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unhappy；　for　they　none　of　them　had　the　faintest　idea　that　they　were
in　reality　more　dead　than　alive。　　No　cure　for　this　disgusting　fear…
of…giving…themselves…away　disease　has　yet　been　discovered。

*　*　*

It　was　during　my　stay　in　City　of　the　Colleges　of　Unreasona　city
whose　Erewhonian　name　is　so　cacophonous　that　I　refrain　from　giving
itthat　I　learned　the　particulars　of　the　revolution　which　had
ended　in　the　destruction　of　so　many　of　the　mechanical　inventions
which　were　formerly　in　common　use。

Mr。　Thims　took　me　to　the　rooms　of　a　gentleman　who　had　a　great
reputation　for　learning；　but　who　was　also；　so　Mr。　Thims　told　me；
rather　a　dangerous　person；　inasmuch　as　he　had　attempted　to
introduce　an　adverb　into　the　hypothetical　language。　　He　had　heard
of　my　watch　and　been　exceedingly　anxious　to　see　me；　for　he　was
accounted　the　most　learned　antiquary　in　Erewhon　on　the　subject　of
mechanical　lore。　　We　fell　to　talking　upon　the　subject；　and　when　I
left　he　gave　me　a　reprinted　copy　of　the　work　which　brought　the
revolution　about。

It　had　taken　place　some　five　hundred　years　before　my　arrival：
people　had　long　become　thoroughly　used　to　the　change；　although　at
the　time　that　it　was　made　the　country　was　plunged　into　the　deepest
misery；　and　a　reaction　which　followed　had　very　nearly　proved
successful。　　Civil　war　raged　for　many　years；　and　is　said　to　have
reduced　the　number　of　the　inhabitants　by　one…half。　　The　parties
were　styled　the　machinists　and　the　anti…machinists；　and　in　the　end；
as　I　have　said　already；　the　latter　got　the　victory；　treating　their
opponents　with　such　unparalleled　severity　that　they　extirpated
every　trace　of　opposition。

The　wonder　was　that　they　allowed　any　mechanical　appliances　to
remain　in　the　kingdom；　neither　do　I　believe　that　they　would　have
done　so；　had　not　the　Professors　of　Inconsistency　and　Evasion　made　a
stand　against　the　carrying　of　the　new　principles　to　their
legitimate　conclusions。　　These　Professors；　moreover；　insisted　that
during　the　struggle　the　anti…machinists　should　use　every　known
improvement　in　the　art　of　war；　and　several　new　weapons；　offensive
and　defensive；　were　invented；　while　it　was　in　progress。　　I　was
surprised　at　there　remaining　so　many　mechanical　specimens　as　are
seen　in　the　museums；　and　at　students　having　rediscovered　their　past
uses　so　completely；　for　at　the　time　of　the　revolution　the　victors
wrecked　all　the　more　complicated　machines；　and　burned　all　treatises
on　mechanics；　and　all　engineers'　workshopsthus；　so　they　thought；
cutting　the　mischief　out　root　and　branch；　at　an　incalculable　cost
of　blood　and　treasure。

Certainly　they　had　not　spared　their　labour；　but　work　of　this
description　can　never　be　perfectly　achieved；　and　when；　some　two
hundred　years　before　my　arrival；　all　passion　upon　the　subject　had
cooled　down；　and　no　one　save　a　lunatic　would　have　dreamed　of
reintroducing　forbidden　inventions；　the　subject　came　to　be　regarded
as　a　curious　antiquarian　study；　like　that　of　some　long…forgotten
religious　practices　among　ourselves。　　Then　came　the　careful　search
for　whatever　fragments　could　be　found；　and　for　any　machines　that
might　have　been　hidden　away；　and　also　numberless　treatises　were
written；　showing　what　the　functions　of　each　rediscovered　machine
had　been；　all　being　done　with　no　idea　of　using　such　machinery
again；　but　with　the　feelings　of　an　English　antiquarian　concerning
Druidical　monuments　or　flint　arrow　heads。

