01-what is man-第11部分

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the　words　itself。



Y。M。　　But　don't　I　tell　it　what　to　say？



O。M。　　There　are　certainly　occasions　when　you　haven't　time。

The　words　leap　out　before　you　know　what　is　coming。



Y。M。　　For　instance？



O。M。　　Well；　take　a　〃flash　of　wit〃repartee。　　Flash　is　the

right　word。　　It　is　out　instantly。　　There　is　no　time　to　arrange

the　words。　　There　is　no　thinking；　no　reflecting。　　Where　there　is

a　wit…mechanism　it　is　automatic　in　its　action　and　needs　no　help。

Where　the　whit…mechanism　is　lacking；　no　amount　of　study　and

reflection　can　manufacture　the　product。



Y。M。　　You　really　think　a　man　originates　nothing；　creates　nothing。







The　Thinking…Process



O。M。　　I　do。　　Men　perceive；　and　their　brain…machines

automatically　combine　the　things　perceived。　　That　is　all。



Y。M。　　The　steam…engine？



O。M。　　It　takes　fifty　men　a　hundred　years　to　invent　it。　　One

meaning　of　invent　is　discover。　　I　use　the　word　in　that　sense。

Little　by　little　they　discover　and　apply　the　multitude　of　details

that　go　to　make　the　perfect　engine。　　Watt　noticed　that　confined

steam　was　strong　enough　to　lift　the　lid　of　the　teapot。　　He　didn't

create　the　idea；　he　merely　discovered　the　fact；　the　cat　had

noticed　it　a　hundred　times。　　From　the　teapot　he　evolved　the

cylinderfrom　the　displaced　lid　he　evolved　the　piston…rod。　　To

attach　something　to　the　piston…rod　to　be　moved　by　it；　was　a

simple　mattercrank　and　wheel。　　And　so　there　was　a　working

engine。　＇1＇



One　by　one；　improvements　were　discovered　by　men　who　used

their　eyes；　not　their　creating　powersfor　they　hadn't　anyand

now；　after　a　hundred　years　the　patient　contributions　of　fifty　or

a　hundred　observers　stand　compacted　in　the　wonderful　machine

which　drives　the　ocean　liner。



Y。M。　　A　Shakespearean　play？



O。M。　　The　process　is　the　same。　　The　first　actor　was　a

savage。　　He　reproduced　in　his　theatrical　war…dances；　scalp…

dances；　and　so　on；　incidents　which　he　had　seen　in　real　life。　　A

more　advanced　civilization　produced　more　incidents；　more

episodes；　the　actor　and　the　story…teller　borrowed　them。　　And　so

the　drama　grew；　little　by　little；　stage　by　stage。　　It　is　made　up

of　the　facts　of　life；　not　creations。　　It　took　centuries　to

develop　the　Greek　drama。　　It　borrowed　from　preceding　ages；　it

lent　to　the　ages　that　came　after。　　Men　observe　and　combine；　that

is　all。　　So　does　a　rat。



Y。M。　　How？



O。M。　　He　observes　a　smell；　he　infers　a　cheese；　he　seeks　and

finds。　　The　astronomer　observes　this　and　that；　adds　his　this　and

that　to　the　this…and…thats　of　a　hundred　predecessors；　infers　an

invisible　planet；　seeks　it　and　finds　it。　　The　rat　gets　into　a

trap；　gets　out　with　trouble；　infers　that　cheese　in　traps　lacks

value；　and　meddles　with　that　trap　no　more。　　The　astronomer　is

very　proud　of　his　achievement；　the　rat　is　proud　of　his。　　Yet　both

are　machines；　they　have　done　machine　work；　they　have　originated

nothing；　they　have　no　right　to　be　vain；　the　whole　credit　belongs

to　their　Maker。　　They　are　entitled　to　no　honors；　no　praises；　no

monuments　when　they　die；　no　remembrance。　　One　is　a　complex　and

elaborate　machine；　the　other　a　simple　and　limited　machine；　but

they　are　alike　in　principle；　function；　and　process；　and　neither

of　them　works　otherwise　than　automatically；　and　neither　of　them

