utopia of usurers and other essays-第4部分

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on　his　deathbed。　　The　Materialist　does　not　think　that　Mr。　Haeckel　will　go
to　heaven；　while　all　the　peasants　will　go　to　pot；　like　their　chickens。
In　every　serious　doctrine　of　the　destiny　of　men；　there　is　some　trace　of
the　doctrine　of　the　equality　of　men。　　But　the　capitalist　really　depends　on
some　religion　of　inequality。　　The　capitalist　must　somehow　distinguish
himself　from　human　kind；　he　must　be　obviously　above　itor　he　would　be
obviously　below　it。　　Take　even　the　least　attractive　and　popular　side　of
the　larger　religions　to…day；　take　the　mere　vetoes　imposed　by　Islam　on
Atheism　or　Catholicism。　　The　Moslem　veto　upon　intoxicants　cuts　across　all
classes。　　But　it　is　absolutely　necessary　for　the　capitalist　（who　presides
at　a　Licensing　Committee；　and　also　at　a　large　dinner）；　it　is　absolutely
necessary　for　him；　to　make　a　distinction　between　gin　and　champagne。　　The
Atheist　veto　upon　all　miracles　cuts　across　all　classes。　　But　it　is
absolutely　necessary　for　the　capitalist　to　make　a　distinction　between　his
wife　（who　is　an　aristocrat　and　consults　crystal　gazers　and　star　gazers　in
the　West　End）；　and　vulgar　miracles　claimed　by　gipsies　or　travelling
showmen。　　The　Catholic　veto　upon　usury；　as　defined　in　dogmatic　councils；
cuts　across　all　classes。　　But　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　the　capitalist
to　distinguish　more　delicately　between　two　kinds　of　usury；　the　kind　he
finds　useful　and　the　kind　he　does　not　find　useful。　　The　religion　of　the
Servile　State　must　have　no　dogmas　or　definitions。　　It　cannot　afford　to
have　any　definitions。　　For　definitions　are　very　dreadful　things：　they　do
the　two　things　that　most　men；　especially　comfortable　men；　cannot　endure。
They　fight；　and　they　fight　fair。

Every　religion；　apart　from　open　devil　worship；　must　appeal　to　a　virtue　or
the　pretence　of　a　virtue。　　But　a　virtue；　generally　speaking；　does　some
good　to　everybody。　　It　is　therefore　necessary　to　distinguish　among　the
people　it　was　meant　to　benefit　those　whom　it　does　benefit。　　Modern
broad…mindedness　benefits　the　rich；　and　benefits　nobody　else。　　It　was
meant　to　benefit　the　rich；　and　meant　to　benefit　nobody　else。　　And　if　you
think　this　unwarranted；　I　will　put　before　you　one　plain　question。　　There
are　some　pleasures　of　the　poor　that　may　also　mean　profits　for　the　rich：
there　are　other　pleasures　of　the　poor　which　cannot　mean　profits　for　the
rich？　　Watch　this　one　contrast；　and　you　will　watch　the　whole　creation　of　a
careful　slavery。

In　the　last　resort　the　two　things　called　Beer　and　Soap　end　only　in　a　froth。
They　are　both　below　the　high　notice　of　a　real　religion。　　But　there　is
just　this　difference：　that　the　soap　makes　the　factory　more　satisfactory；
while　the　beer　only　makes　the　workman　more　satisfied。　　Wait　and　see　if
the　Soap　does　not　increase　and　the　Beer　decrease。　　Wait　and　see　whether
the　religion　of　the　Servile　State　is　not　in　every　case　what　I　say：　the
encouragement　of　small　virtues　supporting　capitalism；　the　discouragement
of　the　huge　virtues　that　defy　it。　　Many　great　religions；　Pagan　and
Christian；　have　insisted　on　wine。　　Only　one；　I　think；　has　insisted　on　Soap。
You　will　find　it　in　the　New　Testament　attributed　to　the　Pharisees。



