evolution and ethics and other essays-第42部分

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business　to　meddle　with　anything　but　the　administration　of　justice　and
external　defence。　It　appears　to　me　that　the　＇228＇　amount　of　freedom
which　incorporate　society　may　fitly　leave　to　its　members　is　not　a
fixed　quantity；　to　be　determined　a　priori　by　deduction　from　the
fiction　called　〃natural　rights〃；　but　that　it　must　be　determined　by；
and　vary　with；　circumstances。　I　conceive　it　to　be　demonstrable　that
the　higher　and　the　more　complex　the　organization　of　the　social　body；
the　more　closely　is　the　life　of　each　member　bound　up　with　that　of　the
whole；　and　the　larger　becomes　the　category　of　acts　which　cease　to　be
merely　self…regarding；　and　which　interfere　with　the　freedom　of　others
more　or　less　seriously。

If　a　squatter；　living　ten　miles　away　from　any　neighbour；　chooses　to
burn　his　house　down　to　get　rid　of　vermin；　there　may　be　no　necessity
（in　the　absence　of　insurance　offices）　that　the　law　should　interfere
with　his　freedom　of　action；　his　act　can　hurt　nobody　but　himself。　But；
if　the　dweller　in　a　street　chooses　to　do　the　same　thing；　the　State
very　properly　makes　such　a　proceeding　a　crime；　and　punishes　it　as
such。　He　does　meddle　with　his　neighbour's　freedom；　and　that　seriously。
So　it　might；　perhaps；　be　a　tenable　doctrine；　that　it　would　be
needless；　and　even　tyrannous；　to　make　education　compulsory　in　a　sparse
agricultural　population；　living　in　abundance　on　the　produce　of　its　own
soil；　but；　in　a　densely　populated　manufacturing　country；　struggling
for　existence　with　competitors；　every　ignorant　person　tends　to　＇229＇
become　a　burden　upon；　and；　so　far；　an　infringer　of　the　liberty　of；　his
fellows；　and　an　obstacle　to　their　success。　Under　such　circumstances　an
education　rate　is；　in　fact；　a　war　tax；　levied　for　purposes　of　defence。

That　State　action　always　has　been　more　or　less　misdirected；　and　always
will　be　so；　is；　I　believe；　perfectly　true。　But　I　am　not　aware　that　it
is　more　true　of　the　action　of　men　in　their　corporate　capacity　than　it
is　of　the　doings　of　individuals。　The　wisest　and　most　dispassionate　man
in　existence；　merely　wishing　to　go　from　one　stile　in　a　field　to　the
opposite；　will　not　walk　quite　straighthe　is　always　going　a　little
wrong；　and　always　correcting　himself；　and　I　can　only　congratulate　the
individualist　who　is　able　to　say　that　his　general　course　of　life　has
been　of　a　less　undulatory　character。　To　abolish　State　action；　because
its　direction　is　never　more　than　approximately　correct；　appears　to　me
to　be　much　the　same　thing　as　abolishing　the　man　at　the　wheel
altogether；　because；　do　what　he　will；　the　ship　yaws　more　or　less。　〃Why
should　I　be　robbed　of　my　property　to　pay　for　teaching　another　man's
children？〃　is　an　individualist　question；　which　is　not　unfrequently　put
as　if　it　settled　the　whole　business。　Perhaps　it　does；　but　I　find
difficulties　in　seeing　why　it　should。　The　parish　in　which　I　live　makes
me　pay　my　share　for　the　paving　and　lighting　of　a　great　many　streets
that　I　never　pass　through；　＇230＇　and　I　might　plead　that　I　am　robbed　to
smooth　the　way　and　lighten　the　darkness　of　other　people。　But　I　am
afraid　the　parochial　authorities　would　not　let　me　off　on　this　plea；
and　I　must　confess　I　do　not　see　why　they　should。

