a new view of society-第11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！


pare　them；　they　betray　absurdity；　folly；　and　weakness；　hence　the　infinity　of　jarring　opinions；　dissensions；　and　miseries；　which　have　hitherto　prevailed。　　　　　Had　any　one　of　the　various　opposing　systems　which　have　governed　the　world　and　disunited　man　from　man；　been　true；　without　any　mixture　of　error　…　that　system；　very　speedily　after　its　public　promulgation；　would　have　pervaded　society；　and　compelled　all　men　to　have　acknowledged　its　truth。　　　　　The　criterion；　however；　which　has　been　stated；　shows；　that　they　are　all；　without　an　exception；　in　part　inconsistent　with　the　works　of　nature；　that　is；　with　the　facts　which　exist　around　us。　Those　systems　therefore　must　have　contained　some　fundamental　errors；　and　it　is　utterly　impossible　for　man　to　become　rational；　or　enjoy　the　happiness　he　is　capable　of　attaining；　until　those　errors　are　exposed　and　annihilated。　　　　　Each　of　those　systems　contains　some　truth　with　more　error；　hence　it　is　that　no　one　of　them　has　gained；　or　is　likely　to　gain；　universality。　　　　　The　truth　which　the　several　systems　possess；　serves　to　cover　and　perpetuate　the　errors　which　they　contain；　but　those　errors　are　most　obvious　to　all　who　have　not　from　infancy　been　taught　to　receive　them。　　　　　Is　proof　demanded？　Ask；　in　succession；　those　who　are　esteemed　the　most　intelligent　and　enlightened　of　every　sect　and　party；　what　is　their　opinion　of　every　other　sect　and　party　throughout　the　world。　Is　it　not　evident　that；　without　one　exception；　the　answer　will　be；　that　they　all　contain　errors　so　clearly　in　opposition　to　reason　and　equity；　that　he　can　only　feel　pity　and　deep　commiseration　for　the　individuals　whose　minds　have　been　thus　perverted　and　rendered　irrational？　And　this　reply　they　will　all　make；　unconscious　that　they　themselves　are　of　the　number　whom　they　commiserate。　　　　　The　doctrines　which　have　been　taught　to　every　known　sect；　combined　with　the　external　circumstances　by　which　they　have　been　surrounded；　have　been　directly　calculated；　and　could　not　fail；　to　produce　the　characters　which　have　existed。　And　the　doctrines　in　which　the　inhabitants　of　the　world　are　now　instructed；　combined　with　the　external　circumstances　by　which　they　are　surrounded；　form　the　characters　which　at　present　pervade　society。　　　　　The　doctrines　which　have　been　and　now　are　taught　throughout　the　world；　must　necessarily　create　and　perpetuate；　and　they　do　create　and　perpetuate；　a　total　want　of　mental　charity　among　men。　They　also　generate　superstitions；　bigotry；　hypocrisy；　hatred；　revenge；　wars；　and　all　their　evil　consequences。　For　it　has　been　and　is　a　fundamental　principle　in　every　system　hitherto　taught；　with　exceptions　more　nominal　than　real；　'That　man　will　possess　merit；　and　receive　eternal　reward；　by　believing　the　doctrines　of　that　peculiar　system；　that　he　will　be　eternally　punished　if　he　disbelieves　them；　that　all　those　innumerable　individuals　also；　who；　through　time；　have　been　taught　to　believe　other　than　the　tenets　of　this　system；　must　be　doomed　to　eternal　misery。'　Yet　nature　itself；　in　all　its　works；　is　perpetually　operating　to　convince　man　of　such　gross　absurdities。　　　　　Yes；　my　deluded　fellow　men；　believe　me；　for　your　future　happiness；　that　the　facts　around　us；　when　you　shall　observe　them　aright；　will　make　it　evident；　even　to　demonstration；　that　all　such　doctrines　must　he　erroneous；　because　THE　WILL　OF　MAN　HAS　NO　POWER　WHATEVER　OVER　HIS　OPINIONS；　HE　MUST；　AND　EVER　DID；　AND　EVER　WILL　BELIEVE　WHAT　HAS　BEEN；　IS；　OR　MAY　BE　IMPRESSED　ON　HIS　MIND　BY　HIS　PREDECESSORS　AND　THE　CIRCUMSTANCES　WHICH　SURROUND　HIM；　It　becomes　therefore　the　essence　of　irrationality　to　suppose　that　any　human　being；　from　the　creation　to　this　day；　could　deserve　praise　or　blame；　reward　or　punishment；　for　the　prepossessions　of　early　education。　　　　　