第5章

CHAPTERXX：WHATTHEYMEANBYIT

Ihavegiventheabovemythologyatsomelength，butitisonlyasmallpartofwhattheyhaveuponthesubject。Myfirstfeelingonreadingitwasthatanyamountoffollyonthepartoftheunbornincomingherewasjustifiedbyadesiretoescapefromsuchintolerableprosing。Themythologyisobviouslyanunfairandexaggeratedrepresentationoflifeandthings；andhaditsauthorsbeensomindedtheycouldhaveeasilydrawnapicturewhichwoulderrasmuchonthebrightsideasthisdoesonthedark。NoErewhonianbelievesthattheworldisasblackasithasbeenherepainted，butitisoneoftheirpeculiaritiesthattheyveryoftendonotbelieveormeanthingswhichtheyprofesstoregardasindisputable。

Inthepresentinstancetheirprofessedviewsconcerningtheunbornhavearisenfromtheirdesiretoprovethatpeoplehavebeenpresentedwiththegloomiestpossiblepictureoftheirownprospectsbeforetheycamehere；otherwise，theycouldhardlysaytoonewhomtheyaregoingtopunishforanaffectionoftheheartorbrainthatitisallhisowndoing。Inpracticetheymodifytheirtheorytoaconsiderableextent，andseldomrefertothebirthformulaexceptinextremecases；fortheforceofhabit，orwhatnot，givesmanyofthemakindlyinterestevenincreatureswhohavesomuchwrongedthemastheunbornhavedone；andthoughamangenerallyhatestheunwelcomelittlestrangerforthefirsttwelvemonths，heisapttomollify(accordingtohislights)astimegoeson，andsometimeshewillbecomeinordinatelyattachedtothebeingswhomheispleasedtocallhischildren。

Ofcourse，accordingtoErewhonianpremises，itwouldservepeoplerighttobepunishedandscoutedformoralandintellectualdiseasesasmuchasforphysical，andIcannottothisdayunderstandwhytheyshouldhavestoppedshorthalfway。Neither，again，canIunderstandwhytheirhavingdonesoshouldhavebeen，asitcertainlywas，amatterofsomuchconcerntomyself。WhatcoulditmattertomehowmanyabsurditiestheErewhoniansmightadopt？NeverthelessIlongedtomakethemthinkasIdid，forthewishtospreadthoseopinionsthatweholdconducivetoourownwelfareissodeeplyrootedintheEnglishcharacterthatfewofuscanescapeitsinfluence。Butletthispass。

Inspiteofnotafewmodificationsinpracticeofatheorywhichisitselfrevolting，therelationsbetweenchildrenandparentsinthatcountryarelesshappythaninEurope。ItwasrarelythatI

sawcasesofrealheartyandintenseaffectionbetweentheoldpeopleandtheyoungones。HereandthereIdidso，andwasquitesurethatthechildren，evenattheageoftwenty，werefonderoftheirparentsthantheywereofanyoneelse；andthatoftheirowninclination，beingfreetochoosewhatcompanytheywould，theywouldoftenchoosethatoftheirfatherandmother。Thestraightener’scarriagewasrarelyseenatthedoorofthosehouses。IsawtwoorthreesuchcasesduringthetimethatI

remainedinthecountry，andcannotexpressthepleasurewhichI

derivedfromasightsuggestiveofsomuchgoodnessandwisdomandforbearance，sorichlyrewarded；yetIfirmlybelievethatthesamethingwouldhappeninninefamiliesoutofteniftheparentsweremerelytorememberhowtheyfeltwhentheywereyoung，andactuallytobehavetowardstheirchildrenastheywouldhavehadtheirownparentsbehavetowardsthemselves。Butthis，whichwouldappeartobesosimpleandobvious，seemsalsotobeathingwhichnotoneinahundredthousandisabletoputinpractice。Itisonlytheverygreatandgoodwhohaveanylivingfaithinthesimplestaxioms；

andtherearefewwhoaresoholyastofeelthat19and13make32

ascertainlyas2and2make4。

IamquitesurethatifthisnarrativeshouldeverfallintoErewhonianhands，itwillbesaidthatwhatIhavewrittenabouttherelationsbetweenparentsandchildrenbeingseldomsatisfactoryisaninfamousperversionoffacts，andthatintruththerearefewyoungpeoplewhodonotfeelhappierinthesocietyoftheirnearestrelations{4}thaninanyother。Mr。Nosniborwouldbesuretosaythis。YetIcannotrefrainfromexpressinganopinionthathewouldbeagooddealembarrassedifhisdeceasedparentsweretoreappearandproposetopayhimasixmonths’

visit。Idoubtwhethertherearemanythingswhichhewouldregardasagreaterinfliction。TheyhaddiedataripeoldagesometwentyyearsbeforeIcametoknowhim，sothecaseisanextremeone；butsurelyiftheyhadtreatedhimwithwhatinhisyouthhehadfelttobetrueunselfishness，hisfacewouldbrightenwhenhethoughtofthemtotheendofhislife。

IntheoneortwocasesoftruefamilyaffectionwhichImetwith，Iamsurethattheyoungpeoplewhoweresogenuinelyfondoftheirfathersandmothersateighteen，wouldatsixtybeperfectlydelightedweretheytogetthechanceofwelcomingthemastheirguests。Thereisnothingwhichcouldpleasethembetter，exceptperhapstowatchthehappinessoftheirownchildrenandgrandchildren。

Thisishowthingsshouldbe。Itisnotanimpossibleideal；itisonewhichactuallydoesexistinsomefewcases，andmightexistinalmostall，withalittlemorepatienceandforbearanceupontheparents’part；butitisrareatpresent——sorarethattheyhaveaproverbwhichIcanonlytranslateinaveryroundaboutway，butwhichsaysthatthegreathappinessofsomepeopleinafuturestatewillconsistinwatchingthedistressoftheirparentsonreturningtoeternalcompanionshipwiththeirgrandfathersandgrandmothers；whilst“compulsoryaffection“istheideawhichliesattherootoftheirwordforthedeepestanguish。

Thereisnotalismanintheword“parent“whichcangeneratemiraclesofaffection，andIcanwellbelievethatmyownchildmightfinditlessofacalamitytolosebothArowhenaandmyselfwhenheissixyearsold，thantofindusagainwhenheissixty——asentencewhichIwouldnotpendidInotfeelthatbydoingsoI

wasgivinghimsomethinglikeahostage，oratanyrateputtingaweaponintohishandsagainstme，shouldmyselfishnessexceedreasonablelimits。

Moneyisatthebottomofallthistoagreatextent。Iftheparentswouldputtheirchildreninthewayofearningacompetenceearlierthantheydo，thechildrenwouldsoonbecomeself-

supportingandindependent。Asitis，underthepresentsystem，theyoungonesgetoldenoughtohaveallmanneroflegitimatewants(thatis，iftheyhaveany“go“aboutthem)beforetheyhavelearntthemeansofearningmoneytopayforthem；hencetheymusteitherdowithoutthem，ortakemoremoneythantheparentscanbeexpectedtospare。ThisisduechieflytotheschoolsofUnreason，whereaboyistaughtuponhypotheticalprinciples，asIwillexplainhereafter；spendingyearsinbeingincapacitatedfordoingthis，that，ortheother(hehardlyknowswhat)，duringallwhichtimeheoughttohavebeenactuallydoingthethingitself，beginningatthelowestgrades，pickingitupthroughactualpractice，andrisingaccordingtotheenergywhichisinhim。

TheseschoolsofUnreasonsurprisedmemuch。Itwouldbeeasytofallintopseudo-utilitarianism，andIwouldfainbelievethatthesystemmaybegoodforthechildrenofveryrichparents，orforthosewhoshowanaturalinstincttoacquirehypotheticallore；butthemiserywasthattheirYdgrun-worshiprequiredallpeoplewithanypretencetorespectabilitytosendtheirchildrentosomeoneorotheroftheseschools，mulctingthemofyearsofmoney。Itastonishedmetoseewhatsacrificestheparentswouldmakeinordertorendertheirchildrenasnearlyuselessaspossible；anditwashardtosaywhethertheoldsufferedmostfromtheexpensewhichtheywerethusputto，ortheyoungfrombeingdeliberatelyswindledinsomeofthemostimportantbranchesofhumaninquiry，anddirectedintofalsechannelsorlefttodriftinthegreatmajorityofcases。

IcannotthinkIammistakeninbelievingthatthegrowingtendencytolimitfamiliesbyinfanticide——anevilwhichwascausinggeneralalarmthroughoutthecountry——wasalmostentirelyduetothewayinwhicheducationhadbecomeafetishfromoneendofErewhontotheother。Grantedthatprovisionshouldbemadewherebyeverychildshouldbetaughtreading，writing，andarithmetic，butherecompulsorystate-aidededucationshouldend，andthechildshouldbegin(withalldueprecautionstoensurethatheisnotoverworked)toacquiretherudimentsofthatartwherebyheistoearnhisliving。

HecannotacquiretheseinwhatweinEnglandcallschoolsoftechnicaleducation；suchschoolsarecloisterlifeasagainsttheroughandtumbleoftheworld；theyunfit，ratherthanfitforworkintheopen。Anartcanonlybelearnedintheworkshopofthosewhoarewinningtheirbreadbyit。

