pagan and christian creeds-第45章

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ver　the　physical　conditions　of　the　animal　brain　may　be　which　connect　themselves　with　simple　（unreflected　and　unreflecting）　consciousness；　it　is　evident　that　these　conditionsin　animals　and　primitive　manlasted　for　an　enormous　period；　before　the　distinct　consciousness　of　the　individual　and　separate　SELF　arose。　This　second　order　of　consciousness　seems　to　have　germinated　at　or　about　the　same　period　as　the　discovery　of　the　use　of　Tools　（tools　of　stone；　copper；　bronze；　&c。）；　the　adoption　of　picture…writing　and　the　use　of　reflective　words　（like　〃I〃　and　〃Thou〃）；　and　it　led　on　to　the　appreciation　of　gold　and　of　iron　with　their　ornamental　and　practical　values；　the　accumulation　of　Property；　the　establishment　of　slavery　of　various　kinds；　the　subjection　of　Women；　the　encouragement　of　luxury　and　self…indulgence；　the　growth　of　crowded　cities　and　the　endless　conflicts　and　wars　so　resulting。　We　can　see　plainly　that　the　incoming　of　the　self…motive　exercised　a　direct　stimulus　on　the　pursuit　of　these　material　objects　and　adaptations；　and　that　the　material　adaptations　in　their　turn　did　largely　accentuate　the　self…motive；　but　to　insist　that　the　real　explanation　of　the　whole　process　is　only　to　be　found　along　one　channelthe　material　OR　the　psychical　is　clearly　quite　unnecessary。　Those　who　understand　that　all　matter　is　conscious　in　some　degree；　and　that　all　consciousness　has　a　material　form　of　some　kind；　will　be　the　first　to　admit　this。

The　same　remarks　apply　to　the　Third　Stage。　We　can　see　that　in　modern　times　the　huge　and　unlimited　powers　of　production　by　machinery；　united　with　a　growing　tendency　towards　intelligent　Birth…control；　are　preparing　the　way　for　an　age　of　Communism　and　communal　Plenty　which　will　inevitably　be　associated　（partly　as　cause　and　partly　as　effect）　with　a　new　general　phase　of　consciousness；　involving　the　mitigation　of　the　struggle　for　existence；　the　growth　of　intuitional　and　psychical　perception；　the　spread　of　amity　and　solidarity；　the　disappearance　of　War；　and　the　realization　（in　degree）　of　the　Cosmic　life。

Perhaps　the　greatest　difficulty　or　stumbling…block　to　the　general　acceptance　of　the　belief　in　a　third　（or　'Golden…　Age'）　phase　of　human　evolution　is　the　obstinate　and　obdurate　pre…judgment　that　the　passing　of　Humanity　out　of　the　Second　stage　can　only　mean　the　entire　ABANDONMENT　OF　SELF…CONSCIOUSNESS；　and　this　people　sayand　quite　rightly　is　both　impossible　and　undesirable。　Throughout　the　preceding　chapters　I　have　striven；　wherever　feasible；　to　counter　this　misunderstandingbut　I　have　little　hope　of　success。　The　DETERMINATION　of　the　world　to　misunderstand　or　misinterpret　anything　a　little　new　or　unfamiliar　is　a　thing　which　perhaps　only　an　author　can　duly　appreciate。　But　while　it　is　clear　that　self…consciousness　originally　came　into　being　through　a　process　of　alienation　and　exile　and　fear　which　marked　it　with　the　Cain…like　brand　of　loneliness　and　apartness；　it　is　equally　clear　that　to　think　of　that　apartness　as　an　absolute　and　permanent　separation　is　an　illusion；　since　no　being　can　really　continue　to　live　divorced　from　the　source　of　its　life。　For　a　period　in　evolution　the　SELF　took　on　this　illusive　form　in　consciousness；　as　of　an　ignis　fatuusthe　form　of　a　being　sundered　from　all　other　beings；　atomic；　lonely；　without　refuge；　surrounded　by　dangers　and　struggling；　for　itself　alone　and　for　its　own　salvation　in　the　midst　of　a　hostile　environment。　Perhaps　some　such　terrible　imagination　was　necessary　at　first；　as　it　were　to　start　Humanity　on　its　new　path。　But　it　had　its　compensation；　for　the　sufferings　and　tortures；　mental　and　bodily；　the　privations；　persecutions；　accusations；　hatreds；　the　wars　and　conflictsso　endured　by　millions　of　individuals　and　whole　raceshave　at　length　stamped　upon　the　human　mind　a　sense　of　individual　responsibility　which　otherwise　perhaps　would　never　have　emerged；　and　whose　mark　can　now　be　effaced；　ultimately；　too；　these　things　have　searched　our　inner　nature　to　its　very　depths　and　exposed　its　bed…rock　foundation。　They　have　convinced　us　that　this　idea　of　ultimate　separation　is　an　illusion；　and　that　in　truth　we　are　all　indefeasible　and　indestructible　parts　of　one　great　Unity　in　which　〃we　live　and　move　and　have　our　being。〃　That　being　so；　it　is　clear　that　there　remains　in　the　end　a　self…consciousness　which　need　by　no　means　be　abandoned；　which　indeed　only　comes　to　its　true　fruition　and　understanding　when　it　recognizes　its　affiliation　with　the　Whole；　and　glories　in　an　individuality　which　is　an　expression　both　of　itself　AND　of　the　whole。　The　human　child　at　its　mother's　knee　probably　comes　first　to　know　it　HAS　a　'self'　on　some　fateful　day　when　having　wandered　afar　it　goes　lost　among　alien　houses　and　streets　or　in　the　trackless　fields。　That　appalling　experiencethe　sense　of　danger；　of　fear；　of　lonelinessis　never　forgotten；　it　stamps　some　new　sense　of　Being　upon　the　childish　mind；　but　that　sense；　instead　of　being　destroyed；　becomes　all　the　prouder　and　more　radiant　in　the　hour　of　return　to　the　mother's　arms。　The　return；　the　salvation；　for　which　humanity　looks；　is　the　return　of　the　little　individual　self　to　harmony　and　union　with　the　great　Self　of　the　universe；　but　by　no　means　its　extinction　or　abandonmentrather　the　finding　of　its　own　true　nature　as　never　before。


