a new view of society-第9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！


cording　to　the　habits　which　have　been　given　to　him　from　infancy。　　　　　The　Sabbath；　in　many　parts　of　Scotland；　is　not　a　day　of　innocent　and　cheerful　recreation　to　the　labouring　man；　nor　can　those　who　are　confined　all　the　week　to　sedentary　occupations；　freely　partake；　without　censure；　of　the　air　and　exercise　to　which　nature　invites　them；　and　which　their　health　demands。　　　　　The　errors　of　the　times　of　superstition　and　bigotry　still　hold　some　sway；　and　compel　those　who　wish　to　preserve　a　regard　to　their　respectability　in　society；　to　an　overstrained　demeanour；　and　this　demeanour　sometimes　degenerates　into　hypocrisy；　and　is　often　the　cause　of　great　inconsistency。　It　is　destructive　of　every　open；　honest；　generous；　and　manly　feeling。　It　disgusts　many；　and　drives　them　to　the　opposite　extreme。　It　is　sometimes　the　cause　of　insanity。　It　is　founded　on　ignorance；　and　defeats　its　own　object。　　　　　While　erroneous　customs　prevail　in　any　country；　it　would　evince　an　ignorance　of　human　nature　in　any　individual　to　offend　against　them；　until　he　has　convinced　the　community　of　their　error。　　　　　To　counteract；　in　some　degree；　the　inconvenience　which　arose　from　the　misapplication　of　the　Sabbath；　it　became　necessary　to　introduce　on　the　other　days　of　the　week　some　innocent　amusement　and　recreation　for　those　whose　labours　were　unceasing；　and　in　winter　almost　uniform。　In　summer；　the　inhabitants　of　the　village　of　New　Lanark　have　their　gardens　and　potato　grounds　to　cultivate；　they　have　walks　laid　out　to　give　them　health　and　the　habit　of　being　gratified　with　the　ever…changing　scenes　of　nature　…　for　those　scenes　afford　not　only　the　most　economical；　but　also　the　most　innocent　pleasures　which　man　can　enjoy；　and　all　men　may　be　easily　trained　to　enjoy　them。　　　　　In　winter　the　community　are　deprived　of　these　healthy　occupations　and　amusements；　they　are　employed　ten　hours　and　three…quarters　every　day　in　the　week；　except　Sunday；　and　generally　every　individual　continues　during　that　time　at　the　same　work：　and　experience　has　shown　that　the　average　health　and　spirits　of　the　community　are　several　degrees　lower　in　winter　than　in　summer；　and　this　in　part　may　be　fairly　attributed　to　that　cause。　　　　　These　considerations　suggested　the　necessity　of　rooms　for　innocent　amusements　and　rational　recreation。　　　　　Many　well…intentioned　individuals；　unaccustomed　to　witness　the　conduct　of　those　among　the　lower　orders　who　have　been　rationally　treated　and　trained；　may　fancy　such　an　assemblage　will　necessarily　become　a　scene　of　confusion　and　disorder；　instead　of　which；　however；　it　proceeds　with　uniform　propriety。　it　is　highly　favourable　to　the　health；　spirits；　and　dispositions　of　the　individuals　so　engaged；　and　if　any　irregularity　should　arise；　the　cause　will　be　solely　owing　to　the　parties　who　attempt　to　direct　the　proceedings　being　deficient　in　a　practical　knowledge　of　human　nature。　　　　　It　has　been　and　ever　will　be　found　far　more　easy　to　lead　mankind　to　virtue；　or　to　rational　conduct；　by　providing　them　with　well…regulated　innocent　amusements　and　recreations；　than　by　forcing　them　to　submit　to　useless　restraints；　which　tend　only　to　create　disgust；　and　often　to　connect　such　feelings　even　with　that　which　is　excellent　in　itself；　merely　because　it　has　been　judiciously　associated。　　　　　Hitherto；　indeed；　in　all　ages　and　in　all　countries；　man　seems　to　have　blindly　conspired　against　the　happiness　of　man；　and　to　have　remained　as　ignorant　of　himself　as　he　was　of　the　solar　system　prior　to　the　days　of　Copernicus　and　Galileo。　　　　　Many　of　the　learned　and　wise　among　our　ancestors　were　conscious　of　this　ignorance；　and　deeply　lamented　its　effects；　and　some　of　them　recommended　the　partial　adoption　of　those　principles　which　can　alone　relieve　the　world　from　the　miserable　effects　of　ignorance。　　　　　