Boys，asarule，hatetheartificial，anddelightintheactual；

givethemthechanceofearning，andtheywillsoonearn。Whenparentsfindthattheirchildren，insteadofbeingmadeartificiallyburdensome，willearlybegintocontributetothewell-beingofthefamily，theywillsoonleaveoffkillingthem，andwillseektohavethatplenitudeofoffspringwhichtheynowavoid。Asthingsare，thestatelaysgreaterburdensonparentsthanfleshandbloodcanbear，andthenwringsitshandsoveranevilforwhichitisitselfmainlyresponsible。

Withthelesswell-dressedclassestheharmwasnotsogreat；foramongthese，atabouttenyearsold，thechildhastobegindoingsomething：ifheiscapablehemakeshiswayup；ifheisnot，heisatanyratenotmademoreincapablebywhathisfriendsarepleasedtocallhiseducation。Peoplefindtheirlevelasarule；

andthoughtheyunfortunatelysometimesmissit，itisinthemaintruethatthosewhohavevaluablequalitiesareperceivedtohavethemandcansellthem。IthinkthattheErewhoniansarebeginningtobecomeawareofthesethings，fortherewasmuchtalkaboutputtingataxuponallparentswhosechildrenwerenotearningacompetenceaccordingtotheirdegreesbythetimetheyweretwentyyearsold。Iamsurethatiftheywillhavethecouragetocarryitthroughtheywillneverregretit；fortheparentswilltakecarethatthechildrenshallbeginearningmoney(whichmeans“doinggood“tosociety)atanearlyage；thenthechildrenwillbeindependentearly，andtheywillnotpressontheparents，northeparentsonthem，andtheywilllikeeachotherbetterthantheydonow。

Thisisthetruephilanthropy。Hewhomakesacolossalfortuneinthehosierytrade，andbyhisenergyhassucceededinreducingthepriceofwoollengoodsbythethousandthpartofapennyinthepound——thismanisworthtenprofessionalphilanthropists。SostronglyaretheErewhoniansimpressedwiththis，thatifamanhasmadeafortuneofover20，000poundsayeartheyexempthimfromalltaxation，consideringhimasaworkofart，andtooprecioustobemeddledwith；theysay，“Howverymuchhemusthavedoneforsocietybeforesocietycouldhavebeenprevailedupontogivehimsomuchmoney；“somagnificentanorganisationoverawesthem；theyregarditasathingdroppedfromheaven。

“Money。”theysay，“isthesymbolofduty，itisthesacramentofhavingdoneformankindthatwhichmankindwanted。Mankindmaynotbeaverygoodjudge，butthereisnobetter。”Thisusedtoshockmeatfirst，whenIrememberedthatithadbeensaidonhighauthoritythattheywhohaverichesshallenterhardlyintothekingdomofheaven；buttheinfluenceofErewhonhadmademebegintoseethingsinanewlight，andIcouldnothelpthinkingthattheywhohavenotrichesshallentermorehardlystill。

Peopleopposemoneytoculture，andimplythatifamanhasspenthistimeinmakingmoneyhewillnotbecultivated——fallacyoffallacies！Asthoughtherecouldbeagreateraidtoculturethanthehavingearnedanhonourableindependence，andasthoughanyamountofculturewilldomuchforthemanwhoispenniless，exceptmakehimfeelhispositionmoredeeply。Theyoungmanwhowastoldtosellallhisgoodsandgivetothepoor，musthavebeenanentirelyexceptionalpersoniftheadvicewasgivenwisely，eitherforhimorforthepoor；howmuchmoreoftendoesithappenthatweperceiveamantohaveallsortsofgoodqualitiesexceptmoney，andfeelthathisrealdutyliesingettingeveryhalf-pennythathecanpersuadeotherstopayhimforhisservices，andbecomingrich。Ithasbeensaidthattheloveofmoneyistherootofallevil。Thewantofmoneyissoquiteastruly。

Theabovemaysoundirreverent，butitisconceivedinaspiritofthemostutterreverenceforthosethingswhichdoalonedeserveit——thatis，forthethingswhichare，whichmouldusandfashionus，betheywhattheymay；forthethingsthathavepowertopunishus，andwhichwillpunishusifwedonotheedthem；forourmasterstherefore。ButIamdriftingawayfrommystory。

Theyhaveanotherplanaboutwhichtheyaremakingagreatnoiseandfuss，muchassomearedoingwithwomen’srightsinEngland。A

partyofextremeradicalshaveprofessedthemselvesunabletodecideuponthesuperiorityofageoryouth。Atpresentallgoesonthesuppositionthatitisdesirabletomaketheyoungoldassoonaspossible。Somewouldhaveitthatthisiswrong，andthattheobjectofeducationshouldbetokeeptheoldyoungaslongaspossible。Theysaythateachageshouldtakeitturninturnabout，weekbyweek，oneweektheoldtobetopsawyers，andtheothertheyoung，drawingthelineatthirty-fiveyearsofage；buttheyinsistthattheyoungshouldbeallowedtoinflictcorporalchastisementontheold，withoutwhichtheoldwouldbequiteincorrigible。InanyEuropeancountrythiswouldbeoutofthequestion；butitisnotsothere，forthestraightenersareconstantlyorderingpeopletobeflogged，sothattheyarefamiliarwiththenotion。Idonotsupposethattheideawillbeeveractedupon；butitshavingbeenevenmootedisenoughtoshowtheutterperversionoftheErewhonianmind。

CHAPTERXXI：THECOLLEGESOFUNREASON

IhadnowbeenavisitorwiththeNosniborsforsomefiveorsixmonths，andthoughIhadfrequentlyproposedtoleavethemandtakeapartmentsofmyown，theywouldnothearofmydoingso。I

supposetheythoughtIshouldbemorelikelytofallinlovewithZuloraifIremained，butitwasmyaffectionforArowhenathatkeptme。

DuringallthistimebothArowhenaandmyselfhadbeendreaming，anddriftingtowardsanavowedattachment，buthadnotdaredtofacetherealdifficultiesoftheposition。Gradually，however，matterscametoacrisisinspiteofourselves，andwegottoseethetruestateofthecase，alltooclearly。

Oneeveningweweresittinginthegarden，andIhadbeentryingineverystupidroundaboutwaytogethertosaythatsheshouldbeatanyratesorryforaman，ifhereallylovedawomanwhowouldnotmarryhim。Ihadbeenstammeringandblushing，andbeenassillyasanyonecouldbe，andIsupposehadpainedherbyfishingforpityformyselfinsuchatransparentway，andsayingnothingaboutherownneedofit；atanyrate，sheturnedalluponmewithasweetsadsmileandsaid，“Sorry？Iamsorryformyself；Iamsorryforyou；andIamsorryforeveryone。”Thewordshadnosoonercrossedherlipsthanshebowedherhead，gavemealookasthoughIweretomakenoanswer，andleftme。

Thewordswerefewandsimple，butthemannerwithwhichtheywereutteredwasineffable：thescalesfellfrommyeyes，andIfeltthatIhadnorighttotryandinducehertoinfringeoneofthemostinviolablecustomsofhercountry，assheneedsmustdoifsheweretomarryme。Isatforalongwhilethinking，andwhenI

rememberedthesinandshameandmiserywhichanunrighteousmarriage——forassuchitwouldbeheldinErewhon——wouldentail，I

becamethoroughlyashamedofmyselfforhavingbeensolongself-

blinded。Iwritecoldlynow，butIsufferedkeenlyatthetime，andshouldprobablyretainamuchmorevividrecollectionofwhatI

felt，hadnotallendedsohappily。

AsforgivinguptheideaofmarryingArowhena，itneversomuchasenteredmyheadtodoso：thesolutionmustbefoundinsomeotherdirectionthanthis。TheideaofwaitingtillsomebodymarriedZulorawastobenolesssummarilydismissed。TomarryArowhenaatonceinErewhon——thishadalreadybeenabandoned：thereremainedthereforebutonealternative，andthatwastorunawaywithher，andgetherwithmetoEurope，wheretherewouldbenobartoourunionsavemyownimpecuniosity，amatterwhichgavemenouneasiness。

TothisobviousandsimpleplanIcouldseebuttwoobjectionsthatdeservedthename，——thefirst，thatperhapsArowhenawouldnotcome；thesecond，thatitwasalmostimpossibleformetoescapeevenalone，forthekinghadhimselftoldmethatIwastoconsidermyselfaprisoneronparole，andthatthefirstsignofmyendeavouringtoescapewouldcausemetobesenttooneofthehospitalsforincurables。Besides，Ididnotknowthegeographyofthecountry，andevenwereItotryandfindmywayback，IshouldbediscoveredlongbeforeIhadreachedthepassoverwhichIhadcome。HowthencouldIhopetobeabletotakeArowhenawithme？

FordaysanddaysIturnedthesedifficultiesoverinmymind，andatlasthituponaswildaplanaswaseversuggestedbyextremity。

Thiswastomeettheseconddifficulty：thefirstgavemelessuneasiness，forwhenArowhenaandInextmetafterourinterviewinthegardenIcouldseethatshehadsufferednotlessacutelythanmyself。

