utopia of usurers and other essays-第5部分

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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　and　fixed　in　a
Victorian　neck…cloth）；　who　was　balancing　the　achievements　of　France　and
England　in　civilisation　and　social　efficiencies。　　And　when　he　came　to　the
religious　aspect　he　said　that　there　were　more　stone　and　brick　churches
used　in　France；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　there　are　more　sects　in　England。
Whether　such　a　lively　disintegration　is　a　proof　of　vitality　in　any
valuable　sense　I　have　always　doubted。　　The　sun　may　breed　maggots　in　a
dead　dog；　but　it　is　essential　for　such　a　liberation　of　life　that　the　dog
should　be　unconscious　or　（to　say　the　least　of　it）　absent…minded。　　Broadly
speaking；　you　may　call　the　thing　corruption；　if　you　happen　to　like　dogs。
You　may　call　it　evolution；　if　you　happen　to　like　maggots。　　In　either　case；
it　is　what　happens　to　things　if　you　leave　them　alone。


The　Evolutionists'　Error

Now；　the　modern　Evolutionists　have　made　no　real　use　of　the　idea　of
evolution；　especially　in　the　matter　of　social　prediction。　　They　always
fall　into　what　is　（from　their　logical　point　of　view）　the　error　of
supposing　that　evolution　knows　what　it　is　doing。　　They　predict　the　State
of　the　future　as　a　fruit　rounded　and　polished。　　But　the　whole　point　of
evolution　（the　only　point　there　is　in　it）　is　that　no　State　will　ever　be
rounded　and　polished；　because　it　will　always　contain　some　organs　that
outlived　their　use；　and　some　that　have　not　yet　fully　found　theirs。　　If　we
wish　to　prophesy　what　will　happen；　we　must　imagine　things　now　moderate
grown　enormous；　things　now　local　grown　universal；　things　now　promising
grown　triumphant；　primroses　bigger　than　sunflowers；　and　sparrows　stalking
about　like　flamingoes。

In　other　words；　we　must　ask　what　modern　institution　has　a　future　before
it？　　What　modem　institution　may　have　swollen　to　six　times　its　present　size
in　the　social　heat　and　growth　of　the　future？　　I　do　not　think　the　Garden
City　will　grow：　but　of　that　I　may　speak　in　my　next　and　last　article　of
this　series。　　I　do　not　think　even　the　ordinary　Elementary　School；　with　its
compulsory　education；　will　grow。　　Too　many　unlettered　people　hate　the
teacher　for　teaching；　and　too　many　lettered　people　hate　the　teacher　for
not　teaching。　　The　Garden　City　will　not　bear　much　blossom；　the　young　idea
will　not　shoot；　unless　it　shoots　the　teacher。　　But　the　one　flowering　tree
on　the　estate；　the　one　natural　expansion　which　I　think　will　expand；　is　the
institution　we　call　the　Prison。


Prisons　for　All

If　the　capitalists　are　allowed　to　erect　their　constructive　capitalist
community；　I　speak　quite　seriously　when　I　say　that　I　think　Prison　will
become　an　almost　universal　experience。　　It　will　not　necessarily　be　a
cruel　or　shameful　experience：　on　these　points　（I　concede　certainly　for　the
present　purpose　of　debate）　it　may　be　a　vastly　improved　experience。　　The
conditions　in　the　prison；　very　possibly；　will　be　made　more　humane。　　But
the　prison　will　be　made　more　humane　only　in　order　to　contain　more　of
humanity。　　I　think　little　of　the　judgment　and　sense　of　humour　of　any　man
who　can　have　watched　recent　police　trials　without　realising　that　it　is　no
longer　a　question　of　whether　the　law　has　been　broken　by　a　crime；　but；　now；
solely　a　question　of　whether　the　situation　could　be　mended　by　an
imprisonment。　　It　was　so　with　Tom　Mann；　it　was　so　with　Larkin；　it　was　so
with　the　poor　atheist　who　was　kept　in　gaol　for　saying　something　he　had
been　acquitted　of　saying：　it　is　so　in　such　cases　day　by　day。　　We　no　longer
lock　a　man　up　for　doing　something；　we　lock　him　up　in　the　hope　of　his　doing
nothing。　　Given　this　principle；　it　is　evidently　possible　to　make　the　mere
conditions　of　punishment　more　moderate；　or（more　probably）　more　secret。
There　may　really　be　more　mercy　in　the　Prison；　on　condition　that　there　is
less　justice　in　the　Court。　　I　should　not　be　surprised　if；　before　we　are
done　with　all　this；　a　man　was　allowed　to　smoke　in　prison；　on　condition；　of
course；　that　he　had　been　put　in　prison　for　smoking。