On　my　return　to　the　metropolis；　during　the　remaining　weeks　or
rather　days　of　my　sojourn　in　Erewhon　I　made　a　resume　in　English　of
the　work　which　brought　about　the　already　mentioned　revolution。　　My
ignorance　of　technical　terms　has　led　me　doubtless　into　many　errors；
and　I　have　occasionally；　where　I　found　translation　impossible；
substituted　purely　English　names　and　ideas　for　the　original
Erewhonian　ones；　but　the　reader　may　rely　on　my　general　accuracy。　　I
have　thought　it　best　to　insert　my　translation　here。



CHAPTER　XXIII：　　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　MACHINES



The　writer　commences：…　〃There　was　a　time；　when　the　earth　was　to　all
appearance　utterly　destitute　both　of　animal　and　vegetable　life；　and
when　according　to　the　opinion　of　our　best　philosophers　it　was
simply　a　hot　round　ball　with　a　crust　gradually　cooling。　　Now　if　a
human　being　had　existed　while　the　earth　was　in　this　state　and　had
been　allowed　to　see　it　as　though　it　were　some　other　world　with
which　he　had　no　concern；　and　if　at　the　same　time　he　were　entirely
ignorant　of　all　physical　science；　would　he　not　have　pronounced　it
impossible　that　creatures　possessed　of　anything　like　consciousness
should　be　evolved　from　the　seeming　cinder　which　he　was　beholding？
Would　he　not　have　denied　that　it　contained　any　potentiality　of
consciousness？　　Yet　in　the　course　of　time　consciousness　came。　　Is
it　not　possible　then　that　there　may　be　even　yet　new　channels　dug
out　for　consciousness；　though　we　can　detect　no　signs　of　them　at
present？

〃Again。　　Consciousness；　in　anything　like　the　present　acceptation　of
the　term；　having　been　once　a　new　thinga　thing；　as　far　as　we　can
see；　subsequent　even　to　an　individual　centre　of　action　and　to　a
reproductive　system　（which　we　see　existing　in　plants　without
apparent　consciousness）why　may　not　there　arise　some　new　phase　of
mind　which　shall　be　as　different　from　all　present　known　phases；　as
the　mind　of　animals　is　from　that　of　vegetables？

〃It　would　be　absurd　to　attempt　to　define　such　a　mental　state　（or
whatever　it　may　be　called）；　inasmuch　as　it　must　be　something　so
foreign　to　man　that　his　experience　can　give　him　no　help　towards
conceiving　its　nature；　but　surely　when　we　reflect　upon　the　manifold
phases　of　life　and　consciousness　which　have　been　evolved　already；
it　would　be　rash　to　say　that　no　others　can　be　developed；　and　that
animal　life　is　the　end　of　all　things。　　There　was　a　time　when　fire
was　the　end　of　all　things：　　another　when　rocks　and　water　were　so。〃

The　writer；　after　enlarging　on　the　above　for　several　pages；
proceeded　to　inquire　whether　traces　of　the　approach　of　such　a　new
phase　of　life　could　be　perceived　at　present；　whether　we　could　see
any　tenements　preparing　which　might　in　a　remote　futurity　be　adapted
for　it；　whether；　in　fact；　the　primordial　cell　of　such　a　kind　of
life　could　be　now　detected　upon　earth。　　In　the　course　of　his　work
he　answered　this　question　in　the　affirmative　and　pointed　to　the
higher　machines。

〃There　is　no　security〃to　quote　his　own　words〃against　the
ultimate　development　of　mechanical　consciousness；　in　the　fact　of
machines　possessing　little　consciousness　now。　　A　mollusc　has　not
much　consciousness。　　Reflect　upon　the　extraordinary　advance　which
machines　have　made　during　the　last　few　hundred　years；　and　note　how
slowly　the　animal　and　vegetable　kingdoms　are　advancing。　　The　more
highly　organised　machines　are　creatures　not　so　much　of　yesterday；
as　of　the　last　five　minutes；　so　to　speak；　in　comparison　with　past
time。　　Assume　for　the　sake　of　argument　that　conscious　beings　have
existed　for　some　twenty　million　years：　　see　what　strides　machines
have　made　in　the　last　thousand！　　May　not　the　world　last　twenty
million　years　longer？　　If　so；　what　will　they　not　in　the　end　become？
Is　it　not　safer　to　nip　the　mischief　in　the　bud　and　to　forbid　them
further　progress？

