pagan and christian creeds-第37章

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Let　us　pass　then　to　the　Second　Stage。　There　is　a　moment　in　the　evolution　of　a　childsomewhere　perhaps　about　the　age　of　three＇1＇when　the　simple　almost　animal…like　consciousness　of　the　babe　is　troubled　by　a　new　elementSELF…consciousness。　The　change　is　so　marked；　so　definite；　that　（in　the　depth　of　the　infant's　eyes）　you　can　almost　SEE　it　take　place。　So　in　the　evolution　of　the　human　race　there　has　been　a　periodalso　marked　and　definite；　though　extending　intermittent　over　a　vast　interval　of　timewhen　on　men　in　general　there　dawned　the　consciousness　of　THEMSELVES；　of　their　own　thoughts　and　actions。　The　old　simple　acceptance　of　sensations　and　experiences　gave　place　to　REFLECTION。　The　question　arose：　〃How　do　these　sensations　and　experiences　affect　ME？　What　can　_I_　do　to　modify　them；　to　encourage　the　pleasurable；　to　avoid　or　inhibit　the　painful；　and　so　on？〃　From　that　moment　a　new　motive　was　added　to　life。　The　mind　revolved　round　a　new　centre。　It　began　to　spin　like　a　little　eddy　round　its　own　axis。　It　studied　ITSELF　first　and　became　deeply　concerned　about　its　own　pleasures　and　pains；　losing　touch　the　while　with　the　larger　life　which　once　dominated　itthe　life　of　Nature；　the　life　of　the　Tribe。　The　old　unity　of　the　spirit；　the　old　solidarity；　were　broken　up。

＇1＇　See　Bucke's　Cosmic　Consciousness　（Philadelphia；　1901）；　pp。　1　and　39；　also　W。　McDougall's　Social　Psychology　（1908）；　p。　146　where　the　same　age　is　tentatively　suggested。


I　have　touched　on　this　subject　before；　but　it　is　so　important　that　the　reader　must　excuse　repetition。　There　came　an　inevitable　severance；　an　inevitable　period　of　strife。　The　magic　mirror　of　the　soul；　reflecting　nature　as　heretofore　in　calm　and　simple　grace；　was　suddenly　cracked　across。　The　new　self…conscious　man　（not　all　at　once　but　gradually）　became　alienated　from　his　tribe。　He　lapsed　into　strife　with　his　fellows。　Ambition；　vanity；　greed；　the　love　of　domination；　the　desire　for　property　and　possessions；　set　in。　The　influences　of　fellowship　and　solidarity　grew　feebler。　He　became　alienated　from　his　great　Mother。　His　instincts　were　less　and　less　sureand　that　in　proportion　as　brain…　activity　and　self…regarding　calculation　took　their　place。　Love　and　mutual　help　were　less　compelling　in　proportion　as　the　demands　of　self…interest　grew　louder　and　more　insistent。　Ultimately　the　crisis　came。　Cain　murdered　his　brother　and　became　an　outcast。　The　Garden　of　Eden　and　the　Golden　Age　closed　their　gates　behind　him。　He　entered　upon　a　period　of　sufferinga　period　of　labor　and　toil　and　sorrow　such　as　he　had　never　before　known；　and　such　as　the　animals　certainly　have　never　known。　And　in　that　distressful　state；　in　that　doleful　valley　of　his　long　pilgrimage；　he　still　remains　to…day。

Thus　has　the　canker　of　self…consciousness　done　its　work。　It　would　be　foolish　and　useless　to　rail　against　the　process；　or　to　blame　any　one　for　it。　It　had　to　be。　Through　this　dismal　vale　of　self…seeking　mankind　had　to　passif　only　in　order　at　last　to　find　the　True　Self　which　was　（and　still　remains）　its　goal。　The　pilgrimage　will　not　last　for　ever。　Indeed　there　are　signs　that　the　recent　Great　War　and　the　following　Events　mark　the　lowest　point　of　descent　and　the　beginning　of　the　human　soul's　return　to　sanity　and　ascent　towards　the　heavenly　Kingdom。　No　doubt　Man　will　arrive　again　SOME　day　at　the　grace；　composure　and　leisurely　beauty　of　life　which　the　animals　realized　long　ago；　though　he　seems　a　precious　long　time　about　it；　and　when　all　this　nightmare　of　Greed　and　Vanity　and　Self…conceit　and　Cruelty　and　Lust　of　oppression　and　domination；　which　marks　the　present　period；　is　pastand　it　WILL　passthen　Humanity　will　come　again　to　its　Golden　Age　and　to　that　Paradise　of　redemption　and　peace　which　has　for　so　long　been　prophesied。