Now　that　is　the　process　which；　in　the　absence　of　democratic　protest；　will
certainly　proceed；　will　increase　and　multiply　and　replenish　the　earth　and
subdue　it。　　Prison　may　even　lose　its　disgrace　for　a　little　time：　it　will
be　difficult　to　make　it　disgraceful　when　men　like　Larkin　can　be　imprisoned
for　no　reason　at　all；　just　as　his　celebrated　ancestor　was　hanged　for　no
reason　at　all。　　But　capitalist　society；　which　naturally　does　not　know　the
meaning　of　honour；　cannot　know　the　meaning　of　disgrace：　and　it　will　still
go　on　imprisoning　for　no　reason　at　all。　　Or　rather　for　that　rather　simple
reason　that　makes　a　cat　spring　or　a　rat　run　away。

It　matters　little　whether　our　masters　stoop　to　state　the　matter　in　the
form　that　every　prison　should　be　a　school；　or　in　the　more　candid　form　that
every　school　should　be　a　prison。　　They　have　already　fulfilled　their
servile　principle　in　the　case　of　the　schools。　　Everyone　goes　to　the
Elementary　Schools　except　the　few　people　who　tell　them　to　go　there。　　I
prophesy　that　（unless　our　revolt　succeeds）　nearly　everyone　will　be　going
to　Prison；　with　a　precisely　similar　patience。



VIII。　THE　LASH　FOR　LABOUR

If　I　were　to　prophesy　that　two　hundred　years　hence　a　grocer　would　have　the
right　and　habit　of　beating　the　grocer's　assistant　with　a　stick；　or　that
shop　girls　might　be　flogged；　as　they　already　can　be　fined；　many　would
regard　it　as　rather　a　rash　remark。　　It　would　be　a　rash　remark。　　Prophecy
is　always　unreliable；　unless　we　except　the　kind　which　is　avowedly
irrational；　mystical　and　supernatural　prophecy。　　But　relatively　to　nearly
all　the　other　prophecies　that　are　being　made　around　me　to…day；　I　should
say　my　prediction　stood　an　exceptionally　good　chance。　　In　short；　I　think
the　grocer　with　the　stick　is　a　figure　we　are　far　more　likely　to　see　than
the　Superman　or　the　Samurai；　or　the　True　Model　Employer；　or　the　Perfect
Fabian　Official；　or　the　citizen　of　the　Collectivist　State。　　And　it　is
best　for　us　to　see　the　full　ugliness　of　the　transformation　which　is
passing　over　our　Society　in　some　such　abrupt　and　even　grotesque　image　at
the　end　of　it。　　The　beginnings　of　a　decline；　in　every　age　of　history；　have
always　had　the　appearance　of　being　reforms。　　Nero　not　only　fiddled　while
Rome　was　burning；　but　he　probably　really　paid　more　attention　to　the　fiddle
than　to　the　fire。　　The　Roi　Soleil；　like　many　other　soleils；　was　most
splendid　to　all　appearance　a　little　before　sunset。　　And　if　I　ask　myself
what　will　be　the　ultimate　and　final　fruit　of　all　our　social　reforms；
garden　cities；　model　employers；　insurances；　exchanges；　arbitration　courts；
and　so　on；　then；　I　say；　quite　seriously；　〃I　think　it　will　be　labour　under
the　lash。〃


