evolution and ethics and other essays-第25章

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ensue　it。　The　moral　nature　in　us　asks　for　no　more　than　is　compatible
with　the　general　good；　the　non…moral　nature　proclaims　and　acts　upon
that　fine　old　Scottish　family　motto；　〃Thou　shalt　starve　ere　I　want。〃
Let　us　be　under　no　illusions；　then。　So　long　as　unlimited　multiplication
goes　on；　no　social　organization　which　has　ever　been　devised；　or　is
likely　to　＇212＇　be　devised；　no　fiddle…faddling　with　the　distribution
of　wealth；　will　deliver　society　from　the　tendency　to　be　destroyed　by
the　reproduction　within　itself；　in　its　intensest　form；　of　that
struggle　for　existence　the　limitation　of　which　is　the　object　of
society。　And　however　shocking　to　the　moral　sense　this　eternal
competition　of　man　against　man　and　of　nation　against　nation　may　be；
however　revolting　may　be　the　accumulation　of　misery　at　the　negative
pole　of　society；　in　contrast　with　that　of　monstrous　wealth　at　the
positive　pole；*　this　state　of　things　must　abide；　and　grow　continually
worse；　so　long　as　Istar　holds　her　way　unchecked。　It　is　the　true　riddle
of　the　Sphinx；　and　every　nation　which　does　not　solve　it　will　sooner　or
later　be　devoured　by　the　monster　itself　has　generated。

The　practical　and　pressing　question　for　us；　just　now；　seems　to　me　to　be
how　to　gain　time。　〃Time　brings　counsel；〃　as　the　Teutonic　proverb　has
it；　and　wiser　folk　among　our　posterity　may　see　their　way　out　of　that
which　at　present　looks　like　an　impasse。

It　would　be　folly　to　entertain　any　ill…feeling　towards　those　neighbours
and　rivals　who；　like　ourselves；　are　slaves　of　Istar；　but；　if　somebody
is　to　be　starved；　the　modern　world　has　no　Oracle　of　Delphi　to　which
the　nations　can　appeal　for　an　＇213＇　indication　of　the　victim。　It　is
open　to　us　to　try　our　fortune；　and；　if　we　avoid　impending　fate；　there
will　be　a　certain　ground　for　believing　that　we　are　the　right　people　to
escape。　Securus　judicat　orbis。

　　　　*　＇It　is　hard　to　say　whether　the　increase　of　the　unemployed
　　　　poor；　or　that　of　the　unemployed　rich；　is　the　greater　social
　　　　evil。　　1894＇

To　this　end；　it　is　well　to　look　into　the　necessary　condition　of　our
salvation　by　works。　They　are　two；　one　plain　to　all　the　world　and
hardly　needing　insistence；　the　other　seemingly　not　so　plain；　since　too
often　it　has　been　theoretically　and　practically　left　out　of　sight。　The
obvious　condition　is　that　our　produce　shall　be　better　than　that　of
others。　There　is　only　one　reason　why　our　goods　should　be　preferred　to
those　of　our　rivalsour　customers　must　find　them　better　at　the　price。
That　means　that　we　must　use　more　knowledge；　skill；　and　industry　in
producing　them；　without　a　proportionate　increase　in　the　cost　of
production；　and；　as　the　price　of　labour　constitutes　a　large　element　in
that　cost；　the　rate　of　wages　must　be　restricted　within　certain　limits。
It　is　perfectly　true　that　cheap　production　and　cheap　labour　are　by　no
means　synonymous；　but　it　is　also　true　that　wages　cannot　increase
beyond　a　certain　proportion　without　destroying　cheapness。　　Cheapness；
then；　with；　as　part　and　parcel　of　cheapness；　a　moderate　price　of
labour；　is　essential　to　our　success　as　competitors　in　the　markets　of
the　world。

The　second　condition　is　really　quite　as　plainly　indispensable　as　the
first；　if　one　thinks　seriously　＇214＇　about　the　matter。　It　is　social
stability。　　Society　is　stable；　when　the　wants　of　its　members　obtain　as
much　satisfaction　as；　life　being　what　it　is；　common　sense　and
experience　show　may　be　reasonably　expected。　Mankind；　in　general；　care
very　little　for　forms　of　government　or　ideal　considerations　of　any
sort；　and　nothing　really　stirs　the　great　multitude　to　break　with
custom　and　incur　the　manifest　perils　of　revolt　except　the　belief　that
misery　in　this　world；　or　damnation　in　the　next；　or　both；　are
threatened　by　the　continuance　of　the　state　of　things　in　which　they
have　been　brought　up。　But　when　they　do　attain　that　conviction；　society
becomes　as　unstable　as　a　package　of　dynamite；　and　a　very　small　matter
will　produce　the　explosion　which　sends　it　back　to　the　chaos　of
savagery。