I　cannot　speak　of　my　own　knowledge；　but　I　have　every　reason　to　believe
that　I　came　into　this　world　a　small　reddish　person；　certainly　without
a　gold　spoon　in　my　mouth；　and　in　fact　with　no　discernible　abstract　or
concrete　〃rights〃　or　property　of　any　description。　If　a　foot　was　not
set　upon　me；　at　once；　as　a　squalling　nuisance；　it　was　either　the
natural　affection　of　those　about　me；　which　I　certainly　had　done
nothing　to　deserve；　or　the　fear　of　the　law　which；　ages　before　my
birth；　was　painfully　built　up　by　the　society　into　which　I　intruded；
that　prevented　that　catastrophe。　If　I　was　nourished；　cared　for；
taught；　saved　from　the　vagabondage　of　a　wastrel；　I　certainly　am　not
aware　that　I　did　anything　to　deserve　those　advantages。　And；　if　I
possess　anything　now；　it　strikes　me　that；　though　I　may　have　fairly
earned　my　day's　wages　for　my　day's　work；　and　may　justly　call　them　my
propertyyet；　without　that　organization　of　society；　created　out　of
the　toil　and　blood　of　long　generations　before　my　time；　I　should
probably　have　had　nothing　but　a　flint　axe　and　an　indifferent　hut　to
call　my　own；　and　even　those　would　be　mine　only　so　long　as　no　stronger
savage　came　my　way。

So　that　if　society；　having；　quite　gratuitously；　＇231＇　done　all　these
things　for　me；　asks　me　in　turn　to　do　something　towards　its
preservationeven　if　that　something　is　to　contribute　to　the　teaching
of　other　men's　childrenI　really　in　spite　of　all　my　individualist
leanings；　feel　rather　ashamed　to　say　no。　And　if　I　were　not　ashamed；　I
cannot　say　that　I　think　that　society　would　be　dealing　unjustly　with　me
in　converting　the　moral　obligation　into　a　legal　one。　There　is　a
manifest　unfairness　in　letting　all　the　burden　be　borne　by　the　willing
horse。

It　does　not　appear　to　me；　then；　that　there　is　any　valid　objection　to
taxation　for　purposes　of　education；　but；　in　the　case　of　technical
schools　and　classes；　I　think　it　is　practically　expedient　that　such　a
taxation　should　be　local。　Our　industrial　population　accumulates　in
particular　towns　and　districts；　these　districts　are　those　which
immediately　profit　by　technical　education；　and　it　is　only　in　them　that
we　can　find　the　men　practically　engaged　in　industries；　among　whom　some
may　reasonably　be　expected　to　be　competent　judges　of　that　which　is
wanted；　and　of　the　best　means　of　meeting　the　want。

In　my　belief；　all　methods　of　technical　training　are　at　present
tentative；　and；　to　be　successful；　each　must　be　adapted　to　the　special
peculiarities　of　its　locality。　This　is　a　case　in　which　we　want　twenty
years；　not　of　〃strong　government；〃　but　of　cheerful　and　hopeful
blundering；　and　we　may　be　＇232＇　thankful　if　we　get　things　straight　in
that　time。

The　principle　of　the　Bill　introduced；　but　dropped；　by　the　Government
last　session；　appears　to　me　to　be　wise；　and　some　of　the　objections　to
it　I　think　are　due　to　a　misunderstanding。　The　bill　proposed　in
substance　to　allow　localities　to　tax　themselves　for　purposes　of
technical　educationon　the　condition　that　any　scheme　for　such　purpose
should　be　submitted　to　the　Science　and　Art　Department；　and　declared　by
that　department　to　be　in　accordance　with　the　intention　of　the
Legislature。

A　cry　was　raised　that　the　Bill　proposed　to　throw　technical　education
into　the　hands　of　the　Science　and　Art　Department。　But；　in　reality；　no
power　of　initiation；　nor　even　of　meddling　with　details；　was　given　to
that　Departmentthe　sole　function　of　which　was　to　decide　whether　any
plan　proposed　did　or　did　not　come　within　the　limits　of　〃technical
education。〃　The　necessity　for　such　control；　somewhere；　is　obvious。　No
legislature；　certainly　not　ours；　is　likely　to　grant　the　power　of
self…taxation　without　setting　limits　to　that　power　in　some　way；　and　it
would　neither　have　been　practicable　to　devise　a　legal　definition　of
technical　education；　nor　commendable　to　leave　the　question　to　the
Auditor…General；　to　be　fought　out　in　the　law…courts。　The　only
alternative　was　to　leave　the　decision　to　an　appropriate　State
authority。　If　it　is　＇233＇　asked　what　is　the　ne