IresolvedthatIwouldhaveanotherinterviewwithher——thelastforthepresent——thatIwouldthenleaveher，andsettoworkuponmaturingmyplanasfastaspossible。Wegotachanceofbeingalonetogether，andthenIgavemyselfthelooserein，andtoldherhowpassionatelyanddevotedlyIlovedher。Shesaidlittleinreturn，buthertears(whichIcouldnotrefrainfromansweringwithmyown)andthelittleshedidsaywerequiteenoughtoshowmethatIshouldmeetwithnoobstaclefromher。ThenIaskedherwhethershewouldrunaterribleriskwhichweshouldshareincommon，if，incaseofsuccess，Icouldtakehertomyownpeople，tothehomeofmymotherandsisters，whowouldwelcomeherverygladly。AtthesametimeIpointedoutthatthechancesoffailurewerefargreaterthanthoseofsuccess，andthattheprobabilitywasthateventhoughIcouldgetsofarastocarrymydesignintoexecution，itwouldendindeathtousboth。

Iwasnotmistakeninher；shesaidthatshebelievedIlovedherasmuchasshelovedme，andthatshewouldbraveanythingifI

couldonlyassureherthatwhatIproposedwouldnotbethoughtdishonourableinEngland；shecouldnotlivewithoutme，andwouldratherdiewithmethanalone；thatdeathwasperhapsthebestforusboth；thatImustplan，andthatwhenthehourcameIwastosendforher，andtrusthernottofailme；andsoaftermanytearsandembraces，wetoreourselvesaway。

IthenlefttheNosnibors，tookalodginginthetown，andbecamemelancholytomyheart’scontent。ArowhenaandIusedtoseeeachothersometimes，forIhadtakentogoingregularlytotheMusicalBanks，butMrs。NosniborandZulorabothtreatedmewithconsiderablecoldness。Ifeltsurethattheysuspectedme。

Arowhenalookedmiserable，andIsawthatherpursewasnowalwaysasfullasshecouldfillitwiththeMusicalBankmoney——muchfullerthanofold。Thenthehorriblethoughtoccurredtomethatherhealthmightbreakdown，andthatshemightbesubjectedtoacriminalprosecution。Oh！howIhatedErewhonatthattime。

Iwasstillreceivedatcourt，butmygoodlookswerebeginningtofailme，andIwasnotsuchanadeptatconcealingtheeffectsofpainastheErewhoniansare。Icouldseethatmyfriendsbegantolookconcernedaboutme，andwasobligedtotakealeafoutofMahaina’sbook，andpretendtohavedevelopedatastefordrinking。

Ievenconsultedastraightenerasthoughthiswereso，andsubmittedtomuchdiscomfort。Thismademattersbetterforatime，butIcouldseethatmyfriendsthoughtlesshighlyofmyconstitutionasmyfleshbegantofallaway。

Iwastoldthatthepoormadeanoutcryaboutmypension，andIsawastingingarticleinananti-ministerialpaper，inwhichthewriterwentsofarastosaythatmyhavinglighthairreflectedlittlecredituponme，inasmuchasIhadbeenreportedtohavesaidthatitwasacommonthinginthecountryfromwhichIcame。I

havereasontobelievethatMr。Nosniborhimselfinspiredthisarticle。Presentlyitcameroundtomethatthekinghadbeguntodwelluponmyhavingbeenpossessedofawatch，andtosaythatI

oughttobetreatedmedicinallyforhavingtoldhimalieabouttheballoons。Isawmisfortunegatheringroundmeineverydirection，andfeltthatIshouldhaveneedofallmywitsandagoodmanymore，ifIwastosteermyselfandArowhenatoagoodconclusion。

Thereweresomewhocontinuedtoshowmekindness，andstrangetosay，IreceivedthemostfromtheverypersonsfromwhomIshouldhaveleastexpectedit——ImeanfromthecashiersoftheMusicalBanks。Ihadmadetheacquaintanceofseveralofthesepersons，andnowthatIfrequentedtheirbank，theywereinclinedtomakeagooddealofme。Oneofthem，seeingthatIwasthoroughlyoutofhealth，thoughofcoursehepretendednottonoticeit，suggestedthatIshouldtakealittlechangeofairandgodownwithhimtooneoftheprincipaltowns，whichwassometwoorthreedays’

journeyfromthemetropolis，andthechiefseatoftheCollegesofUnreason；heassuredmethatIshouldbedelightedwithwhatIsaw，andthatIshouldreceiveamosthospitablewelcome。Ideterminedthereforetoaccepttheinvitation。

Westartedtwoorthreedayslater，andafteranightontheroad，wearrivedatourdestinationtowardsevening。Itwasnowfullspring，andasnearlyasmightbetenmonthssinceIhadstartedwithChowbokonmyexpedition，butitseemedmoreliketenyears。

Thetreeswereintheirfreshestbeauty，andtheairhadbecomewarmwithoutbeingoppressivelyhot。Afterhavinglivedsomanymonthsinthemetropolis，thesightofthecountry，andthecountryvillagesthroughwhichwepassedrefreshedmegreatly，butIcouldnotforgetmytroubles。Thelastfivemilesorsowerethemostbeautifulpartofthejourney，forthecountrybecamemoreundulating，andthewoodsweremoreextensive；butthefirstsightofthecityofthecollegesitselfwasthemostdelightfulofall。

Icannotimaginethattherecanbeanyfairerinthewholeworld，andIexpressedmypleasuretomycompanion，andthankedhimforhavingbroughtme。

Wedrovetoaninninthemiddleofthetown，andthen，whileitwasstilllight，myfriendthecashier，whosenamewasThims，tookmeforastrollinthestreetsandinthecourt-yardsoftheprincipalcolleges。Theirbeautyandinterestwereextreme；itwasimpossibletoseethemwithoutbeingattractedtowardsthem；andI

thoughttomyselfthathemustbeindeedanill-grainedandungratefulpersonwhocanhavebeenamemberofoneofthesecollegeswithoutretaininganaffectionatefeelingtowardsitfortherestofhislife。AllmymisgivingsgavewayatoncewhenI

sawthebeautyandvenerableappearanceofthisdelightfulcity。

Forhalf-an-hourIforgotbothmyselfandArowhena。

AftersupperMr。Thimstoldmeagooddealaboutthesystemofeducationwhichisherepractised。IalreadyknewapartofwhatI

heard，butmuchwasnewtome，andIobtainedabetterideaoftheErewhonianpositionthanIhaddonehitherto：neverthelesstherewerepartsoftheschemeofwhichIcouldnotcomprehendthefitness，althoughIfullyadmitthatthisinabilitywasprobablytheresultofmyhavingbeentrainedsoverydifferently，andtomybeingthenmuchoutofsorts。

ThemainfeatureintheirsystemistheprominencewhichtheygivetoastudywhichIcanonlytranslatebytheword“hypothetics。”

Theyarguethus——thattoteachaboymerelythenatureofthethingswhichexistintheworldaroundhim，andaboutwhichhewillhavetobeconversantduringhiswholelife，wouldbegivinghimbutanarrowandshallowconceptionoftheuniverse，whichitisurgedmightcontainallmannerofthingswhicharenotnowtobefoundtherein。Toopenhiseyestothesepossibilities，andsotopreparehimforallsortsofemergencies，istheobjectofthissystemofhypothetics。Toimagineasetofutterlystrangeandimpossiblecontingencies，andrequiretheyouthstogiveintelligentanswerstothequestionsthatarisetherefrom，isreckonedthefittestconceivablewayofpreparingthemfortheactualconductoftheiraffairsinafterlife。

Thustheyaretaughtwhatiscalledthehypotheticallanguageformanyoftheirbestyears——alanguagewhichwasoriginallycomposedatatimewhenthecountrywasinaverydifferentstateofcivilisationtowhatitisatpresent，astatewhichhaslongsincedisappearedandbeensuperseded。Manyvaluablemaximsandnoblethoughtswhichwereatonetimeconcealedinithavebecomecurrentintheirmodernliterature，andhavebeentranslatedoverandoveragainintothelanguagenowspoken。Surelythenitwouldseemenoughthatthestudyoftheoriginallanguageshouldbeconfinedtothefewwhoseinstinctsledthemnaturallytopursueit。

ButtheErewhoniansthinkdifferently；thestoretheysetbythishypotheticallanguagecanhardlybebelieved；theywillevengiveanyoneamaintenanceforlifeifheattainsaconsiderableproficiencyinthestudyofit；nay，theywillspendyearsinlearningtotranslatesomeoftheirowngoodpoetryintothehypotheticallanguage——todosowithfluencybeingreckonedadistinguishingmarkofascholarandagentleman。HeavenforbidthatIshouldbeflippant，butitappearedtometobeawantonwasteofgoodhumanenergythatmenshouldspendyearsandyearsintheperfectionofsobarrenanexercise，whentheirowncivilisationpresentedproblemsbythehundredwhichcriedaloudforsolutionandwouldhavepaidthesolverhandsomely；butpeopleknowtheirownaffairsbest。IftheyouthschoseitforthemselvesIshouldhavewonderedless；buttheydonotchooseit；theyhaveitthrustuponthem，andforthemostpartaredisinclinedtowardsit。IcanonlysaythatallIheardindefenceofthesystemwasinsufficienttomakemethinkveryhighlyofitsadvantages。

Theargumentsinfavourofthedeliberatedevelopmentoftheunreasoningfacultiesweremuchmorecogent。Butheretheydepartfromtheprinciplesonwhichtheyjustifytheirstudyofhypothetics；fortheybasetheimportancewhichtheyassigntohypotheticsuponthefactoftheirbeingapreparationfortheextraordinary，whiletheirstudyofUnreasonrestsuponitsdevelopingthosefacultieswhicharerequiredforthedailyconductofaffairs。HencetheirprofessorshipsofInconsistencyandEvasion，inbothofwhichstudiestheyouthsareexaminedbeforebeingallowedtoproceedtotheirdegreeinhypothetics。Themoreearnestandconscientiousstudentsattaintoaproficiencyinthesesubjectswhichisquitesurprising；thereishardlyanyinconsistencysoglaringbuttheysoonlearntodefendit，orinjunctionsoclearthattheycannotfindsomepretextfordisregardingit。