VI。　SCIENCE　AND　THE　EUGENISTS

The　key　fact　in　the　new　development　of　plutocracy　is　that　it　will　use　its
own　blunder　as　an　excuse　for　further　crimes。　　Everywhere　the　very
completeness　of　the　impoverishment　will　be　made　a　reason　for　the
enslavement；　though　the　men　who　impoverished　were　the　same　who　enslaved。
It　is　as　if　a　highwayman　not　only　took　away　a　gentleman's　horse　and　all
his　money；　but　then　handed　him　over　to　the　police　for　tramping　without
visible　means　of　subsistence。　　And　the　most　monstrous　feature　in　this
enormous　meanness　may　be　noted　in　the　plutocratic　appeal　to　science；　or；
rather；　to　the　pseudo…science　that　they　call　Eugenics。

The　Eugenists　get　the　ear　of　the　humane　but　rather　hazy　cliques　by　saying
that　the　present　〃conditions〃　under　which　people　work　and　breed　are　bad
for　the　race；　but　the　modern　mind　will　not　generally　stretch　beyond　one
step　of　reasoning；　and　the　consequence　which　appears　to　follow　on　the
consideration　of　these　〃conditions〃　is　by　no　means　what　would　originally
have　been　expected。　　If　somebody　says：　〃A　rickety　cradle　may　mean　a
rickety　baby；〃　the　natural　deduction；　one　would　think；　would　be　to　give
the　people　a　good　cradle；　or　give　them　money　enough　to　buy　one。　　But　that
means　higher　wages　and　greater　equalisation　of　wealth；　and　the　plutocratic
scientist；　with　a　slightly　troubled　expression；　turns　his　eyes　and
pince…nez　in　another　direction。　　Reduced　to　brutal　terms　of　truth；　his
difficulty　is　this　and　simply　this：　More　food；　leisure；　and　money　for　the
workman　would　mean　a　better　workman；　better　even　from　the　point　of　view　of
anyone　for　whom　he　worked。　　But　more　food；　leisure；　and　money　would　also
mean　a　more　independent　workman。　　A　house　with　a　decent　fire　and　a　full
pantry　would　be　a　better　house　to　make　a　chair　or　mend　a　clock　in；　even
from　the　customer's　point　of　view；　than　a　hovel　with　a　leaky　roof　and　a
cold　hearth。　　But　a　house　with　a　decent　fire　and　a　full　pantry　would　also
be　a　better　house　in　which　to　refuse　to　make　a　chair　or　mend　a　clocka
much　better　house　to　do　nothing　inand　doing　nothing　is　sometimes　one　of
the　highest　of　the　duties　of　man。　　All　but　the　hard…hearted　must　be　torn
with　pity　for　this　pathetic　dilemma　of　the　rich　man；　who　has　to　keep　the
poor　man　just　stout　enough　to　do　the　work　and　just　thin　enough　to　have　to
do　it。　　As　he　stood　gazing　at　the　leaky　roof　and　the　rickety　cradle　in　a
pensive　manner；　there　one　day　came　into　his　mind　a　new　and　curious
ideaone　of　the　most　strange；　simple；　and　horrible　ideas　that　have　ever
risen　from　the　deep　pit　of　original　sin。

The　roof　could　not　be　mended；　or；　at　least；　it　could　not　be　mended　much；
without　upsetting　the　capitalist　balance；　or；　rather；　disproportion　in
society；　for　a　man　with　a　roof　is　a　man　with　a　house；　and　to　that　extent
his　house　is　his　castle。　　The　cradle　could　not　be　made　to　rock　easier；　or；
at　least；　not　much　easier；　without　strengthening　the　hands　of　the　poor
household；　for　the　hand　that　rocks　the　cradle　rules　the　worldto　that
extent。　　But　it　occurred　to　the　capitalist　that　there　was　one　sort　of
furniture　in　the　house　that　could　be　altered。　　The　husband　and　wife　could
be　altered。　　Birth　costs　nothing；　except　in　pain　and　valour　and　such
old…fashioned　things；　and　the　merchant　need　pay　no　more　for　mating　a
strong　miner　to　a　healthy　fishwife　than　he　pays　when　the　miner　mates
himself　with　a　less　robust　female　whom　he　has　the　sentimentality　to　prefer。
Thus　it　might　be　possible；　by　keeping　on　certain　broad　lines　of
heredity；　to　have　some　physical　improvement　without　any　moral；　political；
or　social　improvement。　　It　might　be　possible　to　keep　a　supply　of　strong
and　healthy　slaves　without　coddling　them　with　decent　conditions。　　As　the
mill…owners　use　the　wind　and　the　water　to　drive　their　mills；　they　would
use　this　natural　force　as　something　even　cheaper；　and　turn　their　wheels　by
diverting　from　its　channel　the　blood　of　a　man　in　his　youth。　　That　is　what
Eugenics　means；　and　that　is　all　that　it　means。

