heretics-第39部分
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is a sort of notion that extreme convictions specially upon cosmic matters；
have been responsible in the past for the thing which is called bigotry。
But a very small amount of direct experience will dissipate this view。
In real life the people who are most bigoted are the people
who have no convictions at all。 The economists of the Manchester
school who disagree with Socialism take Socialism seriously。
It is the young man in Bond Street； who does not know what socialism
means much less whether he agrees with it； who is quite certain
that these socialist fellows are making a fuss about nothing。
The man who understands the Calvinist philosophy enough to agree with it
must understand the Catholic philosophy in order to disagree with it。
It is the vague modern who is not at all certain what is right
who is most certain that Dante was wrong。 The serious opponent
of the Latin Church in history； even in the act of showing that it
produced great infamies； must know that it produced great saints。
It is the hard…headed stockbroker； who knows no history and
believes no religion； who is； nevertheless； perfectly convinced
that all these priests are knaves。 The Salvationist at the Marble
Arch may be bigoted； but he is not too bigoted to yearn from
a common human kinship after the dandy on church parade。
But the dandy on church parade is so bigoted that he does not
in the least yearn after the Salvationist at the Marble Arch。
Bigotry may be roughly defined as the anger of men who have
no opinions。 It is the resistance offered to definite ideas
by that vague bulk of people whose ideas are indefinite to excess。
Bigotry may be called the appalling frenzy of the indifferent。
This frenzy of the indifferent is in truth a terrible thing；
it has made all monstrous and widely pervading persecutions。
In this degree it was not the people who cared who ever persecuted；
the people who cared were not sufficiently numerous。 It was the people
who did not care who filled the world with fire and oppression。
It was the hands of the indifferent that lit the faggots；
it was the hands of the indifferent that turned the rack。 There have
come some persecutions out of the pain of a passionate certainty；
but these produced； not bigotry； but fanaticisma very different
and a somewhat admirable thing。 Bigotry in the main has always
been the pervading omnipotence of those who do not care crushing
out those who care in darkness and blood。
There are people； however； who dig somewhat deeper than this
into the possible evils of dogma。 It is felt by many that strong
philosophical conviction； while it does not （as they perceive）
produce that sluggish and fundamentally frivolous condition which we
call bigotry； does produce a certain concentration； exaggeration；
and moral impatience； which we may agree to call fanaticism。
They say； in brief； that ideas are dangerous things。
In politics； for example； it is commonly urged against a man like
Mr。 Balfour； or against a man like Mr。 John Morley； that a wealth
of ideas is dangerous。 The true doctrine on this point； again；
is surely not very difficult to state。 Ideas are dangerous；
but the man to whom they are least dangerous is the man of ideas。
He is acquainted with ideas； and moves among them like a lion…tamer。
Ideas are dangerous； but the man to whom they are most dangerous
is the man of no ideas。 The man of no ideas will find the first
idea fly to his head like wine to the head of a teetotaller。
It is a common error； I think； among the Radical idealists of my own
party and period to suggest that financiers and business men are a
danger to the empire because they are so sordid or so materialistic。
The truth is that financiers and business men are a danger to
the empire because they can be sentimental about any sentiment；
and idealistic about any ideal； any ideal that they find lying about。
just as a boy who has not known much of women is apt too easily
to take a woman for the woman； so these practical men； unaccustomed
to causes； are always inclined to think that if a thing is proved
to be an ideal it is proved to be the ideal。 Many； for example；
avowedly followed Cecil Rhodes because he had a vision。
They might as well have followed him because he had a nose；
a man without some kind of dream of perfection is quite as much
of a monstrosity as a noseless man。 People say of such a figure；
in almost feverish whispers； 〃He knows his own mind；〃 which is exactly
like saying in equally feverish whispers； 〃He blows his own nose。〃
Human nature simply cannot subsist without a hope and aim
of some kind； as the sanity of the Old Testament truly said；