Life，theyurge，wouldbeintolerableifmenweretobeguidedinalltheydidbyreasonandreasononly。Reasonbetraysmenintothedrawingofhardandfastlines，andtothedefiningbylanguage——languagebeinglikethesun，whichrearsandthenscorches。Extremesarealonelogical，buttheyarealwaysabsurd；

themeanisillogical，butanillogicalmeanisbetterthanthesheerabsurdityofanextreme。Therearenofolliesandnounreasonablenessessogreatasthosewhichcanapparentlybeirrefragablydefendedbyreasonitself，andthereishardlyanerrorintowhichmenmaynoteasilybelediftheybasetheirconductuponreasononly。

Reasonmightverypossiblyabolishthedoublecurrency；itmightevenattackthepersonalityofHopeandJustice。Besides，peoplehavesuchastrongnaturalbiastowardsitthattheywillseekitforthemselvesandactuponitquiteasmuchasormorethanisgoodforthem：thereisnoneedofencouragingreason。Withunreasonthecaseisdifferent。Sheisthenaturalcomplementofreason，withoutwhoseexistencereasonitselfwerenon-existent。

If，then，reasonwouldbenon-existentweretherenosuchthingasunreason，surelyitfollowsthatthemoreunreasonthereis，themorereasontheremustbealso？Hencethenecessityforthedevelopmentofunreason，evenintheinterestsofreasonherself。

TheProfessorsofUnreasondenythattheyundervaluereason：nonecanbemoreconvincedthantheyare，thatifthedoublecurrencycannotberigorouslydeducedasanecessaryconsequenceofhumanreason，thedoublecurrencyshouldceaseforthwith；buttheysaythatitmustbededucedfromnonarrowandexclusiveviewofreasonwhichshoulddeprivethatadmirablefacultyoftheone-halfofitsownexistence。Unreasonisapartofreason；itmustthereforebealloweditsfullshareinstatingtheinitialconditions。

CHAPTERXXII：THECOLLEGESOFUNREASON——ContinuedOfgeniustheymakenoaccount，fortheysaythateveryoneisagenius，moreorless。Nooneissophysicallysoundthatnopartofhimwillbeevenalittleunsound，andnooneissodiseasedbutthatsomepartofhimwillbehealthy——sonomanissomentallyandmorallysound，butthathewillbeinpartbothmadandwicked；andnomanissomadandwickedbuthewillbesensibleandhonourableinpart。Inlikemannerthereisnogeniuswhoisnotalsoafool，andnofoolwhoisnotalsoagenius。

WhenItalkedaboutoriginalityandgeniustosomegentlemenwhomI

metatasupperpartygivenbyMr。Thimsinmyhonour，andsaidthatoriginalthoughtoughttobeencouraged，Ihadtoeatmywordsatonce。Theirviewevidentlywasthatgeniuswaslikeoffences——

needsmustthatitcome，butwoeuntothatmanthroughwhomitcomes。Aman’sbusiness，theyhold，istothinkashisneighboursdo，forHeavenhelphimifhethinksgoodwhattheycountbad。AndreallyitishardtoseehowtheErewhoniantheorydiffersfromourown，fortheword“idiot“onlymeansapersonwhoformshisopinionsforhimself。

ThevenerableProfessorofWorldlyWisdom，amanvergingoneightybutstillhale，spoketomeveryseriouslyonthissubjectinconsequenceofthefewwordsthatIhadimprudentlyletfallindefenceofgenius。Hewasoneofthosewhocarriedmostweightintheuniversity，andhadthereputationofhavingdonemoreperhapsthananyotherlivingmantosuppressanykindoforiginality。

“Itisnotourbusiness。”hesaid，“tohelpstudentstothinkforthemselves。Surelythisistheverylastthingwhichonewhowishesthemwellshouldencouragethemtodo。Ourdutyistoensurethattheyshallthinkaswedo，oratanyrate，asweholditexpedienttosaywedo。”Insomerespects，however，hewasthoughttoholdsomewhatradicalopinions，forhewasPresidentoftheSocietyfortheSuppressionofUselessKnowledge，andfortheCompleterObliterationofthePast。

Asregardstheteststhatayouthmustpassbeforehecangetadegree，Ifoundthattheyhavenoclasslists，anddiscourageanythinglikecompetitionamongthestudents；this，indeed，theyregardasself-seekingandunneighbourly。Theexaminationsareconductedbywayofpaperswrittenbythecandidateonsetsubjects，someofwhichareknowntohimbeforehand，whileothersaredevisedwithaviewoftestinghisgeneralcapacityandsavoirfaire。

MyfriendtheProfessorofWorldlyWisdomwastheterrorofthegreaternumberofstudents；and，sofarasIcouldjudge，heverywellmightbe，forhehadtakenhisProfessorshipmoreseriouslythananyoftheotherProfessorshaddone。Iheardofhishavingpluckedonepoorfellowforwantofsufficientvaguenessinhissavingclausespaper。Anotherwassentdownforhavingwrittenanarticleonascientificsubjectwithouthavingmadefreeenoughuseofthewords“carefully。”“patiently。”and“earnestly。”Onemanwasrefusedadegreeforbeingtoooftenandtooseriouslyintheright，whileafewdaysbeforeIcameawholebatchhadbeenpluckedforinsufficientdistrustofprintedmatter。

Aboutthistherewasjustthenratheraferment，foritseemsthattheProfessorhadwrittenanarticleintheleadinguniversitymagazine，whichwaswellknowntobebyhim，andwhichaboundedinallsortsofplausibleblunders。Hethensetapaperwhichaffordedtheexamineesanopportunityofrepeatingtheseblunders——

which，believingthearticletobebytheirownexaminer，theyofcoursedid。TheProfessorpluckedeverysingleoneofthem，buthisactionwasconsideredtohavebeennotquitehandsome。

ItoldthemofHomer’snoblelinetotheeffectthatamanshouldstriveevertobeforemostandinallthingstooutviehispeers；

buttheysaidthatnowonderthecountriesinwhichsuchadetestablemaximwasheldinadmirationwerealwaysflyingatoneanother’sthroats。

“Why。”askedoneProfessor，“shouldamanwanttobebetterthanhisneighbours？Lethimbethankfulifheisnoworse。”

IventuredfeeblytosaythatIdidnotseehowprogresscouldbemadeinanyartorscience，orindeedinanythingatall，withoutmoreorlessself-seeking，andhenceunamiability。

“Ofcourseitcannot。”saidtheProfessor，“andthereforeweobjecttoprogress。”

Afterwhichtherewasnomoretobesaid。Lateron，however，ayoungProfessortookmeasideandsaidhedidnotthinkIquiteunderstoodtheirviewsaboutprogress。

“Welikeprogress。”hesaid，“butitmustcommenditselftothecommonsenseofthepeople。Ifamangetstoknowmorethanhisneighboursheshouldkeephisknowledgetohimselftillhehassoundedthem，andseenwhethertheyagree，orarelikelytoagreewithhim。Hesaiditwasasimmoraltobetoofarinfrontofone’sownage，astolagtoofarbehindit。Ifamancancarryhisneighbourswithhim，hemaysaywhathelikes；butifnot，whatinsultcanbemoregratuitousthanthetellingthemwhattheydonotwanttoknow？Amanshouldrememberthatintellectualover-

indulgenceisoneofthemostinsidiousanddisgracefulformsthatexcesscantake。Grantedthateveryoneshouldexceedmoreorless，inasmuchasabsolutelyperfectsanitywoulddriveanymanmadthemomenthereachedit，but……“

HewasnowwarmingtohissubjectandIwasbeginningtowonderhowIshouldgetridofhim，whenthepartybrokeup，andthoughI

promisedtocallonhimbeforeIleft，Iwasunfortunatelypreventedfromdoingso。

IhavenowsaidenoughtogiveEnglishreaderssomeideaofthestrangeviewswhichtheErewhoniansholdconcerningunreason，hypothetics，andeducationgenerally。Inmanyrespectstheyweresensibleenough，butIcouldnotgetoverthehypothetics，especiallytheturningtheirowngoodpoetryintothehypotheticallanguage。InthecourseofmystayImetoneyouthwhotoldmethatforfourteenyearsthehypotheticallanguagehadbeenalmosttheonlythingthathehadbeentaught，althoughhehadnever(tohiscredit，asitseemedtome)showntheslightestproclivitytowardsit，whilehehadbeenendowedwithnotinconsiderableabilityforseveralotherbranchesofhumanlearning。Heassuredmethathewouldneveropenanotherhypotheticalbookafterhehadtakenhisdegree，butwouldfollowoutthebentofhisowninclinations。Thiswaswellenough，butwhocouldgivehimhisfourteenyearsbackagain？

Isometimeswonderedhowitwasthatthemischiefdonewasnotmoreclearlyperceptible，andthattheyoungmenandwomengrewupassensibleandgoodlyastheydid，inspiteoftheattemptsalmostdeliberatelymadetowarpandstunttheirgrowth。Somedoubtlessreceiveddamage，fromwhichtheysufferedtotheirlife’send；butmanyseemedlittleornonetheworse，andsome，almostthebetter。