There　is　another　thing　which　may　be　said　here：　namely；　that　the　disentanglement；　as　above；　of　three　main　stages　of　psychological　evolution　as　great　formative　influences　in　the　history　of　mankind；　does　not　by　any　means　preclude　the　establishment　of　lesser　stages　within　the　boundaries　of　these。　In　all　probability　subdivisions　of　all　the　three　will　come　in　time　to　be　recognized　and　allowed　for。　To　take　the　Second　stage　only；　it　MAY　appear　that　Self…consciousness　in　its　first　development　is　characterized　by　an　accentuation　of　Timidity；　in　its　second　development　by　a　more　deliberate　pursuit　of　sensual　Pleasure　（lust；　food；　drink；　&c。）；　in　its　third　by　the　pursuit　of　mental　gratifications　（vanities；　ambitions；　enslavement　of　others）；　in　its　fourth　by　the　pursuit　of　Property；　as　a　means　of　attaining　these　objects；　in　its　fifth　by　the　access　of　enmities；　jealousies；　wars　and　so　forth；　consequent　on　all　these　things；　and　so　on。　I　have　no　intention　at　present　of　following　out　this　line　of　thought；　but　only　wish　to　suggest　its　feasibility　and　the　degree　to　which　it　may　throw　light　on　the　social　evolutions　of　the　Past。＇1＇

＇1＇　For　an　analysis　of　the　nature　of　Self…consciousness　see　vol。　iii；　p。　375　sq。　of　the　three　ponderous　tomes　by　Wilhelm　WundtGrund…zuge　der　Physiologischen　Psychologiein　which　amid　an　enormous　mass　of　verbiage　occasional　gleams　of　useful　suggestion　are　to　be　found。


As　a　kind　of　rude　general　philosophy　we　may　say　that　there　are　only　two　main　factors　in　life；　namely；　Love　and　Ignorance。　And　of　these　we　may　also　say　that　the　two　are　not　in　the　same　plane：　one　is　positive　and　substantial；　the　other　is　negative　and　merely　illusory。　It　may　be　thought　at　first　that　Fear　and　Hatred　and　Cruelty；　and　the　like；　are　very　positive　things；　but　in　the　end　we　see　that　they　are　due　merely　to　ABSENCE　of　perception；　to　dulness　of　understanding。　Or　we　may　put　the　statement　in　a　rather　less　crude　form；　and　say　that　there　are　only　two　factors　in　life：　（1）　the　sense　of　Unity　with　others　（and　with　Nature）　which　covers　Love；　Faith；　Courage；　Truth；　and　so　forth；　and　（2）　Non…perception　of　the　samewhich　covers　Enmity；　Fear；　Hatred；　Self…pity；　Cruelty；　Jealousy；　Meanness　and　an　endless　similar　list。　The　present　world　which　we　see　around　us；　with　its　idiotic　wars；　its　senseless　jealousies　of　nations　and　classes；　its　fears　and　greeds　and　vanities　and　its　futile　endeavorsas　of　people　struggling　in　a　swamp　to　find　one's　own　salvation　by　treading　others　underfoot；　is　a　negative　phenomenon。　Ignorance；　non…perception；　are　at　the　root　of　it。　But　it　is　the　blessed　virtue　of　Ignorance　and　of　non…perception　that　they　inevitably…if　only　slowly　and　painfullydESTROY　THEMSELVES。　All　experience　serves　to　dissipate　them。　The　world；　as　it　is；　carries'　the　doom　of　its　own　transformation　in　its　bosom；　and　in　proportion　as　that　which　is　negative　disappears　the　positive　element　must　establish　itself　more　and　more。

