erewhon-第32部分

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Erewhonian　position　than　I　had　done　hitherto：　　nevertheless　there
were　parts　of　the　scheme　of　which　I　could　not　comprehend　the
fitness；　although　I　fully　admit　that　this　inability　was　probably
the　result　of　my　having　been　trained　so　very　differently；　and　to　my
being　then　much　out　of　sorts。

The　main　feature　in　their　system　is　the　prominence　which　they　give
to　a　study　which　I　can　only　translate　by　the　word　〃hypothetics。〃
They　argue　thusthat　to　teach　a　boy　merely　the　nature　of　the
things　which　exist　in　the　world　around　him；　and　about　which　he　will
have　to　be　conversant　during　his　whole　life；　would　be　giving　him
but　a　narrow　and　shallow　conception　of　the　universe；　which　it　is
urged　might　contain　all　manner　of　things　which　are　not　now　to　be
found　therein。　　To　open　his　eyes　to　these　possibilities；　and　so　to
prepare　him　for　all　sorts　of　emergencies；　is　the　object　of　this
system　of　hypothetics。　　To　imagine　a　set　of　utterly　strange　and
impossible　contingencies；　and　require　the　youths　to　give
intelligent　answers　to　the　questions　that　arise　therefrom；　is
reckoned　the　fittest　conceivable　way　of　preparing　them　for　the
actual　conduct　of　their　affairs　in　after　life。

Thus　they　are　taught　what　is　called　the　hypothetical　language　for
many　of　their　best　yearsa　language　which　was　originally　composed
at　a　time　when　the　country　was　in　a　very　different　state　of
civilisation　to　what　it　is　at　present；　a　state　which　has　long　since
disappeared　and　been　superseded。　　Many　valuable　maxims　and　noble
thoughts　which　were　at　one　time　concealed　in　it　have　become　current
in　their　modern　literature；　and　have　been　translated　over　and　over
again　into　the　language　now　spoken。　　Surely　then　it　would　seem
enough　that　the　study　of　the　original　language　should　be　confined
to　the　few　whose　instincts　led　them　naturally　to　pursue　it。

But　the　Erewhonians　think　differently；　the　store　they　set　by　this
hypothetical　language　can　hardly　be　believed；　they　will　even　give
any　one　a　maintenance　for　life　if　he　attains　a　considerable
proficiency　in　the　study　of　it；　nay；　they　will　spend　years　in
learning　to　translate　some　of　their　own　good　poetry　into　the
hypothetical　languageto　do　so　with　fluency　being　reckoned　a
distinguishing　mark　of　a　scholar　and　a　gentleman。　　Heaven　forbid
that　I　should　be　flippant；　but　it　appeared　to　me　to　be　a　wanton
waste　of　good　human　energy　that　men　should　spend　years　and　years　in
the　perfection　of　so　barren　an　exercise；　when　their　own
civilisation　presented　problems　by　the　hundred　which　cried　aloud
for　solution　and　would　have　paid　the　solver　handsomely；　but　people
know　their　own　affairs　best。　　If　the　youths　chose　it　for　themselves
I　should　have　wondered　less；　but　they　do　not　choose　it；　they　have
it　thrust　upon　them；　and　for　the　most　part　are　disinclined　towards
it。　　I　can　only　say　that　all　I　heard　in　defence　of　the　system　was
insufficient　to　make　me　think　very　highly　of　its　advantages。

The　arguments　in　favour　of　the　deliberate　development　of　the
unreasoning　faculties　were　much　more　cogent。　　But　here　they　depart
from　the　principles　on　which　they　justify　their　study　of
hypothetics；　for　they　base　the　importance　which　they　assign　to
hypothetics　upon　the　fact　of　their　being　a　preparation　for　the
extraordinary；　while　their　study　of　Unreason　rests　upon　its
developing　those　faculties　which　are　required　for　the　daily　conduct
of　affairs。　　Hence　their　professorships　of　Inconsistency　and
Evasion；　in　both　of　which　studies　the　youths　are　examined　before
being　allowed　to　proceed　to　their　degree　in　hypothetics。　　The　more
earnest　and　conscientious　students　attain　to　a　proficiency　in　these
subjects　which　is　quite　surprising；　there　is　hardly　any
inconsistency　so　glaring　but　they　soon　learn　to　defend　it；　or
injunction　so　clear　that　they　cannot　find　some　pretext　for
disregarding　it。