may　righteously　claim　a　PERSONAL　superiority　or　a　personal

dignity　above　the　other。



Y。M。　　In　earned　personal　dignity；　then；　and　in　personal　merit

for　what　he　does；　it　follows　of　necessity　that　he　is　on　the

same　level　as　a　rat？



O。M。　　His　brother　the　rat；　yes；　that　is　how　it　seems　to　me。

Neither　of　them　being　entitled　to　any　personal　merit　for　what　he

does；　it　follows　of　necessity　that　neither　of　them　has　a　right　to

arrogate　to　himself　（personally　created）　superiorities　over　his

brother。



Y。M。　　Are　you　determined　to　go　on　believing　in　these

insanities？　　Would　you　go　on　believing　in　them　in　the　face　of

able　arguments　backed　by　collated　facts　and　instances？



O。M。　　I　have　been　a　humble；　earnest；　and　sincere　Truth…Seeker。



Y。M。　　Very　well？



O。M。　　The　humble；　earnest；　and　sincere　Truth…Seeker　is

always　convertible　by　such　means。



Y。M。　　I　am　thankful　to　God　to　hear　you　say　this；　for　now　I

know　that　your　conversion



O。M。　　Wait。　　You　misunderstand。　　I　said　I　have　BEEN　a　Truth…Seeker。



Y。M。　　Well？



O。M。　　I　am　not　that　now。　　Have　your　forgotten？　　I　told　you

that　there　are　none　but　temporary　Truth…Seekers；　that　a　permanent

one　is　a　human　impossibility；　that　as　soon　as　the　Seeker　finds

what　he　is　thoroughly　convinced　is　the　Truth；　he　seeks　no

further；　but　gives　the　rest　of　his　days　to　hunting　junk　to　patch

it　and　caulk　it　and　prop　it　with；　and　make　it　weather…proof　and

keep　it　from　caving　in　on　him。　　Hence　the　Presbyterian　remains　a

Presbyterian；　the　Mohammedan　a　Mohammedan；　the　Spiritualist　a

Spiritualist；　the　Democrat　a　Democrat；　the　Republican　a

Republican；　the　Monarchist　a　Monarchist；　and　if　a　humble；

earnest；　and　sincere　Seeker　after　Truth　should　find　it　in　the

proposition　that　the　moon　is　made　of　green　cheese　nothing　could

ever　budge　him　from　that　position；　for　he　is　nothing　but　an

automatic　machine；　and　must　obey　the　laws　of　his　construction。



Y。M。　　After　so



O。M。　　Having　found　the　Truth；　perceiving　that　beyond　question

man　has　but　one　moving　impulsethe　contenting　of　his　own　spirit

and　is　merely　a　machine　and　entitled　to　no　personal　merit　for

anything　he　does；　it　is　not　humanly　possible　for　me　to　seek　further。

The　rest　of　my　days　will　be　spent　in　patching　and　painting　and

puttying　and　caulking　my　priceless　possession　and　in　looking　the

other　way　when　an　imploring　argument　or　a　damaging　fact　approaches。



…

1。　　The　Marquess　of　Worcester　had　done　all　of　this　more　than　a

century　earlier。







VI





Instinct　and　Thought



Young　Man。　　It　is　odious。　　Those　drunken　theories　of　yours；

advanced　a　while　agoconcerning　the　rat　and　all　thatstrip　Man

bare　of　all　his　dignities；　grandeurs；　sublimities。



Old　Man。　　He　hasn't　any　to　stripthey　are　shams；　stolen

clothes。　　He　claims　credits　which　belong　solely　to　his　Maker。



Y。M。　　But　you　have　no　right　to　put　him　on　a　level　with　a　rat。



O。M。　　I　don'tmorally。　　That　would　not　be　fair　to　the　rat。

The　rat　is　well　above　him；　there。



Y。M。　　Are　you　joking？



O。M。　　No；　I　am　not。



Y。M。　　Then　what　do　you　mean？



O。M。　　That　comes　under　the　head　of　the　Moral　Sense。　　It　is　a

large　question。　　Let　us　finish　with　what　we　are　about　now；　before

we　take　it　up。



Y。M。　　Very　well。　　You　have　seemed　to　concede　that　you　place