where there is no vision the people perisheth。 But it is precisely
because an ideal is necessary to man that the man without ideals
is in permanent danger of fanaticism。 There is nothing which is
so likely to leave a man open to the sudden and irresistible inroad
of an unbalanced vision as the cultivation of business habits。
All of us know angular business men who think that the earth is flat；
or that Mr。 Kruger was at the head of a great military despotism；
or that men are graminivorous； or that Bacon wrote Shakespeare。
Religious and philosophical beliefs are； indeed； as dangerous
as fire； and nothing can take from them that beauty of danger。
But there is only one way of really guarding ourselves against
the excessive danger of them； and that is to be steeped in philosophy
and soaked in religion。
Briefly； then； we dismiss the two opposite dangers of bigotry
and fanaticism； bigotry which is a too great vagueness and fanaticism
which is a too great concentration。 We say that the cure for the
bigot is belief； we say that the cure for the idealist is ideas。
To know the best theories of existence and to choose the best
from them （that is； to the best of our own strong conviction）
appears to us the proper way to be neither bigot nor fanatic；
but something more firm than a bigot and more terrible than a fanatic；
a man with a definite opinion。 But that definite opinion must
in this view begin with the basic matters of human thought；
and these must not be dismissed as irrelevant； as religion；
for instance； is too often in our days dismissed as irrelevant。
Even if we think religion insoluble； we cannot think it irrelevant。
Even if we ourselves have no view of the ultimate verities；
we must feel that wherever such a view exists in a man it must
be more important than anything else in him。 The instant that
the thing ceases to be the unknowable； it becomes the indispensable。
There can be no doubt； I think； that the idea does exist in our
time that there is something narrow or irrelevant or even mean
about attacking a man's religion； or arguing from it in matters
of politics or ethics。 There can be quite as little doubt that such
an accusation of narrowness is itself almost grotesquely narrow。
To take an example from comparatively current events： we all know
that it was not uncommon for a man to be considered a scarecrow
of bigotry and obscurantism because he distrusted the Japanese；
or lamented the rise of the Japanese； on the ground that the Japanese
were Pagans。 Nobody would think that there was anything antiquated
or fanatical about distrusting a people because of some difference
between them and us in practice or political machinery。
Nobody would think it bigoted to say of a people； 〃I distrust their
influence because they are Protectionists。〃 No one would think it
narrow to say； 〃I lament their rise because they are Socialists；
or Manchester Individualists； or strong believers in militarism
and conscription。〃 A difference of opinion about the nature
of Parliaments matters very much； but a difference of opinion about
the nature of sin does not matter at all。 A difference of opinion
about the object of taxation matters very much； but a difference
of opinion about the object of human existence does not matter at all。
We have a right to distrust a man who is in a different kind
of municipality； but we have no right to mistrust a man who is in
a different kind of cosmos。 This sort of enlightenment is surely
about the most unenlightened that it is possible to imagine。
To recur to the phrase which I employed earlier； this is tantamount
to saying that everything is important with the exception of everything。
Religion is exactly the thing which cannot be left out
because it includes everything。 The most absent…minded person
cannot well pack his Gladstone…bag and leave out the bag。
We have a general view of existence； whether we like it or not；
it alters or； to speak more accurately； it creates and involves
everything we say or do； whether we like it or not。 If we regard
the Cosmos as a dream； we regard the Fiscal Question as a dream。
If we regard the Cosmos as a joke； we regard St。 Paul's Cathedral as
a joke。 If everything is bad； then we must believe （if it be possible）
that beer is bad； if everything be good； we are forced to the rather
fantastic conclusion that scientific philanthropy is good。 Every man
in the street must hold a metaphysical system； and hold it firmly。
The possibility is that he may have held it so firmly and so long
as to have forgotten all about its existence。
This latter situation is certainly possible； in fact； it is the situation
of the whole modern world。