But　we　are　dealing　with　the　origins　of　Religion；　and　what　I　want　the　reader　to　see　is　that　it　was　just　this　breaking　up　of　the　old　psychologic　unity　and　continuity　of　man　with　his　surroundings　which　led　to　the　whole　panorama　of　the　rituals　and　creeds。　Man；　centering　round　himself；　necessarily　became　an　exile　from　the　great　Whole。　He　committed　the　sin　（if　it　was　a　sin）　of　Separation。　Anyhow　Nemesis　was　swift。　The　sense　of　loneliness　and　the　sense　of　guilt　came　on　him。　The　realization　of　himself　as　a　separate　conscious　being　necessarily　led　to　his　attributing　a　similar　consciousness　of　some　kind　to　the　great　Life　around　him。　Action　and　reaction　are　equal　and　opposite。　Whatever　he　may　have　felt　before；　it　became　clear　to　him　now　that　beings　more　or　less　like　himselfthough　doubtless　vaster　and　more　powerfulmoved　behind　the　veil　of　the　visible　world。

From　that　moment　the　belief　in　Magic　and　Demons　and　Gods　arose　or　slowly　developed　itself；　and　in　the　midst　of　this　turmoil　of　perilous　and　conflicting　powers；　he　perceived　himself　an　alien　and　an　exile；　stricken　with　Fear；　stricken　with　the　sense　of　Sin。　If　before；　he　had　experienced　fearin　the　kind　of　automatic　way　of　self…preservation　in　which　the　animals　feel　ithe　now；　with　fevered　self…　regard　and　excited　imagination；　experienced　it　in　double　or　treble　degree。　And　if；　before；　he　had　been　aware　that　fortune　and　chance　were　not　always　friendly　and　propitious　to　his　designs；　he　now　perceived　or　thought　he　perceived　in　every　adverse　happening　the　deliberate　persecution　of　the　powers；　and　an　accusation　of　guilt　directed　against　him　for　some　neglect　or　deficiency　in　his　relation　to　them。　Hence　by　a　perfectly　logical　and　natural　sequence　there　arose　the　belief　in　other…world　or　supernatural　powers；　whether　purely　fortuitous　and　magical　or　more　distinctly　rational　and　personal；　there　arose　the　sense　of　Sin；　or　of　offence　against　these　powers；　there　arose　a　complex　ritual　of　Expiationwhether　by　personal　sacrifice　and　suffering　or　by　the　sacrifice　of　victims。　There　arose　too　a　whole　catalogue　of　ceremoniesceremonies　of　Initiation；　by　which　the　novice　should　learn　to　keep　within　the　good　grace　of　the　Powers；　and　under　the　blessing　of　his　Tribe　and　the　protection　of　its　Totem；　ceremonies　of　Eucharistic　meals　which　should　restore　the　lost　sanctity　of　the　common　life　and　remove　the　sense　of　guilt　and　isolation；　ceremonies　of　Marriage　and　rules　and　rites　of　sex…connection；　fitted　to　curb　the　terrific　and　demonic　violence　of　passions　which　else　indeed　might　easily　rend　the　community　asunder。　And　so　on。　It　is　easy　to　see　that　granted　an　early　stage　of　simple　unreflecting　nature…consciousness；　and　granting　this　broken　into　and；　after　a　time；　shattered　by　the　arrival　of　SELF…consciousness　there　would　necessarily　follow　in　spontaneous　yet　logical　order　a　whole　series　of　religious　institutions　and　beliefs；　which　phantasmal　and　unreal　as　they　may　appear　to　us；　were　by　no　means　unreal　to　our　ancestors。　It　is　easy　also　to　see　that　as　the　psychological　process　was　necessarily　of　similar　general　character　in　every　branch　of　the　human　race　and　all　over　the　world；　so　the　religious　evolutionsthe　creeds　and　ritualstook　on　much　the　same　complexion　everywhere；　and；　though　they　differed　in　details　according　to　climate　and　other　influences；　ran　on　such　remarkably　parallel　lines　as　we　have　noted。