It　is　from　these　fundamental　errors；　in　all　systems　which　have　been　hitherto　taught　to　the　mass　of　mankind；　that　the　misery　of　the　human　race　has　to　so　great　an　extent　proceeded；　for；　in　consequence　of　them；　man　has　been　always　instructed　from　infancy　to　believe　impossibilities　he　is　still　taught　to　pursue　the　same　insane　course；　and　the　result　still　is　misery。　Let　this　source　of　wretchedness；　this　most　lamentable　of　all　errors；　this　scourge　of　the　human　race；　be　publicly　exposed；　and　let　those　just　principles　be　introduced；　which　prove　themselves　true　by　their　uniform　consistency　and　the　evidence　of　our　senses；　hence　insincerity；　hatred；　revenge；　and　even　a　wish　to　injure　a　fellow　creature；　will　ere　long　be　unknown；　and　mental　charity；　heartfelt　benevolence；　and　acts　of　kindness　to　one　another；　will　be　the　distinguished　characters　of　human　nature。　　　　　Shall　then　misery　most　complicated　and　extensive　be　experienced；　from　the　prince　to　the　peasant；　in　all　nations　throughout　the　world；　and　shall　its　cause　and　prevention　be　known；　and　yet　withheld？　The　knowledge　of　this　cause；　however；　cannot　be　communicated　to　mankind　without　offending　against　the　deep…rooted　prejudices　of　all。　The　work　is　therefore　replete　with　difficulties；　which　can　alone　be　overcome　by　those　who；　foreseeing　all　its　important　practical　advantages；　may　be　induced　to　contend　against　them。　　　　　Yet；　difficult　as　it　may　be　to　establish　this　grand　truth　generally　throughout　society；　on　account　of　the　dark　and　gross　errors　in　which　the　world　to　this　period　has　been　instructed；　it　will　be　found；　whenever　the　subject　shall　undergo　a　full　investigation；　that　the　principles　now　brought　forward　cannot；　by　possibility；　injure　any　class　of　men；　or　even　a　single　individual。　On　the　contrary；　there　is　not　one　member　of　the　great　family　of　the　world；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest；　that　will　not　derive　the　most　important　benefits　from　its　public　promulgation。　And　when　such　incalculable；　substantial；　and　permanent　advantages　are　clearly　seen　and　strongly　felt；　shall　individual　considerations　be　for　a　moment　put　in　competition　with　its　attainment？　No！　Ease；　comfort；　the　good　opinion　of　part　of　society；　and　even　life　itself。　may　be　sacrificed　to　those　prejudices；　and　yet　the　principles　on　which　this　knowledge　is　founded　must　ultimately　and　universally　prevail。　　　　　This　high　event；　of　unequalled　magnitude　in　the　history　of　humanity；　is　thus　confidently　predicted；　because　the　knowledge　whence　that　confidence　proceeds　is　not　derived　from　any　of　the　uncertain　legends　of　the　days　of　dark　and　gross　ignorance；　but　from　the　plain　and　obvious　facts　which　now　exist　throughout　the　world。　Due　attention　to　these　facts；　to　these　truly　revealed　works　of　nature；　will　soon　instruct；　or　rather　compel　mankind　to　discover　the　universal　errors　in　which　they　have　been　trained。　　　　　The　principle；　then；　on　which　the　doctrines　taught　in　the　New　Institution　are　proposed　to　be　founded；　is；　that　they　shall　be　in　unison　with　universally　revealed　facts；　which　cannot　but　be　true。　　　　　The　following　are　some　of　the　facts；　which；　with　a　view　to　this　part　of　the　undertaking；　may　be　deemed　fundamental：　　　　　That　man　is　born　with　a　desire　to　obtain　happiness；　which　desire　is　the　primary　cause　of　all　his　actions；　continues　through　life；　and；　in　popular　language；　is　called　self…interest。　　　　　That　he　is　also　born　with　the　germs　of　animal　propensities；　or　the　desire　to　sustain；　enjoy；　and　propagate　life；　and　which　desires；　as　they　grow　and　develop　themselves；　are　termed　his　natural　inclinations。　　　　　That　he　is　born　likewise　with　faculties　which；　in　their　growth；　receive；　convey；　compare；　and　become　conscious　of　receiving　and　comparing　ideas。　　　　　That　the　ideas　so　received；　conveyed；　compared；　and　understood；　constitute　human　knowledge；　or　mind；　which　acquires　strength　and　maturity　with　the　growth　of　the　individual。　　　　　