第39章

Butthemachinetechnologynotonlytrainstheworkmenintomaterialisticiconoclasm，ithasalsoaselectiveeffect。Personsendowedwithpropensitiesandaptitudesofamaterialistic，matter-of-factkindaredraftedintothemechanicalemployments，andsucharealsopeculiarlyavailablesocialisticmaterial。 Aptitudeforthematter-of-factworkofthemachinetechnologymeans，inageneralway，ineptitudeforanuncriticalacceptanceofinstitutionaltruths，Itisprobable，therefore，thattheapparentfacilitywithwhichthemechanicalemployments(andthematerialsciences)induceasocialisticoriconoclasticbentistobesetdowninparttothefactthatthehumanmaterialintheseemploymentsispickedmaterial，peculiarlyamenabletothisdiscipline。Thereisasiftingoftheworkingclasses，wherebythesocialisticandmechanicallycapableareroughlysegregatedoutfromtherestandsubjectedtotheiconoclasticdisciplineofthemechanicalemploymentsandmatter-of-factthinking；whiletheresidue，whichisonthewholemadeupofthepersonsthatarerelativelyleastcapableofrevolutionarysocialism，isatthesametimelessexposedtothedisciplinethatmightfitthemforthesocialisticmovement。Thissiftingis，ofcourse，aroughone，andleavesmanyexceptionsbothways。 Inthelightofthisconsideration，then，itistobenoted: (1)thatthedominanceofthemachineprocessinmodernindustryisnotsopotentafactorfortheinculcationofsocialisticnotions-itdoesnotsoirresistiblyshapemen’shabitofmindinthesocialisticsense-asthefirstsurveyofthefactswouldsuggest；and(2)thatthedifferentiationofoccupationsinvolvedinmodernindustrialmethodsselectivelybunchesthesocialisticelementstogether，andsoheightenstheirsenseofclasssolidarityandactstoaccentuatetheirbias，givesconsistencytotheirideals，andinducesthatboldnessofconvictionandactionwhichistobehadonlyinacompactbodyofmen。 Butineithercase，whetherthevisibleoutcomeischieflyduetotheirselectiveortotheirdisciplinaryeffect，thebearingoftheindustrialoccupationsuponthegrowthofsocialismseemsequallycloseandundeniable。Thetwomodesofinfluenceseemtoconvergetotheoutcomeindicatedabove，andforthepurposeofthepresentinquiryadetailedtracingoutofthetwostrandsofsequenceinthecaseneithercannorneedbeundertaken。(25*) Withsuchgeneralityascommonlyholdsinstatementsofthiskind，itmaybesaidthatthemodernsocialisticdisaffectionislooselyboundupwiththemachineindustry-spreadingwherethisindustryspreadsandflourishingwherethisindustrygivesthedominantnoteoflife。Thecorrelationbetweenthetwophenomenaisofsuchakindastoleavenodoubtthattheyarecausallyconnected；whichmeanseitherthatthemachineindustry，directlyorindirectly，givesrisetosocialism，orthatthetwoareexpressionsofthesamecomplexofcauses。Theformerstatementprobablyexpressesthetruthofthecaseingreatpart，butthelatterneednotthereforebefalse。Whereverandinsofarastheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgehasmadethemachineprocessandthemechanicaltechnologythetone-givingfactorinmen’sschemeofthought，theremodernsocialisticiconoclasmfollowsbyeasyconsequence。 Thesocialisticbiasprimarilytoucheseconomicinstitutionsproper。Butthatisnotthewholeofit。Whenthetermisusedwithoutmodifyingphraseitcarriesacertainimplicationtouchingotherthanprimarilyeconomicmatters。Thepoliticalbiasofthisunmitigatedsocialismisalwaysradicallydemocratic，totheextentthatthesesocialistsareinahighdegreeintolerantofanymonarchical，aristocratic，orotherprescriptivegovernment。Thestateisdoomedinthesocialisticview。(26*)Thesocialistantagonismtothestatetakesvariousformsandgoestovaryingdegreesofintemperance，butitisconsistentlynegative。Exceptintheirdestructivelyhostileattitudetoexistingpoliticalorganizations，thesocialistshavenothingconsistenttoofferontheheadofpoliticalinstitutions，less，indeed，latterlythanintheearlierdaysofthepropaganda。