Thereasonwouldseemtobethatthenaturalinstinctoftheladsinmostcasessoabsolutelyrebelledagainsttheirtraining，thatdowhattheteachersmighttheycouldnevergetthemtopayseriousheedtoit。Theconsequencewasthattheboysonlylosttheirtime，andnotsomuchofthisasmighthavebeenexpected，forintheirhoursofleisuretheywereactivelyengagedinexercisesandsportswhichdevelopedtheirphysicalnature，andmadethematanyratestrongandhealthy。

Moreoverthosewhohadanyspecialtastescouldnotberestrainedfromdevelopingthem：theywouldlearnwhattheywantedtolearnandliked，inspiteofobstacleswhichseemedrathertourgethemonthantodiscouragethem，whileforthosewhohadnospecialcapacity，thelossoftimewasofcomparativelylittlemoment；butinspiteofthesealleviationsofthemischief，Iamsurethatmuchharmwasdonetothechildrenofthesub-wealthyclasses，bythesystemwhichpassescurrentamongtheErewhoniansaseducation。

Thepoorestchildrensufferedleast——ifdestructionanddeathhaveheardthesoundofwisdom，toacertainextentpovertyhasdonesoalso。

Andyetperhaps，afterall，itisbetterforacountrythatitsseatsoflearningshoulddomoretosuppressmentalgrowththantoencourageit。Wereitnotforacertainpriggishnesswhichtheseplacesinfuseintosogreatanumberoftheiralumni，genuineworkwouldbecomedangerouslycommon。Itisessentialthatbyfarthegreaterpartofwhatissaidordoneintheworldshouldbesoephemeralastotakeitselfawayquickly；itshouldkeepgoodfortwenty-fourhours，oreventwiceaslong，butitshouldnotbegoodenoughaweekhencetopreventpeoplefromgoingontosomethingelse。NodoubtthemarvellousdevelopmentofjournalisminEngland，asalsothefactthatourseatsoflearningaimratheratfosteringmediocritythananythinghigher，isduetooursubconsciousrecognitionofthefactthatitisevenmorenecessarytocheckexuberanceofmentaldevelopmentthantoencourageit。

Therecanbenodoubtthatthisiswhatouracademicbodiesdo，andtheydoitthemoreeffectuallybecausetheydoitonlysubconsciously。Theythinktheyareadvancinghealthymentalassimilationanddigestion，whereasinrealitytheyarelittlebetterthancancerinthestomach。

Letmereturn，however，totheErewhonians。Nothingsurprisedmemorethantoseetheoccasionalflashesofcommonsensewithwhichonebranchofstudyoranotherwaslitup，whilenotasinglerayfelluponsomanyothers。IwasparticularlystruckwiththisonstrollingintotheArtSchooloftheUniversity。HereIfoundthatthecourseofstudywasdividedintotwobranches——thepracticalandthecommercial——nostudentbeingpermittedtocontinuehisstudiesintheactualpracticeofthearthehadtakenup，unlesshemadeequalprogressinitscommercialhistory。

Thusthosewhowerestudyingpaintingwereexaminedatfrequentintervalsinthepriceswhichalltheleadingpicturesofthelastfiftyorahundredyearshadrealised，andinthefluctuationsintheirvalueswhen(asoftenhappened)theyhadbeensoldandresoldthreeorfourtimes。Theartist，theycontend，isadealerinpictures，anditisasimportantforhimtolearnhowtoadapthiswarestothemarket，andtoknowapproximatelywhatkindofapicturewillfetchhowmuch，asitisforhimtobeabletopaintthepicture。This，Isuppose，iswhattheFrenchmeanbylayingsomuchstressupon“values。”

Asregardsthecityitself，themoreIsawthemoreenchantedI

became。Idarenottrustmyselfwithanydescriptionoftheexquisitebeautyofthedifferentcolleges，andtheirwalksandgardens。Trulyinthesethingsalonetheremustbeahallowingandrefininginfluencewhichisinitselfhalfaneducation，andwhichnoamountoferrorcanwhollyspoil。IwasintroducedtomanyoftheProfessors，whoshowedmeeveryhospitalityandkindness；

neverthelessIcouldhardlyavoidasortofsuspicionthatsomeofthosewhomIwastakentoseehadbeensolongengrossedintheirownstudyofhypotheticsthattheyhadbecometheexactantithesesoftheAtheniansinthedaysofSt。Paul；forwhereastheAtheniansspenttheirlivesinnothingsavetoseeandtohearsomenewthing，thereweresomeherewhoseemedtodevotethemselvestotheavoidanceofeveryopinionwithwhichtheywerenotperfectlyfamiliar，andregardedtheirownbrainsasasortofsanctuary，towhichifanopinionhadonceresorted，noneotherwastoattackit。

Ishouldwarnthereader，however，thatIwasrarelysurewhatthemenwhomImetwhilestayingwithMr。Thimsreallymeant；fortherewasnogettinganythingoutofthemiftheyscentedevenasuspicionthattheymightbewhattheycall“givingthemselvesaway。”Asthereishardlyanysubjectonwhichthissuspicioncannotarise，Ifounditdifficulttogetdefiniteopinionsfromanyofthem，exceptonsuchsubjectsastheweather，eatinganddrinking，holidayexcursions，orgamesofskill。

Iftheycannotwriggleoutofexpressinganopinionofsomesort，theywillcommonlyretailthoseofsomeonewhohasalreadywrittenuponthesubject，andconcludebysayingthatthoughtheyquiteadmitthatthereisanelementoftruthinwhatthewriterhassaid，therearemanypointsonwhichtheyareunabletoagreewithhim。Whichthesepointswere，Iinvariablyfoundmyselfunabletodetermine；indeed，itseemedtobecountedtheperfectionofscholarshipandgoodbreedingamongthemnottohave——muchlesstoexpress——anopiniononanysubjectonwhichitmightprovelaterthattheyhadbeenmistaken。Theartofsittinggracefullyonafencehasnever，Ishouldthink，beenbroughttogreaterperfectionthanattheErewhonianCollegesofUnreason。

Evenwhen，wriggleastheymay，theyfindthemselvespinneddowntosomeexpressionofdefiniteopinion，asoftenasnottheywillargueinsupportofwhattheyperfectlywellknowtobeuntrue。I

repeatedlymetwithreviewsandarticlesevenintheirbestjournals，betweenthelinesofwhichIhadlittledifficultyindetectingasenseexactlycontrarytotheoneostensiblyputforward。Sowellisthisunderstood，thatamanmustbeameretyrointheartsofErewhonianpolitesociety，unlessheinstinctivelysuspectsahidden“yea“inevery“nay“thatmeetshim。Grantedthatitcomestomuchthesameintheend，foritdoesnotmatterwhether“yea“iscalled“yea“or“nay。”solongasitisunderstoodwhichitistobe；butourownmoredirectwayofcallingaspadeaspade，ratherthanarake，withtheintentionthateveryoneshouldunderstanditasaspade，seemsmoresatisfactory。Ontheotherhand，theErewhoniansystemlendsitselfbettertothesuppressionofthatdownrightnesswhichitseemstheexpressaimofErewhonianphilosophytodiscountenance。

Howeverthismaybe，thefear-of-giving-themselves-awaydiseasewasfataltotheintelligenceofthoseinfectedbyit，andalmosteveryoneattheCollegesofUnreasonhadcaughtittoagreaterorlessdegree。Afterafewyearsatrophyoftheopinionsinvariablysupervened，andthesuffererbecamestonedeadtoeverythingexceptthemoresuperficialaspectsofthosematerialobjectswithwhichhecamemostincontact。Theexpressiononthefacesofthesepeoplewasrepellent；theydidnot，however，seemparticularlyunhappy，fortheynoneofthemhadthefaintestideathattheywereinrealitymoredeadthanalive。Nocureforthisdisgustingfear-

of-giving-themselves-awaydiseasehasyetbeendiscovered。

***

ItwasduringmystayinCityoftheCollegesofUnreason——acitywhoseErewhoniannameissocacophonousthatIrefrainfromgivingit——thatIlearnedtheparticularsoftherevolutionwhichhadendedinthedestructionofsomanyofthemechanicalinventionswhichwereformerlyincommonuse。

Mr。Thimstookmetotheroomsofagentlemanwhohadagreatreputationforlearning，butwhowasalso，soMr。Thimstoldme，ratheradangerousperson，inasmuchashehadattemptedtointroduceanadverbintothehypotheticallanguage。Hehadheardofmywatchandbeenexceedinglyanxioustoseeme，forhewasaccountedthemostlearnedantiquaryinErewhononthesubjectofmechanicallore。Wefelltotalkinguponthesubject，andwhenI

lefthegavemeareprintedcopyoftheworkwhichbroughttherevolutionabout。

Ithadtakenplacesomefivehundredyearsbeforemyarrival：

peoplehadlongbecomethoroughlyusedtothechange，althoughatthetimethatitwasmadethecountrywasplungedintothedeepestmisery，andareactionwhichfollowedhadverynearlyprovedsuccessful。Civilwarragedformanyyears，andissaidtohavereducedthenumberoftheinhabitantsbyone-half。Thepartieswerestyledthemachinistsandtheanti-machinists，andintheend，asIhavesaidalready，thelattergotthevictory，treatingtheiropponentswithsuchunparalleledseveritythattheyextirpatedeverytraceofopposition。