Man　and　the　rat　on　A　level。　　What　is　it？　　The　intellectual？



O。M。　　In　formnot　a　degree。



Y。M。　　Explain。



O。M。　　I　think　that　the　rat's　mind　and　the　man's　mind　are　the

same　machine；　but　of　unequal　capacitieslike　yours　and　Edison's；

like　the　African　pygmy's　and　Homer's；　like　the　Bushman's　and　Bismarck's。



Y。M。　　How　are　you　going　to　make　that　out；　when　the　lower　animals

have　no　mental　quality　but　instinct；　while　man　possesses　reason？



O。M。　　What　is　instinct？



Y。M。　　It　is　merely　unthinking　and　mechanical　exercise　of

inherited　habit。



O。M。　　What　originated　the　habit？



Y。M。　　The　first　animal　started　it；　its　descendants　have

inherited　it。



O。M。　　How　did　the　first　one　come　to　start　it？



Y。M。　　I　don't　know；　but　it　didn't　THINK　it　out。



O。M。　　How　do　you　know　it　didn't？



Y。M。　　WellI　have　a　right　to　suppose　it　didn't；　anyway。



O。M。　　I　don't　believe　you　have。　　What　is　thought？



Y。M。　　I　know　what　you　call　it：　　the　mechanical　and　automatic

putting　together　of　impressions　received　from　outside；　and

drawing　an　inference　from　them。



O。M。　　Very　good。　　Now　my　idea　of　the　meaningless　term　〃instinct〃　is；

that　it　is　merely　PETRIFIED　THOUGHT；　solidified　and　made　inanimate

by　habit；　thought　which　was　once　alive　and　awake；　but　it　become

unconsciouswalks　in　its　sleep；　so　to　speak。



Y。M。　　Illustrate　it。



O。M。　　Take　a　herd　of　cows；　feeding　in　a　pasture。　　Their

heads　are　all　turned　in　one　direction。　　They　do　that

instinctively；　they　gain　nothing　by　it；　they　have　no　reason　for

it；　they　don't　know　why　they　do　it。　　It　is　an　inherited　habit

which　was　originally　thoughtthat　is　to　say；　observation　of　an

exterior　fact；　and　a　valuable　inference　drawn　from　that

observation　and　confirmed　by　experience。　　The　original　wild　ox

noticed　that　with　the　wind　in　his　favor　he　could　smell　his　enemy

in　time　to　escape；　then　he　inferred　that　it　was　worth　while　to

keep　his　nose　to　the　wind。　　That　is　the　process　which　man　calls

reasoning。　　Man's　thought…machine　works　just　like　the　other

animals'；　but　it　is　a　better　one　and　more　Edisonian。　　Man；　in　the

ox's　place；　would　go　further；　reason　wider：　　he　would　face　part

of　the　herd　the　other　way　and　protect　both　front　and　rear。



Y。M。　　Did　you　stay　the　term　instinct　is　meaningless？



O。M。　　I　think　it　is　a　bastard　word。　　I　think　it　confuses　us；

for　as　a　rule　it　applies　itself　to　habits　and　impulses　which　had

a　far…off　origin　in　thought；　and　now　and　then　breaks　the　rule　and

applies　itself　to　habits　which　can　hardly　claim　a　thought…origin。



Y。M。　　Give　an　instance。



O。M。　　Well；　in　putting　on　trousers　a　man　always　inserts　the　same　old

leg　firstnever　the　other　one。　　There　is　no　advantage　in　that；

and　no　sense　in　it。　　All　men　do　it；　yet　no　man　thought　it　out

and　adopted　it　of　set　purpose；　I　imagine。　　But　it　is　a　habit　which

is　transmitted；　no　doubt；　and　will　continue　to　be　transmitted。



Y。M。　　Can　you　prove　that　the　habit　exists？



O。M。　　You　can　prove　it；　if　you　doubt。　　If　you　will　take　a

man　to　a　clothing…store　and　watch　him　try　on　a　dozen　pairs　of

trousers；　you　will　see。



Y。M。　　The　cow　illustration　is　not



O。M。　　Sufficient　to　show　that　a　dumb　animal's　mental　machine

is　just　the　same　as　a　man's　and　its　reasoning　processes　the　same？

I　will　illustrate　further。　　If　you　should　hand　Mr。　Edison　a　box

whic