Thereseemstobeagrowingshiftlessnessofopiniononthishead；onegetstheimpressionthatthesenseofthesocialistmalcontents，asnearasitmaybepermissibletousethatwordinthisconnection，isthatthecommunitycanbestgetalongwithoutpoliticalinstitutions。 Thereisalikedeparturefromtheancientnormstouchingdomesticrelations。Thisisnotconfinedtothoseportionsofthecommunitythatavowedlyaffectsocialisticviews，althoughithas，onthewhole，gonefarthestamongtheclassesamongwhomthesocialisticviewsprevail。Thereisavisibleweakeningofthefamilyties，adisintegrationoftheconventionsofhouseholdlife，throughoutlargeclasses。Thedefectionisevenfelt，bysensitiveandsolicitouspersons，tobeofsuchgraveproportionsastothreatenthefoundationsofdomesticlifeandmorality。 Thisdisintegrationofthefamilytiesshowsitselfmostalarminglyamongthesocialisticclasses，withwhomitallwearssuchanairofunconcernasarguesthatinthisrespecttheyareincorrigible。Tothesetheconventionalformofthehouseholdhasingoodpartceasedtoappealassomethingsacred。Itisnolongeroneoftheirsecurespiritualassets。 Whatappearstobeinjeopardy，shouldthissocialisticdefectiongainground，istheheadshipofthemaleinthehouseholdeconomy。Thefamily，asithascomedownfromthemedievalpast，undertheshelterofthechurch，isofapatriarchalconstitution，atleastintheory。Themanhasbeenvestedwithdiscretionarycontrolindomesticaffairs。Intheearlierdayshisdiscretionwasverydirectandfull，comprisingcorporalcoercion。Utterly，afterandsofarasmasteryandservitudehavepassedoffthefieldandnaturalrightshavecometorule，thisdirectcoercivecontrolhasbeensupersededbyapecuniarydiscretion；sothatthemaleheadofthehouseholdisalonecompetenttoexerciseaproprietarycontrolofhouseholdaffairs。Thislatter-dayconventionalheadshipofthemanisnowinitsturnbeginningtolosetherespectofagoodshareofthepopulace。Thedisintegrationofthepatriarchaltraditionhasgonefarthestamongthoseindustrialclasseswhoareatthesametimeinclinedtosocialisticviews。 Atthispointintheinstitutionalstructure，aswellasatotherpointswheretheindustrialclassesaregivingevidenceofalossofspiritualground，thereislittleindicationofaconstructivemovementtowardanyspecificarrangementtotaketheplaceoftheinstitutionwhoseexistenceisthreatened。Thereisalooseningofthebonds，aweakeningofconvictionastothefulltruthandbeautyofthereceiveddomesticinstitutions，withoutmuchofaconsensusastowhatistobedoneaboutit，ifanything。Inthis，asatotherjuncturesofasimilarkind，themechanicallyemployedclasses，trainedtomatter-of-facthabitsofthought，showanotablelackofspontaneityintheconstructionofnewmythsorconventionsaswellasinthereconstructionoftheold。 Allthisdisintegrationofthespiritualfoundationsofourdomesticinstitutionsspreadswiththemosttellingeffect，becausemostheedlessly，amongthepopulationoftheindustrialtowns。Butitspreadsalsooutsidethelimitsoftheindustrialclasses；forthehabitsoflifeandofthoughtinculcatedbythemachinetechnologyarenotlimitedtothem，eveniftheseclassesaretheoneswhosuffermostandmostseverelyfromthemachinediscipline。Thedisintegrationshowsitself，invaryingdegree，inallmodernindustrialcommunities，anditisvisiblesomewhatinproportionasthecommunityismodemandindustrial。Themachineisaleveller，avulgarizer，whoseendseemstobetheextirpationofallthatisrespectable，noble，anddignifiedinhumanintercourseandideals。 Whathappenswithinthenarrowrangeoftheinstitutionsofdomesticliferepeatsitselfinsubstanceinthelargerfieldofnationallifeandideals。Fealtytoasuperiorinstalledbylaworcustomsuffersunderthedisciplineofalifewhich，asregardsitsmostformativeexigencies，isnotguidedbyconventionalgroundsofvalidity。