kwaidan-第18章

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is　born　with　the　most　beautiful　of　combs　and　brushes　attached　to　her

wrists；　no　time　is　wasted　in　the　toilet…room。　Besides　keeping　themselves

strictly　clean；　the　workers　must　also　keep　their　houses　and　gardens　in

faultless　order；　for　the　sake　of　the　children。　Nothing　less　than　an

earthquake；　an　eruption；　an　inundation；　or　a　desperate　war；　is　allowed　to

interrupt　the　daily　routine　of　dusting；　sweeping；　scrubbing；　and

disinfecting。







IV





Now　for　stranger　facts：





This　world　of　incessant　toil　is　a　more　than　Vestal　world。　It　is　true　that

males　can　sometimes　be　perceived　in　it；　but　they　appear　only　at　particular

seasons；　and　they　have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　workers　or　with　the

work。　None　of　them　would　presume　to　address　a　worker；　except；　perhaps；

under　extraordinary　circumstances　of　common　peril。　And　no　worker　would

think　of　talking　to　a　male；　for　males；　in　this　queer　world；　are　inferior

beings；　equally　incapable　of　fighting　or　working；　and　tolerated　only　as

necessary　evils。　One　special　class　of　females；　the　Mothers…Elect　of　the

race；　do　condescend　to　consort　with　males；　during　a　very　brief　period；　at

particular　seasons。　But　the　Mothers…Elect　do　not　work；　and　they　most　accept

husbands。　A　worker　could　not　even　dream　of　keeping　company　with　a　male；

not　merely　because　such　association　would　signify　the　most　frivolous　waste

of　time；　nor　yet　because　the　worker　necessarily　regards　all　males　with

unspeakable　contempt；　but　because　the　worker　is　incapable　of　wedlock。　Some

workers；　indeed；　are　capable　of　parthenogenesis；　and　give　birth　to　children

who　never　had　fathers。　As　a　general　rule；　however；　the　worker　is　truly

feminine　by　her　moral　instincts　only：　she　has　all　the　tenderness；　the

patience；　and　the　foresight　that　we　call　〃maternal；〃　but　her　sex　has

disappeared；　like　the　sex　of　the　Dragon…Maiden　in　the　Buddhist　legend。





For　defense　against　creatures　of　prey；　or　enemies　of　the　state；　the

workers　are　provided　with　weapons；　and　they　are　furthermore　protected　by　a

large　military　force。　The　warriors　are　so　much　bigger　than　the　workers　（in

some　communities；　at　least）　that　it　is　difficult；　at　first　sight；　to

believe　them　of　the　same　race。　Soldiers　one　hundred　times　larger　than　the

workers　whom　they　guard　are　not　uncommon。　But　all　these　soldiers　are

Amazons；　or；　more　correctly　speaking；　semi…females。　They　can　work

sturdily；　but　being　built　for　fighting　and　for　heavy　pulling　chiefly；　their

usefulness　is　restricted　to　those　directions　in　which　force；　rather　than

skill；　is　required。







＇Why　females；　rather　than　males；　should　have　been　evolutionally

specialized　into　soldiery　and　laborers　may　not　be　nearly　so　simple　a

question　as　it　appears。　I　am　very　sure　of　not　being　able　to　answer　it。　But

natural　economy　may　have　decided　the　matter。　In　many　forms　of　life；　the

female　greatly　exceeds　the　male　in　bulk　and　in　energy；　perhaps；　in　this

case；　the　larger　reserve　of　life…force　possessed　originally　by　the　complete

female　could　be　more　rapidly　and　effectively　utilized　for　the　development

of　a　special　fighting…caste。　All　energies　which；　in　the　fertile　female；

would　be　expended　in　the　giving　of　life　seem　here　to　have　been　diverted　to

the　evolution　of　aggressive　power；　or　working…capacity。＇







Of　the　true　females；　the　Mothers…Elect；　there　are　very　few　indeed；　and

these　are　treated　like　queens。　So　constantly　and　so　reverentially　are　they

waited　upon　that　they　can　seldom　have　any　wishes　to　express。　They　are

relieved　from　every　care　of　existence；　except　the　duty　of　bearing

offspring。　Night　and　day　they　are　cared　for　in　every　possible　manner。　They