Finally；　to　make　the　whole　matter　clear；　let　me　repeat　that　this　event；　the　inbreak　of　Self…consciousness；　took　place；　or　BEGAN　to　take　place；　an　enormous　time　ago；　perhaps　in　the　beginning　of　the　Neolithic　Age。　I　dwell　on　the　word　〃began〃　because　I　think　it　is　probable　that　in　its　beginnings；　and　for　a　long　period　after；　this　newborn　consciousness　had　an　infantile　and　very　innocent　character；　quite　different　from　its　later　and　more　aggressive　formsjust　as　we　see　self…consciousness　in　a　little　child　has　a　charm　and　a　grace　which　it　loses　later　in　a　boastful　or　grasping　boyhood　and　manhood。　So　we　may　understand　that　though　self…consciousness　may　have　begun　to　appear　in　the　human　race　at　this　very　early　time　（and　more　or　less　contemporaneously　with　the　invention　of　very　rude　tools　and　unformed　language）；　there　probably　did　elapse　a　very　long　period　perhaps　the　whole　of　the　Neolithic　Agebefore　the　evils　of　this　second　stage　of　human　evolution　came　to　a　head。　Max　Muller　has　pointed　out　that　among　the　words　which　are　common　to　the　various　branches　of　Aryan　language；　and　which　therefore　belong　to　the　very　early　period　before　the　separation　of　these　branches；　there　are　not　found　the　words　denoting　war　and　conflict　and　the　weapons　and　instruments　of　strifea　fact　which　suggests　a　long　continuance　of　peaceful　habit　among　mankind　AFTER　the　first　formation　and　use　of　language。

That　the　birth　of　language　and　the　birth　of　self…consciousness　were　APPROXIMATELY　simultaneous　is　a　probable　theory；　and　one　favored　by　many　thinkers；＇1＇　but　the　slow　beginnings　of　both　must　have　been　so　very　protracted　that　it　is　perhaps　useless　to　attempt　any　very　exact　determination。　Late　researches　seem　to　show　that　language　began　in　what　might　be　called　TRIBAL　expressions　of　mood　and　feeling　（holophrases　like　〃go…hunting…kill…bear〃）　without　reference　to　individual　personalities　and　relationships；　and　that　it　was　only　at　a　later　stage　that　words　like　〃I〃　and　〃Thou〃　came　into　use；　and　the　holophrases　broke　up　into　〃parts　of　speech〃　and　took　on　a　definite　grammatical　structure。＇2＇　If　true；　these　facts　point　clearly　to　a　long　foreground　of　rude　communal　language；　something　like　though　greatly　superior　to　that　of　the　animals；　preceding　or　preparing　the　evolution　of　Self…consciousness　proper；　in　the　forms　of　〃I〃　and　〃Thou〃　and　the　grammar　of　personal　actions　and　relations。　〃They　show　that　the　plural　and　all　other　forms　of　number　in　grammar　arise　not　by　multiplication　of　an　original　'I；'　but　by　selection　and　gradual　EXCLUSION　from　an　original　collective　'we。'　〃＇3＇　According　to　this　view　the　birth　of　self…consciousness　in　the　human　family；　or　in　any　particular　race　or　section　of　the　human　family；　must　have　been　equally　slow　and　hesitating；　and　it　would　be　easy　to　imagine；　as　just　said；　that　there　may　have　been　a　very　long　and　'golden'　period　at　its　beginning；　before　the　new　consciousness　took　on　its　maturer　and　harsher　forms。

＇1＇　Dr。　Bucke　（Cosmic　Consciousness）　insists　on　their　simultaneity；　but　places　both　events　excessively　far　back；　as　we　should　think；　i。e。　200；000　or　300；000　years　ago。　Possibly　he　does　not　differentiate　sufficiently　between　the　rude　language　of　the　holophrase　and　the　much　later　growth　of　formed　and　grammatical　speech。

＇2＇　See　A。　E。　Crawley's　Idea　of　the　Soul；　ch。　ii；　Jane　Harrison's　Themis；　pp。　473…5；　and　E。　J。　Payne's　History　of　the　New　World　called　America；　vol。　ii；　pp。　115　sq。；　where　the　beginning　of　self…consciousness　is　associated　with　the　break…up　of　the　holophrase。

＇3＇　Themis；　p。　471。


All　estimates　of　the　Time　involved　in　these　evolutions　of　early　man　are　notoriously　most　divergent　and　most　difficult　to　be　sure　of；　but　if　we　take　500；000　years　ago　for　the　first　appearance　of　veritable　Man　（homo　primigenius）；＇2＇　and　（following　Professor　W。　J。　Sollas）＇3＇　30；000　or　40；000　years　ago　for　the　first　tool…using　men　（homo　sapiens）　of　the　Chellean　Age　（palaeolithic）；　15；000　for　the　rock…paintings　and　inscriptions　of　the　Aurignacian　and　Magdalenian　peoples；　and　5；000　years　ago　for　the　first　actual　historical　records　that　have　come　down　to　us；　we　may　perhaps　get　something　like　a　proportion　between　the　different　periods。　That　is　to　say；　half　a　million　years　for