a new view of society-第3部分

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sincerity　and　counteraction。　　　　　In　this　state　the　world　has　continued　to　the　present　time；　its　evils　have　been　and　are　continually　increasing；　they　cry　aloud　for　efficient　corrective　measures；　which　if　we　longer　delay；　general　disorder　must　ensue。　　　　　'But；'　say　those　who　have　not　deeply　investigated　the　subject；　'attempts　to　apply　remedies　have　been　often　made；　yet　all　of　them　have　failed。　The　evil　is　now　of　a　magnitude　not　to　be　controlled；　the　torrent　is　already　too　strong　to　be　stemmed；　and　we　can　only　wait　with　fear　or　calm　resignation　to　see　it　carry　destruction　in　its　course；　by　confounding　all　distinctions　of　right　and　wrong。'　　　　　Such　is　the　language　now　held；　and　such　are　the　general　feelings　on　this　most　important　subject。　　　　　These；　however；　if　longer　suffered　to　continue；　must　lead　to　the　most　lamentable　consequences。　Rather　than　pursue　such　a　course；　the　character　of　legislators　would　be　infinitely　raised；　if；　forgetting　the　petty　and　humiliating　contentions　of　sects　and　parties；　they　would　thoroughly　investigate　the　subject；　and　endeavour　to　arrest　and　overcome　these　mighty　evils。　　　　　The　chief　object　of　these　Essays　is　to　assist　and　forward　investigations　of　such　vital　importance　to　the　well…being　of　this　country；　and　of　society　in　general。　　　　　The　view　of　the　subject　which　is　about　to　be　given　has　arisen　from　extensive　experience　for　upwards　of　twenty　years；　during　which　period　its　truth　and　importance　have　been　proved　by　multiplied　experiments。　That　the　writer　may　not　be　charged　with　precipitation　or　presumption；　he　has　had　the　principle　and　its　consequences　examined；　scrutinized；　and　fully　canvassed；　by　some　of　the　most　learned；　intelligent；　and　competent　characters　of　the　present　day：　who；　on　every　principle　of　duty　as　well　as　of　interest；　if　they　had　discovered　error　in　either；　would　have　exposed　it　…　but　who；　on　the　contrary；　have　fairly　acknowledged　their　incontrovertible　truth　and　practical　importance。　　　　　Assured；　therefore；　that　his　principles　are　true；　he　proceeds　with　confidence；　and　courts　the　most　ample　and　free　discussion　of　the　subject；　courts　it　for　the　sake　of　humanity　…　for　the　sake　of　his　fellow　creatures　millions　of　whom　experience　sufferings　which；　were　they　to　be　unfolded；　would　compel　those　who　govern　the　world　to　exclaim　…　'Can　these　things　exist　and　we　have　no　knowledge　of　them？'　but　they　do　exist　and　even　the　heart…rending　statements　which　are　made　known　to　the　public　during　the　discussions　upon　negro…slavery；　do　not　exhibit　more　afflicting　scenes　than　those　which；　in　various　parts　of　the　world；　daily　arise　from　the　injustice　of　society　towards　itself；　from　the　inattention　of　mankind　to　the　circumstances　which　incessantly　surround　them；　and　from　the　want　of　a　correct　knowledge　of　human　nature　in　those　who　govern　and　control　the　affairs　of　men。　　　　　If　these　circumstances　did　not　exist　to　an　extent　almost　incredible；　it　would　be　unnecessary　now　to　contend　for　a　principle　regarding　Man；　which　scarcely　requires　more　than　to　be　fairly　stated　to　make　it　self…evident。　　　　　This　principle　is；　that　'Any　general　character；　from　the　best　to　the　worst；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　enlightened；　may　be　given　to　any　community；　even　to　the　world　at　large；　by　the　application　of　proper　means；'　which　means　are　to　a　great　extent　at　the　command　and　under　the　control　of　those　who　have　influence　in　the　affairs　of　men；'　　　　　The　principle　as　now　stated　is　a　broad　one；　and；　if　it　should　be　found　to　be　true；　cannot　fail　to　five　a　new　character　to　legislative　proceedings；　and　such　a　character　as　will　be　most　favourable　to　the　well…being　of　society。　　　　　