Andthetransmutedformoffealtycalledpatriotismisinmuchthesameinsecurecase。Thenewgroundofclasssolidarityandantagonism，forwhichtheseextremespokesmenoftheindustrialregimestand，isneitherecclesiastic，dynastic，territorial，norlinguistic；itisindustrialandmaterialistic。Butintheirattitudeofheedlessnesstowardthedynasticandnationalconventionsthesocialistsaremerelytheextremeexponentsofthespiritoftheageinthemodernindustrialcommunities。 So，again，asregardsthereligiouslife。Mentrainedbythemechanicaloccupationstomaterialistic，industrialhabitsofthoughtarebesetwithagrowinginabilitytoappreciate，oreventoapprehend，themeaningofreligiousappealsthatproceedontheold-fashionedgroundsofmetaphysicalvalidity。Theconsolationsofapersonalrelation(ofsubservience)toasupernaturalmasterdonotappealtomenwhosehabitoflifeisshapedbyafamiliaritywiththerelationsofimpersonalcauseandeffect，ratherthanbyrelationsofpersonaldominanceandfealty。Itdoesnotcomeasamatterofcourseforsuchmentogivethecatechism’sanswertothequestion，Whatisthechiefendofman？Nordotheyinstinctivelyfeelthemselvestobesinnersbyvirtueofacongenital，hereditarytaintorobliquity。 Indeed，theycanonlywithgreatdifficultybeseriouslypersuadedthattheyaresinnersatall。Theyareindangeroflosingthepointofviewofsin。Therelationofstatusorfealtyinvolvedintheconceptofsinisbecomingalientotheirhabitofmind。Theyarethereforeslowtorealizethattheirpastlifehasviolatedsucharelationoffealty，ontheonehand，andthatitisofvitalconsequencetoreestablishsucharelationofstatusbyaworkofsalvationorredemption。Thekindlyministrationsofthechurchandtheclergygrateonthesensibilitiesofmensotrained，asbeingsomuchadoaboutnothing。Themachine，theirmaster，isnorespecterofpersonsandknowsneithermoralitynordignitynorprescriptiveright，divineorhuman；itsteachingistrainingthemintoinsensibilityofthewholerangeofconceptsonwhichtheseministrationsproceed。(27*) Notaloneinthedirectionofgrowthgiventovulgarsentimentandtothevulgarinsightintofactsisthematter-of-factdisciplineofthemachinetechnologyapparent，butalsointhescopeandmethodofthatscientificknowledgethathashadthevoguesincetheadventofthemachineindustry。 Scientificinquiryisdirectedtoadifferentendandcarriedoutundertheguidanceofadifferentrangeofprinciplesorpreconceptionsinthemodernindustrialcommunitiesthaninearlierdaysorinculturalcentreslyingoutsidethemachine’sdominion。Modernscienceissingle-mindedinitspursuitofimpersonalrelationsofcausalsequenceinthephenomenawithwhichitisoccupied。 Thelineofdescentofthismatter-of-factmodernscienceisessentiallyBritish，asisthatofthemachinetechnologyandofthecharacteristicallymoderncivilandpoliticalinstitutions。 Itistrue，beginningsofthemodernscientificmovementweremadeinItalyinthedaysoftheRenaissance，andCentralEuropehaditsshareintheenlightenment；buttheseearlymodernrisingsofthescientificspiritpresentlyranintothesand，whenwar，politics，andreligionreassertedtheirswayinthesouthofEurope。Similartentativestirringsofmatter-of-factthoughtwerehadinSpainandFrancebeforeandduringtheearlyphasesofthestate-makingera；buthere，again，warandpoliticsrenderedtheseonsetsnearlynugatory，sothattheintellectualoutputwasmorespeculationthanscience。IntheLowCountriessomethingsimilarholdstrue，withalargerqualification。TheBritishcommunitymadealaterandslowerstart，comingoutofbarbarismatalaterdateandwithaheavierhandicapofphysicalobstructions。Butbeing，relatively，shelteredfromwarandpolitics，theBritishwereabletotakeupthefundofscientificgainsmadebytheSouth-Europeanmenofworkdayinsight，toturnittoaccountandtocarryitovertheeraofstate-makingandsopreparethewayforthemodernscientific，technologicalera。