Life；　they　urge；　would　be　intolerable　if　men　were　to　be　guided　in
all　they　did　by　reason　and　reason　only。　　Reason　betrays　men　into
the　drawing　of　hard　and　fast　lines；　and　to　the　defining　by
languagelanguage　being　like　the　sun；　which　rears　and　then
scorches。　　Extremes　are　alone　logical；　but　they　are　always　absurd；
the　mean　is　illogical；　but　an　illogical　mean　is　better　than　the
sheer　absurdity　of　an　extreme。　　There　are　no　follies　and　no
unreasonablenesses　so　great　as　those　which　can　apparently　be
irrefragably　defended　by　reason　itself；　and　there　is　hardly　an
error　into　which　men　may　not　easily　be　led　if　they　base　their
conduct　upon　reason　only。

Reason　might　very　possibly　abolish　the　double　currency；　it　might
even　attack　the　personality　of　Hope　and　Justice。　　Besides；　people
have　such　a　strong　natural　bias　towards　it　that　they　will　seek　it
for　themselves　and　act　upon　it　quite　as　much　as　or　more　than　is
good　for　them：　　there　is　no　need　of　encouraging　reason。　　With
unreason　the　case　is　different。　　She　is　the　natural　complement　of
reason；　without　whose　existence　reason　itself　were　non…existent。

If；　then；　reason　would　be　non…existent　were　there　no　such　thing　as
unreason；　surely　it　follows　that　the　more　unreason　there　is；　the
more　reason　there　must　be　also？　　Hence　the　necessity　for　the
development　of　unreason；　even　in　the　interests　of　reason　herself。
The　Professors　of　Unreason　deny　that　they　undervalue　reason：　　none
can　be　more　convinced　than　they　are；　that　if　the　double　currency
cannot　be　rigorously　deduced　as　a　necessary　consequence　of　human
reason；　the　double　currency　should　cease　forthwith；　but　they　say
that　it　must　be　deduced　from　no　narrow　and　exclusive　view　of　reason
which　should　deprive　that　admirable　faculty　of　the　one…half　of　its
own　existence。　　Unreason　is　a　part　of　reason；　it　must　therefore　be
allowed　its　full　share　in　stating　the　initial　conditions。



CHAPTER　XXII：　　THE　COLLEGES　OF　UNREASONContinued



Of　genius　they　make　no　account；　for　they　say　that　every　one　is　a
genius；　more　or　less。　　No　one　is　so　physically　sound　that　no　part
of　him　will　be　even　a　little　unsound；　and　no　one　is　so　diseased　but
that　some　part　of　him　will　be　healthyso　no　man　is　so　mentally　and
morally　sound；　but　that　he　will　be　in　part　both　mad　and　wicked；　and
no　man　is　so　mad　and　wicked　but　he　will　be　sensible　and　honourable
in　part。　　In　like　manner　there　is　no　genius　who　is　not　also　a　fool；
and　no　fool　who　is　not　also　a　genius。

When　I　talked　about　originality　and　genius　to　some　gentlemen　whom　I
met　at　a　supper　party　given　by　Mr。　Thims　in　my　honour；　and　said
that　original　thought　ought　to　be　encouraged；　I　had　to　eat　my　words
at　once。　　Their　view　evidently　was　that　genius　was　like　offences
needs　must　that　it　come；　but　woe　unto　that　man　through　whom　it
comes。　　A　man's　business；　they　hold；　is　to　think　as　his　neighbours
do；　for　Heaven　help　him　if　he　thinks　good　what　they　count　bad。　　And
really　it　is　hard　to　see　how　the　Erewhonian　theory　differs　from　our
own；　for　the　word　〃idiot〃　only　means　a　person　who　forms　his
opinions　for　himself。