It　needs　no　argument　to　prove　that　when　the　price　of　labour　sinks　below
a　certain　point；　the　worker　infallibly　falls　into　that　condition　which
the　French　emphatically　call　la　miserea　word　for　which　I　do　not
think　there　is　any　exact　English　equivalent。　It　is　a　condition　in
which　the　food；　warmth；　and　clothing　which　are　necessary　for　the　mere
maintenance　of　the　functions　of　the　body　in　their　normal　state　cannot
be　obtained；　in　which　men；　women；　and　children　are　forced　to　crowd
into　dens　wherein　decency　is　abolished　and　the　most　ordinary
conditions　of　healthful　existence　are　impossible　of　attainment；　in
which　the　＇215＇　pleasures　within　reach　are　reduced　to　bestiality　and
drunkenness；　in　which　the　pains　accumulate　at　compound　interest；　in
the　shape　of　starvation；　disease；　stunted　development；　and　moral
degradation；　in　which　the　prospect　of　even　steady　and　honest　industry
is　a　life　of　unsuccessful　battling　with　hunger；　rounded　by　a　pauper's
grave。

That　a　certain　proportion　of　the　members　of　every　great　aggregation　of
mankind　should　constantly　tend　to　establish　and　populate　such　a　Slough
of　Despond　as　this　is　inevitable；　so　long　as　some　people　are　by　nature
idle　and　vicious；　while　others　are　disabled　by　sickness　or　accident；
or　thrown　upon　the　world　by　the　death　of　their　bread…winners。　So　long
as　that　proportion　is　restricted　within　tolerable　limits；　it　can　be
dealt　with；　and；　so　far　as　it　arises　only　from　such　causes；　its
existence　may　and　must　be　patiently　borne。　　But；　when　the　organization
of　society；　instead　of　mitigating　this　tendency；　tends　to　continue　and
intensify　it；　when　a　given　social　order　plainly　makes　for　evil　and　not
for　good；　men　naturally　enough　begin　to　think　it　high　time　to　try　a
fresh　experiment。　The　animal　man；　finding　that　the　ethical　man　has
landed　him　in　such　a　slough；　resumes　his　ancient　sovereignty；　and
preaches　anarchy；　which　is；　substantially；　a　proposal　to　reduce　the
social　cosmos　to　chaos；　and　begin　the　brute　struggle　for　existence
once　again。

Any　one　who　is　acquainted　with　the　state　of　＇216＇　the　population　of
all　great　industrial　centres；　whether　in　this　or　other　countries；　is
aware　that；　amidst　a　large　and　increasing　body　of　that　population；　la
misere　reigns　supreme。　I　have　no　pretensions　to　the　character　of　a
philanthropist；　and　I　have　a　special　horror　of　all　sorts　of
sentimental　rhetoric；　I　am　merely　trying　to　deal　with　facts；　to　some
extent　within　my　own　knowledge；　and　further　evidenced　by　abundant
testimony；　as　a　naturalist；　and　I　take　it　to　be　a　mere　plain　truth
that；　throughout　industrial　Europe；　there　is　not　a　single　large
manufacturing　city　which　is　free　from　a　vast　mass　of　people　whose
condition　is　exactly　that　described；　and　from　a　still　greater　mass
who；　living　just　on　the　edge　of　the　social　swamp；　are　liable　to　be
precipitated　into　it　by　any　lack　of　demand　for　their　produce。　And；
with　every　addition　to　the　population；　the　multitude　already　sunk　in
the　pit　and　the　number　of　the　host　sliding　towards　it　continually
increase。

Argumentation　can　hardly　be　needful　to　make　it　clear　that　no　society
in　which　the　elements　of　decomposition　are　thus　swiftly　and　surely
accumulating　can　hope　to　win　in　the　race　of　industries。