That　this　principle　is　true　to　the　utmost　limit　of　the　terms；　is　evident　from　the　experience　of　all　past　ages；　and　from　every　existing　fact。　　　　　Shall　misery；　then；　most　complicated　and　extensive；　be　experienced；　from　the　prince　to　the　peasant；　throughout　all　the　nations　of　the　world；　and　shall　its　cause　and　the　means　of　its　prevention　be　known；　and　yet　these　means　withheld？　The　undertaking　is　replete　with　difficulties　which　can　only　be　overcome　by　those　who　have　influence　in　society：　who；　by　foreseeing　its　important　practical　benefits；　may　be　induced　to　contend　against　those　difficulties；　and　who；　when　its　advantages　are　clearly　seen　and　strongly　felt；　will　not　suffer　individual　considerations　to　be　put　in　competition　with　their　attainment。　It　is　true　their　ease　and　comfort　may　be　for　a　time　sacrificed　to　those　prejudices；　but；　if　they　persevere；　the　principles　on　which　this　knowledge　is　founded　must　ultimately　universally　prevail。　　　　　In　preparing　the　way　for　the　introduction　of　these　principles；　it　cannot　now　be　necessary　to　enter　into　the　detail　of　acts　to　prove　that　children　can　be　trained　to　acquire　'any　language；　sentiments；　belief；　or　any　bodily　habits　and　manners；　not　contrary　to　human　nature'。　　　　　For　that　this　has　been　done；　the　history　of　every　nation　of　which　we　have　records；　abundantly　confirms；　and　that　this　is；　and　may　be　again　done；　the　facts　which　exist　around　us　and　throughout　all　the　countries　in　the　world；　prove　to　demonstration。　　　　　Possessing；　then；　the　knowledge　of　a　power　so　important；　which　when　understood　is　capable　of　being　wielded　with　the　certainty　of　a　law　of　nature；　and　which　would　gradually　remove　the　evils　which　now　chiefly　afflict　mankind；　shall　we　permit　it　to　remain　dormant　and　useless；　and　suffer　the　plagues　of　society　perpetually　to　exist　and　increase？　　　　　No：　the　time　is　now　arrived　when　the　public　mind　of　this　country；　and　the　general　state　of　the　world；　call　imperatively　for　the　introduction　of　this　all…pervading　principle；　not　only　in　theory；　but　into　practice。　　　　　Nor　can　any　human　power　now　impede　its　rapid　progress。　Silence　will　not　retard　its　course；　and　opposition　will　give　increased　celerity　to　its　movements。　The　commencement　of　the　work　will；　in　fact；　ensure　its　accomplishment；　henceforth　all　the　irritating　angry　passions；　arising　from　ignorance　of　the　true　cause　of　bodily　and　mental　character；　will　gradually　subside；　and　be　replaced　by　the　most　frank　and　conciliating　confidence　and　goodwill。　　　　　Nor　will　it　be　possible　hereafter　for　comparatively　a　few　individuals　unintentionally　to　occasion　the　rest　of　mankind　to　be　surrounded　by　circumstances　which　inevitably　form　such　characters　as　they　afterwards　deem　it　a　duty　and　a　right　to　punish　even　to　death；　and　that；　too；　while　they　themselves　have　been　the　instruments　of　forming　those　characters。　Such　proceedings　not　only　create　innumerable　evils　to　the　directing　few；　but　essentially　retard　them　and　the　great　mass　of　society　from　attaining　the　enjoyment　of　a　high　degree　of　positive　happiness。　Instead　of　punishing　crimes　after　they　have　permitted　the　human　character　to　be　formed　so　as　to　commit　them；　they　will　adopt　the　only　means　which　can　be　adopted　to　prevent　the　existence　of　those　crimes；　means　by　which　they　may　be　most　easily　prevented。　　　　　