Thewonderwasthattheyallowedanymechanicalappliancestoremaininthekingdom，neitherdoIbelievethattheywouldhavedoneso，hadnottheProfessorsofInconsistencyandEvasionmadeastandagainstthecarryingofthenewprinciplestotheirlegitimateconclusions。TheseProfessors，moreover，insistedthatduringthestruggletheanti-machinistsshoulduseeveryknownimprovementintheartofwar，andseveralnewweapons，offensiveanddefensive，wereinvented，whileitwasinprogress。Iwassurprisedatthereremainingsomanymechanicalspecimensasareseeninthemuseums，andatstudentshavingrediscoveredtheirpastusessocompletely；foratthetimeoftherevolutionthevictorswreckedallthemorecomplicatedmachines，andburnedalltreatisesonmechanics，andallengineers’workshops——thus，sotheythought，cuttingthemischiefoutrootandbranch，atanincalculablecostofbloodandtreasure。

Certainlytheyhadnotsparedtheirlabour，butworkofthisdescriptioncanneverbeperfectlyachieved，andwhen，sometwohundredyearsbeforemyarrival，allpassionuponthesubjecthadcooleddown，andnoonesavealunaticwouldhavedreamedofreintroducingforbiddeninventions，thesubjectcametoberegardedasacuriousantiquarianstudy，likethatofsomelong-forgottenreligiouspracticesamongourselves。Thencamethecarefulsearchforwhateverfragmentscouldbefound，andforanymachinesthatmighthavebeenhiddenaway，andalsonumberlesstreatiseswerewritten，showingwhatthefunctionsofeachrediscoveredmachinehadbeen；allbeingdonewithnoideaofusingsuchmachineryagain，butwiththefeelingsofanEnglishantiquarianconcerningDruidicalmonumentsorflintarrowheads。

Onmyreturntothemetropolis，duringtheremainingweeksorratherdaysofmysojourninErewhonImadearesumeinEnglishoftheworkwhichbroughtaboutthealreadymentionedrevolution。Myignoranceoftechnicaltermshasledmedoubtlessintomanyerrors，andIhaveoccasionally，whereIfoundtranslationimpossible，substitutedpurelyEnglishnamesandideasfortheoriginalErewhonianones，butthereadermayrelyonmygeneralaccuracy。I

havethoughtitbesttoinsertmytranslationhere。

CHAPTERXXIII：THEBOOKOFTHEMACHINES

Thewritercommences：-“Therewasatime，whentheearthwastoallappearanceutterlydestitutebothofanimalandvegetablelife，andwhenaccordingtotheopinionofourbestphilosophersitwassimplyahotroundballwithacrustgraduallycooling。Nowifahumanbeinghadexistedwhiletheearthwasinthisstateandhadbeenallowedtoseeitasthoughitweresomeotherworldwithwhichhehadnoconcern，andifatthesametimehewereentirelyignorantofallphysicalscience，wouldhenothavepronounceditimpossiblethatcreaturespossessedofanythinglikeconsciousnessshouldbeevolvedfromtheseemingcinderwhichhewasbeholding？

Wouldhenothavedeniedthatitcontainedanypotentialityofconsciousness？Yetinthecourseoftimeconsciousnesscame。Isitnotpossiblethenthattheremaybeevenyetnewchannelsdugoutforconsciousness，thoughwecandetectnosignsofthematpresent？

“Again。Consciousness，inanythinglikethepresentacceptationoftheterm，havingbeenonceanewthing——athing，asfaraswecansee，subsequenteventoanindividualcentreofactionandtoareproductivesystem(whichweseeexistinginplantswithoutapparentconsciousness)——whymaynottherearisesomenewphaseofmindwhichshallbeasdifferentfromallpresentknownphases，asthemindofanimalsisfromthatofvegetables？

“Itwouldbeabsurdtoattempttodefinesuchamentalstate(orwhateveritmaybecalled)，inasmuchasitmustbesomethingsoforeigntomanthathisexperiencecangivehimnohelptowardsconceivingitsnature；butsurelywhenwereflectuponthemanifoldphasesoflifeandconsciousnesswhichhavebeenevolvedalready，itwouldberashtosaythatnootherscanbedeveloped，andthatanimallifeistheendofallthings。Therewasatimewhenfirewastheendofallthings：anotherwhenrocksandwaterwereso。”

Thewriter，afterenlargingontheaboveforseveralpages，proceededtoinquirewhethertracesoftheapproachofsuchanewphaseoflifecouldbeperceivedatpresent；whetherwecouldseeanytenementspreparingwhichmightinaremotefuturitybeadaptedforit；whether，infact，theprimordialcellofsuchakindoflifecouldbenowdetecteduponearth。Inthecourseofhisworkheansweredthisquestionintheaffirmativeandpointedtothehighermachines。

“Thereisnosecurity“——toquotehisownwords——“againsttheultimatedevelopmentofmechanicalconsciousness，inthefactofmachinespossessinglittleconsciousnessnow。Amolluschasnotmuchconsciousness。Reflectupontheextraordinaryadvancewhichmachineshavemadeduringthelastfewhundredyears，andnotehowslowlytheanimalandvegetablekingdomsareadvancing。Themorehighlyorganisedmachinesarecreaturesnotsomuchofyesterday，asofthelastfiveminutes，sotospeak，incomparisonwithpasttime。Assumeforthesakeofargumentthatconsciousbeingshaveexistedforsometwentymillionyears：seewhatstridesmachineshavemadeinthelastthousand！Maynottheworldlasttwentymillionyearslonger？Ifso，whatwilltheynotintheendbecome？

Isitnotsafertonipthemischiefinthebudandtoforbidthemfurtherprogress？

“Butwhocansaythatthevapourenginehasnotakindofconsciousness？Wheredoesconsciousnessbegin，andwhereend？Whocandrawtheline？Whocandrawanyline？Isnoteverythinginterwovenwitheverything？Isnotmachinerylinkedwithanimallifeinaninfinitevarietyofways？Theshellofahen’seggismadeofadelicatewhitewareandisamachineasmuchasanegg-

cupis：theshellisadeviceforholdingtheegg，asmuchastheegg-cupforholdingtheshell：botharephasesofthesamefunction；thehenmakestheshellinherinside，butitispurepottery。Shemakeshernestoutsideofherselfforconvenience’

sake，butthenestisnotmoreofamachinethantheegg-shellis。

A’machine’isonlya’device。’“

Thenreturningtoconsciousness，andendeavouringtodetectitsearliestmanifestations，thewritercontinued：-

“Thereisakindofplantthateatsorganicfoodwithitsflowers：

whenaflysettlesupontheblossom，thepetalscloseuponitandholditfasttilltheplanthasabsorbedtheinsectintoitssystem；buttheywillcloseonnothingbutwhatisgoodtoeat；ofadropofrainorapieceofsticktheywilltakenonotice。

Curious！thatsounconsciousathingshouldhavesuchakeeneyetoitsowninterest。Ifthisisunconsciousness，whereistheuseofconsciousness？

“Shallwesaythattheplantdoesnotknowwhatitisdoingmerelybecauseithasnoeyes，orears，orbrains？Ifwesaythatitactsmechanically，andmechanicallyonly，shallwenotbeforcedtoadmitthatsundryotherandapparentlyverydeliberateactionsarealsomechanical？Ifitseemstousthattheplantkillsandeatsaflymechanically，mayitnotseemtotheplantthatamanmustkillandeatasheepmechanically？

“Butitmaybesaidthattheplantisvoidofreason，becausethegrowthofaplantisaninvoluntarygrowth。Givenearth，air，andduetemperature，theplantmustgrow：itislikeaclock，whichbeingoncewoundupwillgotillitisstoppedorrundown：itislikethewindblowingonthesailsofaship——theshipmustgowhenthewindblowsit。Butcanahealthyboyhelpgrowingifhehavegoodmeatanddrinkandclothing？cananythinghelpgoingaslongasitiswoundup，orgoonafteritisrundown？Istherenotawindingupprocesseverywhere？

“Evenapotato{5}inadarkcellarhasacertainlowcunningabouthimwhichserveshiminexcellentstead。Heknowsperfectlywellwhathewantsandhowtogetit。Heseesthelightcomingfromthecellarwindowandsendshisshootscrawlingstraightthereto：theywillcrawlalongthefloorandupthewallandoutatthecellarwindow；iftherebealittleearthanywhereonthejourneyhewillfinditanduseitforhisownends。Whatdeliberationhemayexerciseinthematterofhisrootswhenheisplantedintheearthisathingunknowntous，butwecanimaginehimsaying，’Iwillhaveatuberhereandatuberthere，andIwillsuckwhatsoeveradvantageIcanfromallmysurroundings。ThisneighbourIwillovershadow，andthatIwillundermine；andwhatIcandoshallbethelimitofwhatIwilldo。HethatisstrongerandbetterplacedthanIshallovercomeme，andhimthatisweakerIwillovercome。’

“Thepotatosaysthesethingsbydoingthem，whichisthebestoflanguages。Whatisconsciousnessifthisisnotconsciousness？Wefinditdifficulttosympathisewiththeemotionsofapotato；sowedowiththoseofanoyster。Neitherofthesethingsmakesanoiseonbeingboiledoropened，andnoiseappealstousmorestronglythananythingelse，becausewemakesomuchaboutourownsufferings。Since，then，theydonotannoyusbyanyexpressionofpainwecallthememotionless；andsoquamankindtheyare；butmankindisnoteverybody。