Intelligence；　knowledge；　and　skill　are　undoubtedly　conditions　of
success；　but　of　what　avail　are　they　likely　to　be　unless　they　are
backed　up　by　honesty；　energy；　goodwill；　and　all　the　physical　and　moral
faculties　that　go　to　the　making　of　manhood；　and　unless　they　are
stimulated　by　hope　of　such　＇217＇　reward　as　men　may　fairly　look　to？　And
what　dweller　in　the　slough　of　want；　dwarfed　in　body　and　soul；
demoralized；　hopeless；　can　reasonably　be　expected　to　possess　these
qualities？

Any　full　and　permanent　development　of　the　productive　powers　of　an
industrial　population；　then；　must　be　compatible　with　and；　indeed；
based　upon　a　social　organization　which　will　secure　a　fair　amount　of
physical　and　moral　welfare　to　that　population；　which　will　make　for
good　and　not　for　evil。　Natural　science　and　religious　enthusiasm　rarely
go　hand　in　hand；　but　on　this　matter　their　concord　is　complete；　and　the
least　sympathetic　of　naturalists　can　but　admire　the　insight　and　the
devotion　of　such　social　reformers　as　the　late　Lord　Shaftesbury；　whose
recently　published　〃Life　and　Letters〃　gives　a　vivid　picture　of　the
condition　of　the　working　classes　fifty　years　ago；　and　of　the　pit　which
our　industry；　ignoring　these　plain　truths；　was　then　digging　under　its
own　feet。

There　is；　perhaps；　no　more　hopeful　sign　of　progress　among　us；　in　the
last　half…century；　than　the　steadily　increasing　devotion　which　has
been　and　is　directed　to　measures　for　promoting　physical　and　moral
welfare　among　the　poorer　classes。　Sanitary　reformers；　like　most　other
reformers　whom　I　have　had　the　advantage　of　knowing；　seem　to　need　a
good　dose　of　fanaticism；　as　a　sort　of　moral　coca；　to　keep　them　up　to
the　mark；　and；　doubtless；　they　have　made　many　mistakes；　but　that　the
＇218＇　endeavour　to　improve　the　condition　under　our　industrial
population　live；　to　amend　the　drainage　of　densely　peopled　streets；　to
provide　baths；　washhouses；　and　gymnasia；　to　facilitate　habits　of
thrift；　to　furnish　some　provision　for　instruction　and　amusement　in
public　libraries　and　the　like；　is　not　only　desirable　from　a
philanthropic　point　of　view；　but　an　essential　condition　of　safe
industrial　development；　appears　to　me　to　be　indisputable。　It　is　by
such　means　alone；　so　far　as　I　can　see；　that　we　can　hope　to　check　the
constant　gravitation　of　industrial　society　towards　la　misere；　until
the　general　progress　of　intelligence　and　morality　leads　men　to　grapple
with　the　sources　of　that　tendency。　If　it　is　said　that　the　carrying　out
of　such　arrangements　as　those　indicated　must　enhance　the　cost　of
production；　and　thus　handicap　the　producer　in　the　race　of　competition；
I　venture；　in　the　first　place；　to　doubt　the　fact；　but　if　it　be　so；　it
results　that　industrial　society　has　to　face　a　dilemma；　either
alternative　of　which　threatens　destruction。

On　the　one　hand；　a　population　the　labour　of　which　is　sufficiently
remunerated　may　be　physically　and　morally　healthy　and　socially　stable；
but　may　fail　in　industrial　competition　by　reason　of　the　dearness　of
its　produce。　　On　the　other　hand；　a　population　the　labour　of　which　is
insufficiently　remunerated　must　become　physically　and　morally
unhealthy；　and　socially　unstable；　and　though　it　＇219＇　may　succeed　for
a　while　in　industrial　competition；　by　reason　of　the　cheapness　of　its
produce；　it　must　in　the　end　fall；　through　hideous　misery　and
degradation；　to　utter　ruin。

Well；　if　these　are　the　only　possible　alternatives；　let　us　for　ourselves
and　our　children　choose　the　former；　and；　if　need　be；　starve　like　men。
But　I　do　not　believe　that　the　stable　society　made　up　of　healthy；
vigorous；　instructed；　and　self…ruling　people　would　ever　incur　serious
risk　of　that　fate。　They　are　not　likely　to　be　troubled　with　many
competitors　of　the　same　character；　just　yet；　and　they　may　be　safely
trusted　to　find　ways　of　holding　their　own。

Assuming　that　the　physical　and　moral　well…being　and　the　stable　social
order；　which　are　the　indispensable　conditions　of　permanent　industrial
development；　are　secured；　there　remains　for　consideration　the