So　we　come　back　to　that　with　which　we　began；＇1＇　to　Fear　bred　by　Ignorance。　From　that　source　has　sprung　the　long　catalogue　of　follies；　cruelties　and　sufferings　which　mark　the　records　of　the　human　race　since　the　dawn　of　history；　and　to　the　overcoming　of　this　Fear　we　perforce　must　look　for　our　future　deliverance；　and　for　the　discovery；　even　in　the　midst　of　this　world；　of　our　true　Home。　The　time　is　coming　when　the　positive　constructive　element　must　dominate。　It　is　inevitable　that　Man　must　ever　build　a　state　of　society　around　him　after　the　pattern　and　image　of　his　own　interior　state。　The　whole　futile　and　idiotic　structure　of　commerce　and　industry　in　which　we　are　now　imprisoned　springs　from　that　falsehood　of　individualistic　self…seeking　which　marks　the　second　stage　of　human　evolution。　That　stage　is　already　tottering　to　its　fall；　destroyed　by　the　very　flood　of　egotistic　passions　and　interests；　of　vanities；　greeds；　and　cruelties；　all　warring　with　each　other；　which　are　the　sure　outcome　and　culmination　of　its　operation。　With　the　restoration　of　the　sentiment　of　the　Common　Life；　and　the　gradual　growth　of　a　mental　attitude　corresponding；　there　will　emerge　from　the　flood　something　like　a　solid　earthsomething　on　which　it　will　be　possible　to　build　with　good　hope　for　the　future。　Schemes　of　reconstruction　are　well　enough　in　their　way；　but　if　there　is　no　ground　of　REAL　HUMAN　SOLIDARITY　beneath；　of　what　avail　are　they？

＇1＇　See　Introduction；　Ch。　I。


An　industrial　system　which　is　no　real　industrial　order；　but　only　（on　the　part　of　the　employers）　a　devil's　device　for　securing　private　profit　under　the　guise　of　public　utility；　and　（on　the　part　of　the　employed）　a　dismal　and　poor…spirited　renunciationfor　the　sake　of　a　bare　livingof　all　real　interest　in　life　and　work：　such　a　'system'　must　infallibly　pass　away。　It　cannot　in　the　nature　of　things　be　permanent。　The　first　condition　of　social　happiness　and　prosperity　must　be　the　sense　of　the　Common　Life。　This　sense；　which　instinctively　underlay　the　whole　Tribal　order　of　the　far　past　which　first　came　to　consciousness　in　the　worship　of　a　thousand　pagan　divinities；　and　in　the　rituals　of　countless　sacrifices；　initiations；　redemptions；　love…feasts　and　communions；　which　inspired　the　dreams　of　the　Golden　Age；　and　flashed　out　for　a　time　in　the　Communism　of　the　early　Christians　and　in　their　adorations　of　the　risen　Saviormust　in　the　end　be　the　creative　condition　of　a　new　order：　it　must　provide　the　material　of　which　the　Golden　City　waits　to　be　built。　The　long　travail　of　the　World…religion　will　not　have　been　in　vain；　which　assures　this　consummation。　What　the　signs　and　conditions　of　any　general　advance　into　this　new　order　of　life　and　consciousness　will　be；　we　know　not。　It　may　be　that　as　to　individuals　the　revelation　of　a　new　vision　often　comes　quite　suddenly；　and　GENERALLY　perhaps　after　a　period　of　great　suffering；　so　to　society　at　large　a　similar　revelation　will　arrivelike　〃the　lightning　which　cometh　out　of　the　East　and　shineth　even　unto　the　West〃with　unexpected　swiftness。　On　the　other　hand　it　would　perhaps　be　wise　not　to　count　too　much　on　any　such　sudden　transformation。　When　we　look　abroa