Happily　for　poor　traduced　and　degraded　human　nature；　the　principle　for　which　we　now　contend　will　speedily　divest　it　of　all　the　ridiculous　and　absurd　mystery　with　which　it　has　been　hitherto　enveloped　by　the　ignorance　of　preceding　times：　and　all　the　complicated　and　counteracting　motives　for　good　conduct；　which　have　been　multiplied　almost　to　infinity；　will　be　reduced　to　one　single　principle　of　action；　which；　by　its　evident　operation　and　sufficiency；　shall　render　this　intricate　system　unnecessary：　and　ultimately　supersede　it　in　all　parts　of　the　earth。　That　principle　is　the　happiness　of　self；　clearly　understood　and　uniformly　practised；　which　can　only　be　attained　by　conduct　that　must　promote　the　happiness　of　the　community。　　　　　For　that　power　which　governs　and　pervades　the　universe　has；　evidently　so　formed　man；　that　he　must　progressively　pass　from　a　state　of　ignorance　to　intelligence；　the　limits　of　which　it　is　not　for　man　himself　to　define；　and　in　that　progress　to　discover；　that　his　individual　happiness　can　be　increased　and　extended　only　in　proportion　as　he　actively　endeavours　to　increase　and　extend　the　happiness　of　all　around　him。　The　principle　admits　neither　of　exclusion　nor　of　limitation；　and　such　appears　evidently　the　state　of　the　public　mind；　that　it　will　now　seize　and　cherish　this　principle　as　the　most　precious　boon　which　it　has　yet　been　allowed　to　attain。　The　errors　of　all　opposing　motives　will　appear　in　their　true　light；　and　the　ignorance　whence　they　arose　will　become　so　glaring；　that　even　the　most　unenlightened　will　speedily　reject　them。　　　　　For　this　state　of　matters；　and　for　all　the　gradual　changes　contemplated；　the　extraordinary　events　of　the　present　times　have　essentially　contributed　to　prepare　the　way。　　　　　Even　the　late　Ruler　of　France；　although　immediately　influenced　by　the　most　mistaken　principles　of　ambition；　has　contributed　to　this　happy　result；　by　shaking　to　its　foundation　that　mass　of　superstition　and　bigotry；　which　on　the　continent　of　Europe　had　been　accumulating　for　ages；　until　it　had　so　overpowered　and　depressed　the　human　intellect；　that　to　attempt　improvement　without　its　removal　would　have　been　most　unavailing。　And　in　the　next　place；　by　carrying　the　mistaken　selfish　principles　in　which　mankind　have　been　hitherto　educated　to　the　extreme　in　practice；　he　has　rendered　their　error　manifest；　and　left　no　doubt　of　the　fallacy　of　the　source　whence　they　originated。　　　　　These　transactions；　in　which　millions　have　been　immolated；　or　consigned　to　poverty　and　bereft　of　friends；　will　be　preserved　in　the　records　of　time；　and　impress　future　ages　with　a　just　estimation　of　the　principles　now　about　to　be　introduced　into　practice；　and　will　thus　prove　perpetually　useful　to　all　succeeding　generations。　　　　　For　the　direful　effects　of　Napoleon's　government　have　created　the　most　deep…rooted　disgust　at　notions　which　could　produce　a　belief　that　such　conduct　was　glorious；　or　calculated　to　increase　the　happiness　of　even　the　individual　by　whom　it　was　pursued。　And　the　late　discoveries　and　proceedings　of　the　Rev　Dr　Bell　and　Mr　Joseph　Lancaster　have　also　been　preparing　the　way；　in　a　manner　the　most　opposite；　but　yet　not　less　effectual；　by　directing　the　public　attention　to　the　beneficial　effects；　on　the　young　and　unresisting　mind；　of　even　the　limited　education　which　their　systems　embrace。　　　　　They　have　already　effected　enough　to　prove　that　all　which　is　now　in