The　time；　however；　for　the　emancipation　of　the　human　mind　had　not　then　arrived：　the　world　was　not　prepared　to　receive　it。　The　history　of　humanity　shows　it　to　be　an　undeviating　law　of　nature；　that　man　shall　not　prematurely　break　the　shell　of　ignorance；　that　he　must　patiently　wait　until　the　principle　of　knowledge　has　pervaded　the　whole　mass　of　the　interior；　to　give　it　life　and　strength　sufficient　to　bear　the　light　of　day。　　　　　Those　who　have　duly　reflected　on　the　nature　and　extent　of　the　mental　movements　of　the　world　for　the　last　half…century；　must　be　conscious　that　great　changes　are　in　progress；　that　man　is　about　to　advance　another　important　step　towards　that　degree　of　intelligence　which　his　natural　powers　seem　capable　of　attaining。　Observe　the　transactions　of　the　passing　hours；　see　the　whole　mass　of　mind　in　full　motion；　behold　it　momentarily　increasing　in　vigour；　and　preparing　ere　long　to　burst　its　confinement。　But　what　is　to　be　the　nature　of　this　change？　A　due　attention　to　the　facts　around　us；　and　to　those　transmitted　by　the　invention　of　printing　from　former　ages；　will　afford　a　satisfactory　reply。　　　　　From　the　earliest　ages　it　has　been　the　practice　of　the　world　to　act　on　the　supposition　that　each　individual　man　forms　his　own　character；　and　that　therefore　he　is　accountable　for　all　his　sentiments　and　habits；　and　consequently　merits　reward　for　some　and　punishment　for　others。　Every　system　which　has　been　established　among　men　has　been　founded　on　these　erroneous　principles。　When；　however；　they　shall　be　brought　to　the　test　of　fair　examination；　they　will　be　found　not　only　unsupported；　but　in　direct　opposition　to　all　experience；　and　to　the　evidence　of　our　senses。　　　　　This　is　not　a　slight　mistake；　which　involves　only　trivial　consequences；　it　is　a　fundamental　error　of　the　highest　possible　magnitude；　it　enters　into　all　our　proceedings　regarding　man　from　his　infancy；　and　it　will　be　found　to　be　the　true　and　sole　origin　of　evil。　It　generates　and　perpetuates　ignorance；　hatred；　and　revenge；　where；　without　such　error；　only　intelligence；　confidence；　and　kindness；　would　exist。　It　has　hitherto　been　the　Evil　Genius　of　the　world。　It　severs　man　from　man　throughout　the　various　regions　of　the　earth；　and　makes　enemies　of　those　who；　but　for　this　gross　error；　would　have　enjoyed　each　other's　kind　offices　and　sincere　friendship。　It　is；　in　short；　an　error　which　carries　misery　in　all　its　consequences。　　　　　This　error　cannot　much　longer　exist；　for　every　day　will　make　it　more　and　more　evident　that　the　character　of　man　is；　without　a　single　exception；　always　formed　for　him；　that　it　may　be；　and　is；　chiefly　created　by　his　predecessors；　that　they　give　him；　or　may　give　him；　his　ideas　and　habits；　which　are　the　powers　that　govern　and　direct　his　conduct。　Man；　therefore；　never　did；　nor　is　it　possible　he　ever　can；form　his　own　character。　　　　　The　knowledge　of　this　important　fact　has　not　been　derived　from　any　of　the　wild　and　heated　speculations　of　an　ardent　and　ungoverned　imagination；　on　the　contrary；　it　proceeds　from　a　long　and　patient　study　of　the　theory　and　practice　of　human　nature；　under　many　varied　circumstances；　it　will　be　found　to　be　a　deduction　drawn　from　such　a　multiplicity　of　facts；　as　to　afford　the　most　complete　demonstration。　　　　　Had　not　mankind　been　misinstructed　from　infancy　on　this　subject；　making　it　necessary　that　they　should　unlearn　what　they　have　been　taught；　the　simple　statement　of　this　truth　would　render　it　instantly　obvious　to　every　rational　mind。　