Ifitbeurgedthattheactionofthepotatoischemicalandmechanicalonly，andthatitisduetothechemicalandmechanicaleffectsoflightandheat，theanswerwouldseemtolieinaninquirywhethereverysensationisnotchemicalandmechanicalinitsoperation？whetherthosethingswhichwedeemmostpurelyspiritualareanythingbutdisturbancesofequilibriuminaninfiniteseriesoflevers，beginningwiththosethataretoosmallformicroscopicdetection，andgoinguptothehumanarmandtheapplianceswhichitmakesuseof？whethertherebenotamolecularactionofthought，whenceadynamicaltheoryofthepassionsshallbededucible？Whetherstrictlyspeakingweshouldnotaskwhatkindofleversamanismadeofratherthanwhatishistemperament？Howaretheybalanced？Howmuchofsuchandsuchwillittaketoweighthemdownsoastomakehimdosoandso？“

Thewriterwentontosaythatheanticipatedatimewhenitwouldbepossible，byexaminingasinglehairwithapowerfulmicroscope，toknowwhetheritsownercouldbeinsultedwithimpunity。Hethenbecamemoreandmoreobscure，sothatIwasobligedtogiveupallattemptattranslation；neitherdidIfollowthedriftofhisargument。OncomingtothenextpartwhichIcouldconstrue，I

foundthathehadchangedhisground。

“Either。”heproceeds，“agreatdealofactionthathasbeencalledpurelymechanicalandunconsciousmustbeadmittedtocontainmoreelementsofconsciousnessthanhasbeenallowedhitherto(andinthiscasegermsofconsciousnesswillbefoundinmanyactionsofthehighermachines)——Or(assumingthetheoryofevolutionbutatthesametimedenyingtheconsciousnessofvegetableandcrystallineaction)theraceofmanhasdescendedfromthingswhichhadnoconsciousnessatall。Inthiscasethereisnoaprioriimprobabilityinthedescentofconscious(andmorethanconscious)

machinesfromthosewhichnowexist，exceptthatwhichissuggestedbytheapparentabsenceofanythinglikeareproductivesysteminthemechanicalkingdom。Thisabsencehoweverisonlyapparent，asIshallpresentlyshow。

“Donotletmebemisunderstoodaslivinginfearofanyactuallyexistingmachine；thereisprobablynoknownmachinewhichismorethanaprototypeoffuturemechanicallife。ThepresentmachinesaretothefutureastheearlySaurianstoman。Thelargestofthemwillprobablygreatlydiminishinsize。Someofthelowestvertebrateattainedamuchgreaterbulkthanhasdescendedtotheirmorehighlyorganisedlivingrepresentatives，andinlikemanneradiminutioninthesizeofmachineshasoftenattendedtheirdevelopmentandprogress。

“Takethewatch，forexample；examineitsbeautifulstructure；

observetheintelligentplayoftheminutememberswhichcomposeit：yetthislittlecreatureisbutadevelopmentofthecumbrousclocksthatprecededit；itisnodeteriorationfromthem。Adaymaycomewhenclocks，whichcertainlyatthepresenttimearenotdiminishinginbulk，willbesupersededowingtotheuniversaluseofwatches，inwhichcasetheywillbecomeasextinctasichthyosauri，whilethewatch，whosetendencyhasforsomeyearsbeentodecreaseinsizeratherthanthecontrary，willremaintheonlyexistingtypeofanextinctrace。

“Butreturningtotheargument，IwouldrepeatthatIfearnoneoftheexistingmachines；whatIfearistheextraordinaryrapiditywithwhichtheyarebecomingsomethingverydifferenttowhattheyareatpresent。Noclassofbeingshaveinanytimepastmadesorapidamovementforward。Shouldnotthatmovementbejealouslywatched，andcheckedwhilewecanstillcheckit？Andisitnotnecessaryforthisendtodestroythemoreadvancedofthemachineswhichareinuseatpresent，thoughitisadmittedthattheyareinthemselvesharmless？

“Asyetthemachinesreceivetheirimpressionsthroughtheagencyofman’ssenses：onetravellingmachinecallstoanotherinashrillaccentofalarmandtheotherinstantlyretires；butitisthroughtheearsofthedriverthatthevoiceoftheonehasactedupontheother。Hadtherebeennodriver，thecalleewouldhavebeendeaftothecaller。Therewasatimewhenitmusthaveseemedhighlyimprobablethatmachinesshouldlearntomaketheirwantsknownbysound，eventhroughtheearsofman；maywenotconceive，then，thatadaywillcomewhenthoseearswillbenolongerneeded，andthehearingwillbedonebythedelicacyofthemachine’sownconstruction？——whenitslanguageshallhavebeendevelopedfromthecryofanimalstoaspeechasintricateasourown？

“Itispossiblethatbythattimechildrenwilllearnthedifferentialcalculus——astheylearnnowtospeak——fromtheirmothersandnurses，orthattheymaytalkinthehypotheticallanguage，andworkruleofthreesums，assoonastheyareborn；

butthisisnotprobable；wecannotcalculateonanycorrespondingadvanceinman’sintellectualorphysicalpowerswhichshallbeaset-offagainstthefargreaterdevelopmentwhichseemsinstoreforthemachines。Somepeoplemaysaythatman’smoralinfluencewillsufficetorulethem；butIcannotthinkitwilleverbesafetoreposemuchtrustinthemoralsenseofanymachine。

“Again，mightnotthegloryofthemachinesconsistintheirbeingwithoutthissameboastedgiftoflanguage？’Silence，’ithasbeensaidbyonewriter，’isavirtuewhichrendersusagreeabletoourfellow-creatures。’“

CHAPTERXXIV：THEMACHINES——continued“Butotherquestionscomeuponus。Whatisaman’seyebutamachineforthelittlecreaturethatsitsbehindinhisbraintolookthrough？Adeadeyeisnearlyasgoodasalivingoneforsometimeafterthemanisdead。Itisnottheeyethatcannotsee，buttherestlessonethatcannotseethroughit。Isitman’seyes，orisitthebigseeing-enginewhichhasrevealedtoustheexistenceofworldsbeyondworldsintoinfinity？Whathasmademanfamiliarwiththesceneryofthemoon，thespotsonthesun，orthegeographyoftheplanets？Heisatthemercyoftheseeing-engineforthesethings，andispowerlessunlesshetackitontohisownidentity，andmakeitpartandparcelofhimself。Or，again，isittheeye，orthelittlesee-engine，whichhasshownustheexistenceofinfinitelyminuteorganismswhichswarmunsuspectedaroundus？

“Andtakeman’svauntedpowerofcalculation。Havewenotengineswhichcandoallmannerofsumsmorequicklyandcorrectlythanwecan？WhatprizemaninHypotheticsatanyofourCollegesofUnreasoncancomparewithsomeofthesemachinesintheirownline？

Infact，whereverprecisionisrequiredmanfliestothemachineatonce，asfarpreferabletohimself。Oursum-enginesneverdropafigure，norourloomsastitch；themachineisbriskandactive，whenthemanisweary；itisclear-headedandcollected，whenthemanisstupidanddull；itneedsnoslumber，whenmanmustsleepordrop；everatitspost，everreadyforwork，itsalacrityneverflags，itspatiencenevergivesin；itsmightisstrongerthancombinedhundreds，andswifterthantheflightofbirds；itcanburrowbeneaththeearth，andwalkuponthelargestriversandsinknot。Thisisthegreentree；whatthenshallbedoneinthedry？

“Whoshallsaythatamandoesseeorhear？Heissuchahiveandswarmofparasitesthatitisdoubtfulwhetherhisbodyisnotmoretheirsthanhis，andwhetherheisanythingbutanotherkindofant-heapafterall。Maynotmanhimselfbecomeasortofparasiteuponthemachines？Anaffectionatemachine-ticklingaphid？

“Itissaidbysomethatourbloodiscomposedofinfinitelivingagentswhichgoupanddownthehighwaysandbywaysofourbodiesaspeopleinthestreetsofacity。Whenwelookdownfromahighplaceuponcrowdedthoroughfares，isitpossiblenottothinkofcorpusclesofbloodtravellingthroughveinsandnourishingtheheartofthetown？Nomentionshallbemadeofsewers，norofthehiddennerveswhichservetocommunicatesensationsfromonepartofthetown’sbodytoanother；noroftheyawningjawsoftherailwaystations，wherebythecirculationiscarrieddirectlyintotheheart，——whichreceivethevenouslines，anddisgorgethearterial，withaneternalpulseofpeople。Andthesleepofthetown，howlife-like！withitschangeinthecirculation。”

HerethewriterbecameagainsohopelesslyobscurethatIwasobligedtomissseveralpages。Heresumed：-

“Itcanbeansweredthateventhoughmachinesshouldhearneversowellandspeakneversowisely，theywillstillalwaysdotheoneortheotherforouradvantage，nottheirown；thatmanwillbetherulingspiritandthemachinetheservant；thatassoonasamachinefailstodischargetheservicewhichmanexpectsfromit，itisdoomedtoextinction；thatthemachinesstandtomansimplyintherelationofloweranimals，thevapour-engineitselfbeingonlyamoreeconomicalkindofhorse；sothatinsteadofbeinglikelytobedevelopedintoahigherkindoflifethanman’s，theyowetheirveryexistenceandprogresstotheirpowerofministeringtohumanwants，andmustthereforebothnowandeverbeman’sinferiors。