Of　the　moral　state　of　those　who　think　of　such　things　it　does　not　become　us
to　speak。　　The　practical　question　is　rather　the　intellectual　one：　of
whether　their　calculations　are　well　founded；　and　whether　the　men　of
science　can　or　will　guarantee　them　any　such　physical　certainties。
Fortunately；　it　becomes　clearer　every　day　that　they　are；　scientifically
speaking；　building　on　the　shifting　sand。　　The　theory　of　breeding　slaves
breaks　down　through　what　a　democrat　calls　the　equality　of　men；　but　which
even　an　oligarchist　will　find　himself　forced　to　call　the　similarity　of　men。
That　is；　that　though　it　is　not　true　that　all　men　are　normal；　it　is
overwhelmingly　certain　that　most　men　are　normal。　　All　the　common　Eugenic
arguments　are　drawn　from　extreme　cases；　which；　even　if　human　honour　and
laughter　allowed　of　their　being　eliminated；　would　not　by　their　elimination
greatly　affect　the　mass。　　For　the　rest；　there　remains　the　enormous
weakness　in　Eugenics；　that　if　ordinary　men's　judgment　or　liberty　is　to　be
discounted　in　relation　to　heredity；　the　judgment　of　the　judges　must　be
discounted　in　relation　to　their　heredity。　　The　Eugenic　professor　may　or
may　not　succeed　in　choosing　a　baby's　parents；　it　is　quite　certain　that　he
cannot　succeed　in　choosing　his　own　parents。　　All　his　thoughts；　including
his　Eugenic　thoughts；　are；　by　the　very　principle　of　those　thoughts；
flowing　from　a　doubtful　or　tainted　source。　　In　short；　we　should　need　a
perfectly　Wise　Man　to　do　the　thing　at　all。　　And　if　he　were　a　Wise　Man　he
would　not　do　it。



VII。　THE　EVOLUTION　OF　THE　PRISON

I　have　never　understood　why　it　is　that　those　who　talk　most　about　evolution；
and　talk　it　in　the　very　age　of　fashionable　evolutionism；　do　not　see　the
one　way　in　which　evolution　really　does　apply　to　our　modern　difficulty。
There　is；　of　course；　an　element　of　evolutionism　in　the　universe；　and　I
know　no　religion　or　philosophy　that　ever　entirely　ignored　it。　　Evolution；
popularly　speaking；　is　that　which　happens　to　unconscious　things。　　They
grow　unconsciously；　or　fade　unconsciously；　or　rather；　some　parts　of　them
grow　and　some　parts　of　them　fade；　and　at　any　given　moment　there　is　almost
always　some　presence　of　thc　fading　thing；　and　some　incompleteness　in　the
growing　one。　　Thus；　if　I　went　to　sleep　for　a　hundred　years；　like　the
Sleeping　Beauty　（I　wish　I　could）；　I　should　grow　a　beardunlike　the
Sleeping　Beauty。　　And　just　as　I　should　grow　hair　if　I　were　asleep；　I
should　grow　grass　if　I　were　dead。　　Those　whose　religion　it　was　that　God
was　asleep　were　perpetually　impressed　and　affected　by　the　fact　that　he　had
a　long　beard。　　And　those　whose　philosophy　it　is　that　the　universe　is　dead
from　the　beginning　（being　the　grave　of　nobody　in　particular）　think　that　is
the　way　that　grass　can　grow。　　In　any　case；　these　developments　only　occur
with　dead　or　dreaming　things。　　What　happens　when　everyone　is　asleep　is
called　Evolution。　　What　happens　when　everyone　is　awake　is　called
Revolution。

There　was　once　an　honest　man；　whose　name　I　never　knew；　but　whose　face　I
can　almost　see　（it　is　framed　in　Victorian　whiskers　an