The　Sultan　and　the　Sack

Let　us　arrange　in　some　order　a　number　of　converging　considerations　that
all　point　in　this　direction。　　（1）　It　is　broadly　true；　no　doubt；　that　the
weapon　of　the　employer　has　hitherto　been　the　threat　of　dismissal；　that　is；
the　threat　of　enforced　starvation。　　He　is　a　Sultan　who　need　not　order　the
bastinado；　so　long　as　he　can　order　the　sack。　　But　there　are　not　a　few
signs　that　this　weapon　is　not　quite　so　convenient　and　flexible　a　one　as
his　increasing　rapacities　require。　　The　fact　of　the　introduction　of　fines；
secretly　or　openly；　in　many　shops　and　factories；　proves　that　it　is
convenient　for　the　capitalists　to　have　some　temporary　and　adjustable　form
of　punishment　besides　the　final　punishment　of　pure　ruin。　　Nor　is　it
difficult　to　see　the　commonsense　of　this　from　their　wholly　inhuman　point
of　view。　　The　act　of　sacking　a　man　is　attended　with　the　same　disadvantages
as　the　act　of　shooting　a　man：　one　of　which　is　that　you　can　get　no　more　out
of　him。　　It　is；　I　am　told；　distinctly　annoying　to　blow　a　fellow　creature's
brains　out　with　a　revolver　and　then　suddenly　remember　that　he　was　the　only
person　who　knew　where　to　get　the　best　Russian　cigarettes。　　So　our　Sultan；
who　is　the　orderer　of　the　sack；　is　also　the　bearer　of　the　bow…string。　　A
school　in　which　there　was　no　punishment；　except　expulsion；　would　be　a
school　in　which　it　would　be　very　difficult　to　keep　proper　discipline；　and
the　sort　of　discipline　on　which　the　reformed　capitalism　will　insist　will
be　all　of　the　type　which　in　free　nations　is　imposed　only　on　children。
Such　a　school　would　probably　be　in　a　chronic　condition　of　breaking　up　for
the　holidays。　　And　the　reasons　for　the　insufficiency　of　this　extreme
instrument　are　also　varied　and　evident。　　The　materialistic　Sociologists；
who　talk　about　the　survival　of　the　fittest　and　the　weakest　going　to　the
wall　（and　whose　way　of　looking　at　the　world　is　to　put　on　the　latest　and
most　powerful　scientific　spectacles；　and　then　shut　their　eyes）；　frequently
talk　as　if　a　workman　were　simply　efficient　or　non…efficient；　as　if　a
criminal　were　reclaimable　or　irreclaimable。　　The　employers　have　sense
enough　at　least　to　know　better　than　that。　　They　can　see　that　a　servant　may
be　useful　in　one　way　and　exasperating　in　another；　that　he　may　be　bad　in
one　part　of　his　work　and　good　in　another；　that　he　may　be　occasionally
drunk　and　yet　generally　indispensable。　　Just　as　a　practical　school…master
would　know　that　a　schoolboy　can　be　at　once　the　plague　and　the　pride　of　the
school。　　Under　these　circumstances　small　and　varying　penalties　are
obviously　the　most　convenient　things　for　the　person　keeping　order；　an
underling　can　be　punished　for　coming　late；　and　yet　do　useful　work　when　he
comes。　　It　will　be　possible　to　give　a　rap　over　the　knuckles　without　wholly
cutting　off　the　right　hand　that　has　offended。　　Under　these　circumstances
the　employers　have　naturally　resorted　to　fines。　　But　there　is　a　further
ground　for　believing　that　the　process　will　go　beyond　fines　before　it　is
completed。

（2）　The　fine　is　based　on　the　old　European　idea　that　everybody　possesses
private　property　in　some　reasonable　degree；　but　not　only　is　this　not　true
to…day；　but　it　is　not　being　made　any　truer；　even　by　those　who　honestly
believe　that　they　are　mending　matters。　　The　great　employers　will　often　do
something　towards　improving　what　they　call　the　〃conditions〃　of　their
workers；　but　a　worker　might　have　his　conditions　as　carefully　arranged　as　a
racehorse　has；　and　still　h