〃But　who　can　say　that　the　vapour　engine　has　not　a　kind　of
consciousness？　　Where　does　consciousness　begin；　and　where　end？　　Who
can　draw　the　line？　　Who　can　draw　any　line？　　Is　not　everything
interwoven　with　everything？　　Is　not　machinery　linked　with　animal
life　in　an　infinite　variety　of　ways？　　The　shell　of　a　hen's　egg　is
made　of　a　delicate　white　ware　and　is　a　machine　as　much　as　an　egg…
cup　is：　　the　shell　is　a　device　for　holding　the　egg；　as　much　as　the
egg…cup　for　holding　the　shell：　　both　are　phases　of　the　same
function；　the　hen　makes　the　shell　in　her　inside；　but　it　is　pure
pottery。　　She　makes　her　nest　outside　of　herself　for　convenience'
sake；　but　the　nest　is　not　more　of　a　machine　than　the　egg…shell　is。
A　'machine'　is　only　a　'device。'〃

Then　returning　to　consciousness；　and　endeavouring　to　detect　its
earliest　manifestations；　the　writer　continued：…

〃There　is　a　kind　of　plant　that　eats　organic　food　with　its　flowers：
when　a　fly　settles　upon　the　blossom；　the　petals　close　upon　it　and
hold　it　fast　till　the　plant　has　absorbed　the　insect　into　its
system；　but　they　will　close　on　nothing　but　what　is　good　to　eat；　of
a　drop　of　rain　or　a　piece　of　stick　they　will　take　no　notice。
Curious！　that　so　unconscious　a　thing　should　have　such　a　keen　eye　to
its　own　interest。　　If　this　is　unconsciousness；　where　is　the　use　of
consciousness？

〃Shall　we　say　that　the　plant　does　not　know　what　it　is　doing　merely
because　it　has　no　eyes；　or　ears；　or　brains？　　If　we　say　that　it　acts
mechanically；　and　mechanically　only；　shall　we　not　be　forced　to
admit　that　sundry　other　and　apparently　very　deliberate　actions　are
also　mechanical？　　If　it　seems　to　us　that　the　plant　kills　and　eats　a
fly　mechanically；　may　it　not　seem　to　the　plant　that　a　man　must　kill
and　eat　a　sheep　mechanically？

〃But　it　may　be　said　that　the　plant　is　void　of　reason；　because　the
growth　of　a　plant　is　an　involuntary　growth。　　Given　earth；　air；　and
due　temperature；　the　plant　must　grow：　　it　is　like　a　clock；　which
being　once　wound　up　will　go　till　it　is　stopped　or　run　down：　　it　is
like　the　wind　blowing　on　the　sails　of　a　shipthe　ship　must　go　when
the　wind　blows　it。　　But　can　a　healthy　boy　help　growing　if　he　have
good　meat　and　drink　and　clothing？　can　anything　help　going　as　long
as　it　is　wound　up；　or　go　on　after　it　is　run　down？　　Is　there　not　a
winding　up　process　everywhere？

〃Even　a　potato　｛5｝　in　a　dark　cellar　has　a　certain　low　cunning　about
him　which　serves　him　in　excellent　stead。　　He　knows　perfectly　well
what　he　wants　and　how　to　get　it。　　He　sees　the　light　coming　from　the
cellar　window　and　sends　his　shoots　crawling　straight　thereto：　　they
will　crawl　along　the　floor　and　up　the　wall　and　out　at　the　cellar
window；　if　there　be　a　little　earth　anywhere　on　the　journey　he　will
find　it　and　use　it　for　his　own　ends。　　What　deliberation　he　may
exercise　in　the　matter　of　his　roots　when　he　is　planted　in　the　earth
is　a　thing　unknown　to　us；　but　we　can　imagine　him　saying；　'I　will
have　a　tuber　here　and　a　tuber　there；　and　I　will　suck　whatsoever