the man versus the state-第21章

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　maintained；　and　that　while　generosity　must　be　the　essential　principle　of　the　one；　justice　must　be　the　essential　principle　of　the　other　　a　rigorous　maintenance　of　those　normal　relations　among　citizens　under　which　each　gets　in　return　for　his　labour；　skilled　or　unskilled；　bodily　or　mental；　as　much　as　is　proved　to　be　its　value　by　the　demand　for　it：　such　return；　therefore；　as　will　enable　him　to　thrive　and　rear　offspring　in　proportion　to　the　superiorities　which　make　him　valuable　to　himself　and　others。　　　　　　And　yet；　notwithstanding　the　conspicuousness　of　these　truths；　which　should　strike　every　one　who　leaves　his　lexicons；　and　his　law　deeds；　and　his　ledgers；　and　looks　abroad　into　that　natural　order　of　things　under　which　we　exist；　and　to　which　we　must　conform；　there　is　continual　advocacy　of　paternal　government。　The　intrusion　of　family…ethics　into　the　ethics　of　the　State；　instead　of　being　regarded　as　socially　injurious；　is　more　and　more　demanded　as　the　only　efficient　means　to　social　benefit。　So　far　has　this　delusion　now　gone；　that　it　vitiates　the　beliefs　of　those　who　might；　more　than　all　others；　be　thought　safe　from　it。　In　the　essay　to　which　the　Cobden　Club　awarded　its　prize　in　1880；　there　occurs　the　assertion　that　〃the　truth　of　Free　Trade　is　clouded　over　by　the　laissez…faire　fallacy；〃　and　we　are　told　that　〃we　need　a　great　deal　more　of　paternal　government　　that　bugbear　of　the　old　economists。〃（24*）

Vitally　important　as　is　the　truth　above　insisted　upon；　since　acceptance　or　rejection　of　it　affects　the　entire　fabric　of　political　conclusions　formed；　I　may　be　excused　if　I　emphasize　it　by　here　quoting　certain　passages　contained　in　a　work　I　published　in　1851：　premising；　only；　that　the　reader　must　not　hold　me　committed　to　such　teleological　implications　as　they　contain。　After　describing　〃that　state　of　universal　warfare　maintained　throughout　the　lower　creation；〃　and　showing　that　an　average　of　benefit　results　from　it；　I　have　continued　thus：　　

〃Note　further；　that　their　carnivorous　enemies　not　only　remove　from　herbivorous　herds　individuals　past　their　prime；　but　also　weed　out　the　sickly；　the　malformed；　and　the　least　fleet　or　powerful。　By　the　aid　of　which　purifying　process；　as　well　as　by　the　fighting　so　universal　in　the　pairing　season；　all　vitiation　of　the　race　through　the　multiplication　of　its　inferior　samples　is　prevented；　and　the　maintenance　of　a　constitution　completely　adapted　to　surrounding　conditions；　and　therefore　most　productive　of　happiness；　is　ensured。　　　　　　〃The　development　of　the　higher　creation　is　a　progress　towards　a　form　of　being　capable　of　a　happiness　undiminished　by　these　drawbacks。　It　is　in　the　human　race　that　the　consummation　is　to　be　accomplished。　Civilization　is　the　last　stage　of　its　accomplishment。　And　the　ideal　man　is　the　man　in　whom　all　the　conditions　of　that　accomplishment　are　fulfilled。　Meanwhile；　the　well…being　of　existing　humanity；　and　the　unfolding　of　it　into　this　ultimate　perfection；　are　both　secured　by　that　same　beneficent；　though　severe　discipline；　to　which　the　animate　creation　at　large　is　subject：　a　discipline　which　is　pitiless　in　the　working　out　of　good：　a　felicity　pursuing　law　which　never　swerves　for　the　avoidance　of　partial　and　temporary　suffering。　The　poverty　of　the　incapable；　the　distresses　that　came　upon　the　imprudent；　the　starvation　of　the　idle；　and　those　shoulderings　aside　of　the　weak　by　the　strong；　which　leave　so　many　'in　shallows　and　in　miseries；'　are　the　decrees　of　a　large；　far…seeing　benevolence。〃　