That　the　desire　of　happiness　in　man；　the　germs　of　his　natural　inclinations；　and　the　faculties　by　which　he　acquires　knowledge；　are　formed　unknown　to　himself　in　the　womb；　and　whether　perfect　or　imperfect；　they　are　alone　the　immediate　work　of　the　Creator；　and　over　which　the　infant　and　future　man　have　no　control。　　　　　That　these　inclinations　and　faculties　are　not　formed　exactly　alike　in　any　two　individuals；　hence　the　diversity　of　talents；　and　the　varied　impressions　called　liking　and　disliking　which　the　same　external　objects　make　on　different　persons；　and　the　lesser　varieties　which　exist　among　men　whose　characters　have　been　formed　apparently　under　similar　circumstances。　　　　　That　the　knowledge　which　man　receives　is　derived　from　the　objects　around　him；　and　chiefly　from　the　example　and　instruction　of　his　immediate　predecessors。　　　　　That　this　knowledge　may　be　limited　or　extended；　erroneous　or　true；　limited；　when　the　individual　receives　few；　and　extended　when　he　receives　many　ideas；　erroneous；　when　those　ideas　are　inconsistent　with　the　facts　which　exist　around　him；　and　true　when　they　are　uniformly　consistent　with　them。　　　　　That　the　misery　which　he　experiences；　and　the　happiness　which　he　enjoys；　depend　on　the　kind　and　degree　of　knowledge　which　he　receives；　and　on　that　which　is　possessed　by　those　around　him。　　　　　That　when　the　knowledge　which　he　receives　is　true　and　unmixed　with　error；　although　it　be　limited；　if　the　community　in　which　he　lives　possesses　the　same　kind　and　degree　of　knowledge；　he　will　enjoy　happiness　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　that　knowledge。　On　the　contrary；　when　the　opinions　which　he　receives　are　erroneous；　and　the　opinions　possessed　by　the　community　in　which　he　resides　are　equally　erroneous；　his　misery　will　be　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　those　erroneous　opinions。　　　　　That　when　the　knowledge　which　man　receives　shall　be　extended　to　its　utmost　limit；　and　true　without　any　mixture　of　error；　then　he　may　and　will　enjoy　all　the　happiness　of　which　his　nature　will　be　capable。　　　　　That　it　consequently　becomes　of　the　first　and　highest　importance　that　man　should　be　taught　to　distinguish　truth　from　error。　　　　　That　man　has　no　other　means　of　discovering　what　is　false；　except　by　his　faculty　of　reason；　or　the　power　of　acquiring　and　comparing　the　ideas　which　he　receives。　　　　　That　when　this　faculty　is　properly　cultivated　or　trained　from　infancy；　and　the　child　is　rationally　instructed　to　retain　no　impressions　or　ideas　which　by　his　powers　of　comparing　them　appear　to　be　inconsistent；　then　the　individual　will　acquire　real　knowledge；　or　those　ideas　only　which　will　leave　an　impression　of　their　consistency　or　truth　on　all　minds　which　have　not　been　rendered　irrational　by　an　opposite　procedure。　　　　　That　the　reasoning　faculty　may　be　injured　and　destroyed　during　its　growth；　by　reiterated　impressions　being　made　upon　it　of　notions　not　derived　from　realities；　and　which　it　therefore　cannot　compare　with　the　ideas　previously　received　from　the　objects　around　it。　And　when　the　mind　receives　these　notions　which　it　cannot　comprehend；　along　with　those　ideas　which　it　is　conscious　are　true　and　which　yet　are　inconsistent　with　such　notions；　then　the　reasoning　faculties　become　injured；　the　individual　is　taught　or　forced　to　believe；　and　not　to　think　or　reason；　and　partial　insanity　or　defective　powers　of　judging　ensue。　　　　　That　all　men　are　thus　erroneously　trained　at　present；　and　hence　the　inconsistencies　and　misery　of　the　world。　　　　　That　the　fundamental　errors　now　impressed　from　infancy　on　the　minds　of　all　men；　and　from　whence　all　their　other　errors　proceed；　are；　that　they　form　their　own　individual　characters；　and　possess　merit　or　demerit　for　the　peculiar　notions　impressed　on　the　mind