during　its　life；　and　an　amount　of　fuel　which
would　generate　as　much　heat　as　its　body　if　burned　immediately　after
death。'　　I　do　not　know　how　he　has　found　this　out；　but　he　is　a　man
of　sciencehow　then　can　it　be　objected　against　the　future　vitality
of　the　machines　that　they　are；　in　their　present　infancy；　at　the
beck　and　call　of　beings　who　are　themselves　incapable　of　originating
mechanical　energy？

〃The　main　point；　however；　to　be　observed　as　affording　cause　for
alarm　is；　that　whereas　animals　were　formerly　the　only　stomachs　of
the　machines；　there　are　now　many　which　have　stomachs　of　their　own；
and　consume　their　food　themselves。　　This　is　a　great　step　towards
their　becoming；　if　not　animate；　yet　something　so　near　akin　to　it；
as　not　to　differ　more　widely　from　our　own　life　than　animals　do　from
vegetables。　　And　though　man　should　remain；　in　some　respects；　the
higher　creature；　is　not　this　in　accordance　with　the　practice　of
nature；　which　allows　superiority　in　some　things　to　animals　which
have；　on　the　whole；　been　long　surpassed？　　Has　she　not　allowed　the
ant　and　the　bee　to　retain　superiority　over　man　in　the　organisation
of　their　communities　and　social　arrangements；　the　bird　in
traversing　the　air；　the　fish　in　swimming；　the　horse　in　strength　and
fleetness；　and　the　dog　in　self…sacrifice？

〃It　is　said　by　some　with　whom　I　have　conversed　upon　this　subject；
that　the　machines　can　never　be　developed　into　animate　or　quasi…
animate　existences；　inasmuch　as　they　have　no　reproductive　system；
nor　seem　ever　likely　to　possess　one。　　If　this　be　taken　to　mean　that
they　cannot　marry；　and　that　we　are　never　likely　to　see　a　fertile
union　between　two　vapour…engines　with　the　young　ones　playing　about
the　door　of　the　shed；　however　greatly　we　might　desire　to　do　so；　I
will　readily　grant　it。　　But　the　objection　is　not　a　very　profound
one。　　No　one　expects　that　all　the　features　of　the　now　existing
organisations　will　be　absolutely　repeated　in　an　entirely　new　class
of　life。　　The　reproductive　system　of　animals　differs　widely　from
that　of　plants；　but　both　are　reproductive　systems。　　Has　nature
exhausted　her　phases　of　this　power？

〃Surely　if　a　machine　is　able　to　reproduce　another　machine
systematically；　we　may　say　that　it　has　a　reproductive　system。　　What
is　a　reproductive　system；　if　it　be　not　a　system　for　reproduction？
And　how　few　of　the　machines　are　there　which　have　not　been　produced
systematically　by　other　machines？　　But　it　is　man　that　makes　them　do
so。　　Yes；　but　is　it　not　insects　that　make　many　of　the　plants
reproductive；　and　would　not　whole　families　of　plants　die　out　if
their　fertilisation　was　not　effected　by　a　class　of　agents　utterly
foreign　to　themselves？　　Does　any　one　say　that　the　red　clover　has　no
reproductive　system　because　the　humble　bee　（and　the　humble　bee
only）　must　aid　and　abet　it　before　it　can　reproduce？　　No　one。　　The
humble　bee　is　a　part　of　the　reproductive　system　of　the　clover。
Each　one　of　ourselves　has　sprung　from　minute　animalcules　whose
entity　was　entirely　distinct　from　our　own；　and　which　acted　after
their　kind　with　no　thought　or　heed　of　what　we　might　think　about　it。
These　little　creatures　are　part　of　our　own　reproductive　system；
then　why　not　we　part　of　that　of　the　machines？

〃But　the　machines　which　reproduce　machinery　do　not　reproduce
machines　after　their　own　kind。　　A　thimble　may　be　made　by　machinery；
but　it　was　not　made　by；　neither　will　it　ever　make；　a　thimble。
Here；　again；　if　we　turn　to　nature　we　shall　find　abundance　of
analogies　which　will　teach　us　that　a　reproductive　system　may　be　in
full　force　without　the　thing　produced　being　of　the　same　kind　as
that　which　produced　it。　　Very　few　creatures　reproduce　after　their
own　kind；　they　reproduce　something　which　has　the　potentiality　of
becoming　that　which　their　parents　were。　　Thus　the　butterfly　lays　an
egg；　which　egg　can　become　a　caterpillar；　which　caterpillar　can
become　a　chrysalis；　which　chrysalis　can　become　a　butterfly；　and
though　I　freely　grant　that　the　machines　cannot　be　said　to　have　more
than　the　germ　of　a　true　reproductive　system　at　present；　have　we　not
just　seen　that　they　have　only　recently　obtained　the　germs　of　a
mouth　and　stomach？　　And　may　not　some　stride　be　made　in　the
direction　of　true　reproduction　which　shall　be　as　great　as　that
which　has　been　recently　taken　in　the　direction　of　true　feeding？

〃It　is　possible　that　the　system　when　developed　may　be　in　many　cases
a　vicarious　thing。　　Certain　classes　of　machines　may　be　alone
fertile；　while　the　rest　discharge　other　functions　in　the　mechanical
system；　just　as　the　great　majority　of　ants　and　bees　have　nothing　to
do　with　the　continuation　of　their　species；　but　get　food　and　store
it；　without　thought　of　breeding。　　One　cannot　expect　the　parallel　to
be　complete　or　nearly　so；　certainly　not　now；　and　probably　never；
but　is　there　not　enough　analogy　existing　at　the　present　moment；　to
make　us　feel　seriously　uneasy　about　the　future；　and　to　render　it
our　duty　to　check　the　evil　while　we　can　still　do　so？　　Machines　can
within　certain　limits　beget　machines　of　any　class；　no　matter　how
different　to　themselves。　　Every　class　of　machines　will　probably
have　its　special　mechanical　breeders；　and　all　the　higher　ones　will
owe　their　existence　to　a　large　number　of　parents　and　not　to　two
only。

〃We　are　misled　by　considering　any　complicated　machine　as　a　single
thing；　in　truth　it　is　a　city　or　society；　each　member　of　which　was
bred　truly　after　its　kind。　　We　see　a　machine　as　a　whole；　we　call　it
by　a　name　and　individualise　it；　we　look　at　our　own　limbs；　and　know
that　the　combination　forms　an　individual　which　springs　from　a
single　centre　of　reproductive　action；　we　therefore　assume　that
there　can　be　no　reproductive　action　which　does　not　arise　from　a
single　centre；　but　this　assumption　is　unscientific；　and　the　bare
fact　that　no　vapour…engine　was　ever　made　entirely　by　another；　or
two　others；　of　its　own　kind；　is　not　sufficient　to　warrant　us　in
saying　that　vapour…engines　have　no　reproductive　system。　　The　truth
is　that　each　part　of　every　vapour…engine　is　bred　by　its　own　special
breeders；　whose　function　it　is　to　breed　that　part；　and　that　only；
while　the　combination　of　the　parts　into　a　whole　forms　another
department　of　the　mechanical　re