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〃To　become　fit　for　the　social　state；　man　has　not　only　to　lose　his　savageness；　but　he　has　to　acquire　the　capacities　needful　for　civilized　life。　Power　of　application　must　be　developed；　such　modification　of　the　intellect　as　shall　qualify　it　for　its　new　tasks　must　take　place；　and；　above　all；　there　must　be　gained　the　ability　to　sacrifice　a　small　mediate　gratification　for　a　future　great　one。　The　state　of　transition　will　of　course　be　an　unhappy　state。　Misery　inevitably　results　from　incongruity　between　constitutions　and　conditions。　All　these　evils　which　afflict　us；　and　seem　to　the　uninitiated　the　obvious　consequences　of　this　or　that　removable　cause；　are　unavoidable　attendants　on　the　adaptation　now　in　progress。　Humanity　is　being　pressed　against　the　inexorable　necessities　of　its　new　position　　is　being　moulded　into　harmony　with　them；　and　has　to　bear　the　resulting　unhappiness　as　best　it　can。　The　process　must　be　undergone；　and　the　sufferings　must　be　endured。　No　power　on　earth；　no　cunningly…devised　laws　of　statesmen；　no　world…rectifying　schemes　of　the　humane；　no　communist　panaceas；　no　reforms　that　men　ever　did　broach　or　ever　will　broach；　can　diminish　them　one　jot。　Intensified　they　may　be；　and　are；　and　in　preventing　their　intensification；　the　philanthropic　will　find　ample　scope　for　exertion。　But　there　is　bound　up　with　the　changes　a　normal　amount　of　suffering；　which　cannot　be　lessened　without　altering　the　very　laws　of　life。〃　

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　　　　〃Of　course；　in　so　far　as　the　severity　of　this　process　is　mitigated　by　the　spontaneous　sympathy　of　men　for　each　other；　it　is　proper　that　it　should　be　mitigated：　albeit　there　is　unquestionably　harm　done　when　sympathy　is　shown；　without　any　regard　to　ultimate　results。　But　the　drawbacks　hence　arising　are　nothing　like　commensurate　with　the　benefits　otherwise　conferred。　Only　when　this　sympathy　prompts　to　a　breach　of　equity　　only　when　it　originates　an　interference　forbidden　by　the　law　of　equal　freedom　　only　when；　by　so　doing；　it　suspends　in　some　particular　department　of　life　the　relationship　between　constitution　and　conditions；　does　it　work　pure　evil。　Then；　however；　it　defeats　its　own　end。　Instead　of　diminishing　suffering；　it　eventually　increases　it。　It　favours　the　multiplication　of　those　worst　fitted　for　existence；　and；　by　consequence；　hinders　the　multiplication　of　those　best　fitted　for　existence　　leaving；　as　it　does；　less　room　for　them。　It　tends　to　fill　the　world　with　those　to　whom　life　will　bring　most　pain；　and　tends　to　keep　out　of　it　those　to　whom　life　will　bring　most　pleasure。　It　inflicts　positive　misery；　and　prevents　positive　happiness。〃　　　　　　　　　Social　Statics；　pp。　322…5　and　pp。　380…1　（edition　of　1851）。　

　　　　The　lapse　of　a　third　of　a　century　since　these　passages　were　published；　has　brought　me　no　reasons　for　retreating　from　the　position　taken　up　in　them。　Contrariwise；　it　has　brought　a　vast　amount　of　evidence　strengthening　that　position。　The　beneficial　results　of　the　survival　of　the　fittest；　prove　to　be　immeasurably　greater　than　those　above　indicated。　The　process　of　〃natural　selection；〃　as　Mr　Darwin　called　it；　co…operating　with　a　tendency　to　variation　and　to　inheritance　of　variations；　he　has　shown　to　be　a　chief　cause　（though　not；　I　believe；　the　sole　cause）　of　that　evolution　through　which　all　living　things；　beginning　with　the　lowest　and　diverging　and　re…diverging　as　they　evolved；　have　reached　their　present　degrees　of　organization　and　adaptation　to　their　modes　of　life。　So　familiar　has　this　truth　become　that　some　apology　seems　needed　for　naming　it。　And　yet；　strange　to　say；　now　that　this　truth　is　recognized　by　most　cultivated　people　now　that　the　beneficent　working　of　the　survival　of　the　fittest　has　been　so　impressed　on　them　that；　much　more　than　people　in　past　times；　they　might　be　expected　to　hesitate　before　neutralizing　its　action　now　more　than　ever　before　in　the　history　of　the　world；　are　they　doing　all　they　can　to　further　survival　of　the　unfittest！　　　　　　But　the　postulate　that　men　are　rational　beings；　continually　leads　one　to　draw　inferences　which　prove　to　be　extremely　wide　of　the　mark。（25*）　　　　　　〃Yes　truly；　your　principle　is　derived　from　the　lives　of　brutes；　and　is　a　brutal　principle。　You　will　not　persuade　me　that　men　are　to　be　under　the　discipline　which　animals　are　under。　I　care　nothing　for　your　natural…history　arguments。　My　conscience　shows　me　that　the　feeble　and　the　suffering　must　be　helped；　and　if　selfish　people　won't　help　them；　they　must　be　forced　by　law　to　help　them。　Don't　tell　me　that　the　milk　of　human　kindness　is　to　be　reserved　for　the　relations　between　individuals；　and　that　Governments　must　be　the　administrators　of　nothing　but　hard　justice。　Every　man　with　sympathy　in　him　must　feel　that　hunger　and　pain　and　squalor　must　be