alone　are　superabundantly　and　richly　fed：　for　the　sake　of　the　offspring

they　must　eat　and　drink　and　repose　right　royally；　and　their　physiological

specialization　allows　of　such　indulgence　ad　libitum。　They　seldom　go　out；

and　never　unless　attended　by　a　powerful　escort；　as　they　cannot　be　permitted

to　incur　unnecessary　fatigue　or　danger。　Probably　they　have　no　great　desire

to　go　out。　Around　them　revolves　the　whole　activity　of　the　race：　all　its

intelligence　and　toil　and　thrift　are　directed　solely　toward　the　well…being

of　these　Mothers　and　of　their　children。





But　last　and　least　of　the　race　rank　the　husbands　of　these　Mothers；　the

necessary　Evils；　the　males。　They　appear　only　at　a　particular　season；　as　I

have　already　observed；　and　their　lives　are　very　short。　Some　cannot　even

boast　of　noble　descent；　though　destined　to　royal　wedlock；　for　they　are　not

royal　offspring；　but　virgin…born；　parthenogenetic　children；　and；　for

that　reason　especially；　inferior　beings；　the　chance　results　of　some

mysterious　atavism。　But　of　any　sort　of　males　the　commonwealth　tolerates　but

few；　barely　enough　to　serve　as　husbands　for　the　Mothers…Elect；　and　these

few　perish　almost　as　soon　as　their　duty　has　been　done。　The　meaning　of

Nature's　law；　in　this　extraordinary　world；　is　identical　with　Ruskin's

teaching　that　life　without　effort　is　crime；　and　since　the　males　are　useless

as　workers　or　fighters；　their　existence　is　of　only　momentary　importance。

They　are　not；　indeed；　sacrificed；　like　the　Aztec　victim　chosen　for　the

festival　of　Tezcatlipoca；　and　allowed　a　honeymoon　of　twenty　days　before　his

heart　was　torn　out。　But　they　are　scarcely　less　unfortunate　in　their　high

fortune。　Imagine　youths　brought　up　in　the　knowledge　that　they　are　destined

to　become　royal　bridegrooms　for　a　single　night；　that　after　their　bridal

they　will　have　no　moral　right　to　live；　that　marriage；　for　each　and　all　of

them；　will　signify　certain　death；　and　that　they　cannot　even　hope　to　be

lamented　by　their　young　widows；　who　will　survive　them　for　a　time　of　many

generations。。。！







V





But　all　the　foregoing　is　no　more　than　a　proem　to　the　real　〃Romance　of　the

Insect…World。〃





　By　far　the　most　startling　discovery　in　relation　to　this　astonishing

civilization　is　that　of　the　suppression　of　sex。　In　certain　advanced　forms

of　ant…life　sex　totally　disappears　in　the　majority　of　individuals；　in

nearly　all　the　higher　ant…societies　sex…life　appears　to　exist　only　to　the

extent　absolutely　needed　for　the　continuance　of　the　species。　But　the

biological　fact　in　itself　is　much　less　startling　than　the　ethical

suggestion　which　it　offers；　for　this　practical　suppression；　or

regulation；　of　sex…faculty　appears　to　be　voluntary！　Voluntary；　at　least；　so

far　as　the　species　is　concerned。　It　is　now　believed　that　they　wonderful

creatures　have　learned　how　to　develop；　or　to　arrest　the　development；　of　sex

in　their　young；　by　some　particular　mode　of　nutrition。　They　have　succeeded

in　placing　under　perfect　control　what　is　commonly　supposed　to　be　the　most

powerful　and　unmanageable　of　instincts。　And　this　rigid　restraint　of

sex…life　to　within　the　limits　necessary　to　provide　against　extinction　is

but　one　（though　the　most　amazing）　of　many　vital　economies　effected　by　the

race。　Every　capacity　for　egoistic　pleasure　　in　the　common　meaning　of　the

word　〃egoistic〃　　has　been　equally　repressed　through　physiological

modification。　No　indulgence　of　any　natural　appetite　is　possible　except　to

that　degree　in　which　such　indulgence　can　directly　or　indirectly　benefit　the

species；　even　the　indispensable　requirements　of　food　and　sleep　being

satisfied　only　to　the　exact　extent　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　healthy