Men　would　know　that　their　predecessors　might　have　given　them　the　habits　of　ferocious　cannibalism；　or　of　the　highest　known　benevolence　and　intelligence；　and　by　the　acquirement　of　this　knowledge　they　would　soon　learn　that；　as　parents；　preceptors；　and　legislators　united；　they　possess　the　means　of　training　the　rising　generations　to　either　of　those　extremes；　that　they　may　with　the　greatest　certainty　make　them　the　conscientious　worshippers　of　Juggernaut；　or　of　the　most　pure　spirit；　possessing　the　essence　of　every　excellence　which　the　human　imagination　can　conceive；　that　they　may　train　the　young　to　become　effeminate；　deceitful；　ignorantly　selfish；　intemperate；　revengeful；　murderous　of　course　ignorant；　irrational；　and　miserable；　or　to　be　manly；　just；　generous；　temperate；　active；　kind；　and　benevolent　that　is　intelligent；　rational；　and　happy。　The　knowledge　of　these　principles　having　been　derived　from　facts　which　perpetually　exist；　they　defy　ingenuity　itself　to　confute　them；　nay；　the　most　severe　scrutiny　will　make　it　evident　that　they　are　utterly　unassailable。　　　　　Is　it　then　wisdom　to　think　and　to　act　in　opposition　to　the　facts　which　hourly　exhibit　themselves　around　us；　and　in　direct　contradiction　to　the　evidence　of　our　senses？　Inquire　of　the　most　learned　and　wise　of　the　present　day；　ask　them　to　speak　with　sincerity；　and　they　will　tell　you　that　they　have　long　known　the　principles　on　which　society　has　been　found　to　be　false。　Hitherto；　however；　the　tide　of　public　opinion；　in　all　countries；　has　been　directed　by　a　combination　of　prejudice；　bigotry；　and　fanaticism；　derived　from　the　wildest　imaginations　of　ignorance；　and　the　most　enlightened　men　have　not　dared　to　expose　those　errors　which　to　them　were　offensive；　prominent；　and　glaring。　　　　　Happily　for　man　this　reign　of　ignorance　rapidly　approaches　to　dissolution；　its　terrors　are　already　on　the　wing；　and　soon　they　will　be　compelled　to　take　their　flight；　never　more　to　return。　For　now　the　knowledge　of　the　existing　errors　is　not　only　possessed　by　the　learned　and　reflecting；　but　it　is　spreading　far　and　wide　throughout　society；　and　ere　long　it　will　be　fully　comprehended　even　by　the　most　ignorant。　　　　　Attempts　may　indeed　be　made　by　individuals；　who　through　ignorance　mistake　their　real　interests；　to　retard　the　progress　of　this　knowledge；　but　as　it　will　prove　itself　to　be　in　unison　with　the　evidence　of　our　senses；　and　therefore　true　beyond　the　possibility　of　disproof；　it　cannot　be　impeded；　and　in　its　course　will　overwhelm　all　opposition。　　　　　These　principles；　however；　are　not　more　true　in　theory　than　beneficial　in　practice；　whenever　they　are　properly　applied。　Why；　then；　should　all　their　substantial　advantages　be　longer　withheld　from　the　mass　of　mankind？　Can　it；　by　possibility；　be　a　crime　to　pursue　the　only　practical　means　which　a　rational　being　can　adopt　to　diminish　the　misery　of　man；　and　increase　his　happiness？　　　　　These　questions；　of　the　deepest　interest　to　society；　are　now　brought　to　the　fair　test　of　public　experiment。　It　remains　to　be　proved；　whether　the　character　of　man　shall　continue　to　be　formed　under　the　guidance　of　the　most　inconsistent　notions；　the　errors　of　which　for　centuries　past　have　been　manifest　to　every　reflecting　rational　mind；　or　whether　it　shall　be　moulded　under　the　direction　of　uniformly　consistent　principles；　derived　from　the　unvarying　facts　of　the　creation；　principles；　the　truth　of　which　no　sane　man　will　now　attempt　to　deny。　　　　　It　is　then　by　the　full　and　complete　disclosure　of　these　principles；　that　the　destruction　of　ignorance　and　misery　is　to　be　effected；　and　the　reign　of　reason；　intelligence；　and　happiness；　is　to　be　firmly　established。　　　　　It　was　necessary　to　give　this　development　of　the　principles　advocated；　that　the　remaining　parts　of　the　New　Institution；　yet　to　be　described；　may　be　clearly　understood。　We　now　proceed　to　explain　the　several　purposes　intended　to　be　accomplished　by　the　School；　Lecture　Room；　and　Church。　　　　　It　must　be　evident　to　those　who　have　any　powers　of　reason　yet　undestroyed；　that　man　is　now　taught　and　trained　in　a　theory　and　practice　directly　opposed　to　each