The　venerable　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom；　a　man　verging　on　eighty
but　still　hale；　spoke　to　me　very　seriously　on　this　subject　in
consequence　of　the　few　words　that　I　had　imprudently　let　fall　in
defence　of　genius。　　He　was　one　of　those　who　carried　most　weight　in
the　university；　and　had　the　reputation　of　having　done　more　perhaps
than　any　other　living　man　to　suppress　any　kind　of　originality。

〃It　is　not　our　business；〃　he　said；　〃to　help　students　to　think　for
themselves。　　Surely　this　is　the　very　last　thing　which　one　who
wishes　them　well　should　encourage　them　to　do。　　Our　duty　is　to
ensure　that　they　shall　think　as　we　do；　or　at　any　rate；　as　we　hold
it　expedient　to　say　we　do。〃　　In　some　respects；　however；　he　was
thought　to　hold　somewhat　radical　opinions；　for　he　was　President　of
the　Society　for　the　Suppression　of　Useless　Knowledge；　and　for　the
Completer　Obliteration　of　the　Past。

As　regards　the　tests　that　a　youth　must　pass　before　he　can　get　a
degree；　I　found　that　they　have　no　class　lists；　and　discourage
anything　like　competition　among　the　students；　this；　indeed；　they
regard　as　self…seeking　and　unneighbourly。　　The　examinations　are
conducted　by　way　of　papers　written　by　the　candidate　on　set
subjects；　some　of　which　are　known　to　him　beforehand；　while　others
are　devised　with　a　view　of　testing　his　general　capacity　and　savoir
faire。

My　friend　the　Professor　of　Worldly　Wisdom　was　the　terror　of　the
greater　number　of　students；　and；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　he　very
well　might　be；　for　he　had　taken　his　Professorship　more　seriously
than　any　of　the　other　Professors　had　done。　　I　heard　of　his　having
plucked　one　poor　fellow　for　want　of　sufficient　vagueness　in　his
saving　clauses　paper。　　Another　was　sent　down　for　having　written　an
article　on　a　scientific　subject　without　having　made　free　enough　use
of　the　words　〃carefully；〃　〃patiently；〃　and　〃earnestly。〃　　One　man
was　refused　a　degree　for　being　too　often　and　too　seriously　in　the
right；　while　a　few　days　before　I　came　a　whole　batch　had　been
plucked　for　insufficient　distrust　of　printed　matter。

About　this　there　was　just　then　rather　a　ferment；　for　it　seems　that
the　Professor　had　written　an　article　in　the　leading　university
magazine；　which　was　well　known　to　be　by　him；　and　which　abounded　in
all　sorts　of　plausible　blunders。　　He　then　set　a　paper　which
afforded　the　examinees　an　opportunity　of　repeating　these　blunders
which；　believing　the　article　to　be　by　their　own　examiner；　they　of
course　did。　　The　Professor　plucked　every　single　one　of　them；　but
his　action　was　considered　to　have　been　not　quite　handsome。

I　told　them　of　Homer's　noble　line　to　the　effect　that　a　man　should
strive　ever　to　be　foremost　and　in　all　things　to　outvie　his　peers；
but　they　said　that　no　wonder　the　countries　in　which　such　a
detestable　maxim　was　held　in　admiration　were　always　flying　at　one
another's　throats。

〃Why；〃　asked　one　Professor；　〃should　a　man　want　to　be　better　than
his　neighbours？　　Let　him　be　thankful　if　he　is　no　worse。〃

I　ventured　feebly　to　say　that　I　did　not　see　how　progress　could　be
made　in　any　art　or　science；　or　indeed　in　anything　at　all；　without
more　or　less　self…seeking；　and　hence　unamiability。

〃Of　course　it　cannot；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃and　therefore　we　object
to　progress。〃

After　which　there　was　no　more　to　be　said。　　Later　on；　however；　a