activity。　The　individual　can　exist；　act；　think；　only　for　the　communal　good；

and　the　commune　triumphantly　refuses；　in　so　far　as　cosmic　law　permits；　to

let　itself　be　ruled　eitherby　Love　or　Hunger。







Most　of　us　have　been　brought　up　in　the　belief　that　without　some　kind　of

religious　creed　　some　hope　of　future　reward　or　fear　of　future　punishment

　no　civilization　could　exist。　We　have　been　taught　to　think　that　in　the

absence　of　laws　based　upon　moral　ideas；　and　in　the　absence　of　an　effective

police　to　enforce　such　laws；　nearly　everybody　would　seek　only　his　or　her

personal　advantage；　to　the　disadvantage　of　everybody　else。　The　strong　would

then　destroy　the　weak；　pity　and　sympathy　would　disappear；　and　the　whole

social　fabric　would　fall　to　pieces。。。　These　teachings　confess　the　existing

imperfection　of　human　nature；　and　they　contain　obvious　truth。　But　those　who

first　proclaimed　that　truth；　thousands　and　thousands　of　years　ago；　never

imagined　a　form　of　social　existence　in　which　selfishness　would　be　naturally

impossible。　It　remained　for　irreligious　Nature　to　furnish　us　with　proof

positive　that　there　can　exist　a　society　in　which　the　pleasure　of　active

beneficence　makes　needless　the　idea　of　duty；　a　society　in　which

instinctive　morality　can　dispense　with　ethical　codes　of　every　sort；　a

society　of　which　every　member　is　born　so　absolutely　unselfish；　and　so

energetically　good；　that　moral　training　could　signify；　even　for　its

youngest；　neither　more　nor　less　than　waste　of　precious　time。







To　the　Evolutionist　such　facts　necessarily　suggest　that　the　value　of　our

moral　idealism　is　but　temporary；　and　that　something　better　than　virtue；

better　than　kindness；　better　than　self…denial；　in　the　present　human

meaning　of　those　terms；　might；　under　certain　conditions；　eventually

replace　them。　He　finds　himself　obliged　to　face　the　question　whether　a　world

without　moral　notions　might　not　be　morally　better　than　a　world　in　which

conduct　is　regulated　by　such　notions。　He　must　even　ask　himself　whether　the

existence　of　religious　commandments；　moral　laws；　and　ethical　standards

among　ourselves　does　not　prove　us　still　in　a　very　primitive　stage　of　social

evolution。　And　these　questions　naturally　lead　up　to　another：　Will　humanity

ever　be　able；　on　this　planet；　to　reach　an　ethical　condition　beyond　all　its

ideals；　a　condition　in　which　everything　that　we　now　call　evil　will　have

been　atrophied　out　of　existence；　and　everything　that　we　call　virtue　have

been　transmuted　into　instinct；　a　state　of　altruism　in　which　ethical

concepts　and　codes　will　have　become　as　useless　as　they　would　be；　even　now；

in　the　societies　of　the　higher　ants。







The　giants　of　modern　thought　have　given　some　attention　to　this　question；

and　the　greatest　among　them　has　answered　it　　partly　in　the　affirmative。

Herbert　Spencer　has　expressed　his　belief　that　humanity　will　arrive　at　some

state　of　civilization　ethically　comparable　with　that　of　the　ant：







〃If　we　have；　in　lower　orders　of　creatures；　cases　in　which　the　nature　is

constitutionally　so　modified　that　altruistic　activities　have　become　one

with　egoistic　activities；　there　is　an　irresistible　implication　that　a

parallel　identification　will；　under　parallel　conditions；　take　place　among

human　beings。　Social　insects　furnish　us　with　instances　completely　to　the

point；　and　instances　showing　us；　indeed；　to　what　a　marvelous　degree　the

life　of　the　individual　may　be　absorbed　in　subserving　the　lives　of　other

individuals。。。　Neither　the　ant　nor　the　bee　can　be　supposed　to　have　a　sense

of　duty；　in　the　acceptation　we　give　to　that　word；　nor　can　it　be　supposed

that　it