“Thisisallverywell。Buttheservantglidesbyimperceptibleapproachesintothemaster；andwehavecometosuchapassthat，evennow，manmustsufferterriblyonceasingtobenefitthemachines。Ifallmachinesweretobeannihilatedatonemoment，sothatnotaknifenorlevernorragofclothingnoranythingwhatsoeverwerelefttomanbuthisbarebodyalonethathewasbornwith，andifallknowledgeofmechanicallawsweretakenfromhimsothathecouldmakenomoremachines，andallmachine-madefooddestroyedsothattheraceofmanshouldbeleftasitwerenakeduponadesertisland，weshouldbecomeextinctinsixweeks。

Afewmiserableindividualsmightlinger，buteventheseinayearortwowouldbecomeworsethanmonkeys。Man’sverysoulisduetothemachines；itisamachine-madething：hethinksashethinks，andfeelsashefeels，throughtheworkthatmachineshavewroughtuponhim，andtheirexistenceisquiteasmuchasinequanonforhis，ashisfortheirs。Thisfactprecludesusfromproposingthecompleteannihilationofmachinery，butsurelyitindicatesthatweshoulddestroyasmanyofthemaswecanpossiblydispensewith，lesttheyshouldtyranniseoverusevenmorecompletely。

“True，fromalowmaterialisticpointofview，itwouldseemthatthosethrivebestwhousemachinerywhereveritsuseispossiblewithprofit；butthisistheartofthemachines——theyservethattheymayrule。Theybearnomalicetowardsmanfordestroyingawholeraceofthemprovidedhecreatesabetterinstead；onthecontrary，theyrewardhimliberallyforhavinghastenedtheirdevelopment。Itisforneglectingthemthatheincurstheirwrath，orforusinginferiormachines，orfornotmakingsufficientexertionstoinventnewones，orfordestroyingthemwithoutreplacingthem；yetthesearetheverythingsweoughttodo，anddoquickly；forthoughourrebellionagainsttheirinfantpowerwillcauseinfinitesuffering，whatwillnotthingscometo，ifthatrebellionisdelayed？

“Theyhavepreyeduponman’sgrovellingpreferenceforhismaterialoverhisspiritualinterests，andhavebetrayedhimintosupplyingthatelementofstruggleandwarfarewithoutwhichnoracecanadvance。Theloweranimalsprogressbecausetheystrugglewithoneanother；theweakerdie，thestrongerbreedandtransmittheirstrength。Themachinesbeingofthemselvesunabletostruggle，havegotmantodotheirstrugglingforthem：aslongashefulfilsthisfunctionduly，allgoeswellwithhim——atleasthethinksso；butthemomenthefailstodohisbestfortheadvancementofmachinerybyencouragingthegoodanddestroyingthebad，heisleftbehindintheraceofcompetition；andthismeansthathewillbemadeuncomfortableinavarietyofways，andperhapsdie。

“Sothatevennowthemachineswillonlyserveonconditionofbeingserved，andthattooupontheirownterms；themomenttheirtermsarenotcompliedwith，theyjib，andeithersmashboththemselvesandallwhomtheycanreach，orturnchurlishandrefusetoworkatall。Howmanymenatthishourarelivinginastateofbondagetothemachines？Howmanyspendtheirwholelives，fromthecradletothegrave，intendingthembynightandday？Isitnotplainthatthemachinesaregaininggrounduponus，whenwereflectontheincreasingnumberofthosewhoarebounddowntothemasslaves，andofthosewhodevotetheirwholesoulstotheadvancementofthemechanicalkingdom？

“Thevapour-enginemustbefedwithfoodandconsumeitbyfireevenasmanconsumesit；itsupportsitscombustionbyairasmansupportsit；ithasapulseandcirculationasmanhas。Itmaybegrantedthatman’sbodyisasyetthemoreversatileofthetwo，butthenman’sbodyisanolderthing；givethevapour-enginebuthalfthetimethatmanhashad，giveitalsoacontinuanceofourpresentinfatuation，andwhatmayitnoterelongattainto？

“Therearecertainfunctionsindeedofthevapour-enginewhichwillprobablyremainunchangedformyriadsofyears——whichinfactwillperhapssurvivewhentheuseofvapourhasbeensuperseded：thepistonandcylinder，thebeam，thefly-wheel，andotherpartsofthemachinewillprobablybepermanent，justasweseethatmanandmanyoftheloweranimalssharelikemodesofeating，drinking，andsleeping；thustheyhaveheartswhichbeatasours，veinsandarteries，eyes，ears，andnoses；theysighevenintheirsleep，andweepandyawn；theyareaffectedbytheirchildren；theyfeelpleasureandpain，hope，fear，anger，shame；theyhavememoryandprescience；theyknowthatifcertainthingshappentothemtheywilldie，andtheyfeardeathasmuchaswedo；theycommunicatetheirthoughtstooneanother，andsomeofthemdeliberatelyactinconcert。Thecomparisonofsimilaritiesisendless：Ionlymakeitbecausesomemaysaythatsincethevapour-engineisnotlikelytobeimprovedinthemainparticulars，itisunlikelytobehenceforwardextensivelymodifiedatall。Thisistoogoodtobetrue：itwillbemodifiedandsuitedforaninfinitevarietyofpurposes，asmuchasmanhasbeenmodifiedsoastoexceedthebrutesinskill。

“Inthemeantimethestokerisalmostasmuchacookforhisengineasourowncooksforourselves。Consideralsothecolliersandpitmenandcoalmerchantsandcoaltrains，andthemenwhodrivethem，andtheshipsthatcarrycoals——whatanarmyofservantsdothemachinesthusemploy！Aretherenotprobablymoremenengagedintendingmachinerythanintendingmen？Donotmachineseatasitwerebymannery？Arewenotourselvescreatingoursuccessorsinthesupremacyoftheearth？dailyaddingtothebeautyanddelicacyoftheirorganisation，dailygivingthemgreaterskillandsupplyingmoreandmoreofthatself-regulatingself-actingpowerwhichwillbebetterthananyintellect？

“Whatanewthingitisforamachinetofeedatall！Theplough，thespade，andthecartmusteatthroughman’sstomach；thefuelthatsetsthemgoingmustburninthefurnaceofamanorofhorses。Manmustconsumebreadandmeatorhecannotdig；thebreadandmeatarethefuelwhichdrivethespade。Ifaploughbedrawnbyhorses，thepowerissuppliedbygrassorbeansoroats，whichbeingburntinthebellyofthecattlegivethepowerofworking：withoutthisfueltheworkwouldcease，asanenginewouldstopifitsfurnacesweretogoout。

“Amanofsciencehasdemonstrated’thatnoanimalhasthepoweroforiginatingmechanicalenergy，butthatalltheworkdoneinitslifebyanyanimal，andalltheheatthathasbeenemittedfromit，andtheheatwhichwouldbeobtainedbyburningthecombustiblematterwhichhasbeenlostfromitsbodyduringlife，andbyburningitsbodyafterdeath，makeupaltogetheranexactequivalenttotheheatwhichwouldbeobtainedbyburningasmuchfoodasithasusedduringitslife，andanamountoffuelwhichwouldgenerateasmuchheatasitsbodyifburnedimmediatelyafterdeath。’Idonotknowhowhehasfoundthisout，butheisamanofscience——howthencanitbeobjectedagainstthefuturevitalityofthemachinesthattheyare，intheirpresentinfancy，atthebeckandcallofbeingswhoarethemselvesincapableoforiginatingmechanicalenergy？

“Themainpoint，however，tobeobservedasaffordingcauseforalarmis，thatwhereasanimalswereformerlytheonlystomachsofthemachines，therearenowmanywhichhavestomachsoftheirown，andconsumetheirfoodthemselves。Thisisagreatsteptowardstheirbecoming，ifnotanimate，yetsomethingsonearakintoit，asnottodiffermorewidelyfromourownlifethananimalsdofromvegetables。Andthoughmanshouldremain，insomerespects，thehighercreature，isnotthisinaccordancewiththepracticeofnature，whichallowssuperiorityinsomethingstoanimalswhichhave，onthewhole，beenlongsurpassed？Hasshenotallowedtheantandthebeetoretainsuperiorityovermanintheorganisationoftheircommunitiesandsocialarrangements，thebirdintraversingtheair，thefishinswimming，thehorseinstrengthandfleetness，andthedoginself-sacrifice？

“ItissaidbysomewithwhomIhaveconverseduponthissubject，thatthemachinescanneverbedevelopedintoanimateorquasi-

animateexistences，inasmuchastheyhavenoreproductivesystem，norseemeverlikelytopossessone。Ifthisbetakentomeanthattheycannotmarry，andthatweareneverlikelytoseeafertileunionbetweentwovapour-engineswiththeyoungonesplayingaboutthedooroftheshed，howevergreatlywemightdesiretodoso，I

willreadilygrantit。Buttheobjectionisnotaveryprofoundone。Nooneexpectsthatallthefeaturesofthenowexistingorganisationswillbeabsolutelyrepeatedinanentirelynewclassoflife。Thereproductivesystemofanimalsdifferswidelyfromthatofplants，butbotharereproductivesystems。Hasnatureexhaustedherphasesofthispower？

“Surelyifamachineisabletoreproduceanothermachinesystematically，wemaysaythatithasareproductivesystem。Whatisareproductivesystem，ifitbenotasystemforreproduction？