the soul of man-第1部分

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The　Soul　of　Man


by　Oscar　Wilde









The　chief　advantage　that　would　result　from　the　establishment　of

Socialism　is；　undoubtedly；　the　fact　that　Socialism　would　relieve　us

from　that　sordid　necessity　of　living　for　others　which；　in　the

present　condition　of　things；　presses　so　hardly　upon　almost

everybody。　　In　fact；　scarcely　anyone　at　all　escapes。



Now　and　then；　in　the　course　of　the　century；　a　great　man　of　science；

like　Darwin；　a　great　poet；　like　Keats；　a　fine　critical　spirit；　like

M。　Renan；　a　supreme　artist；　like　Flaubert；　has　been　able　to　isolate

himself；　to　keep　himself　out　of　reach　of　the　clamorous　claims　of

others；　to　stand　'under　the　shelter　of　the　wall；'　as　Plato　puts　it；

and　so　to　realise　the　perfection　of　what　was　in　him；　to　his　own

incomparable　gain；　and　to　the　incomparable　and　lasting　gain　of　the

whole　world。　　These；　however；　are　exceptions。　　The　majority　of

people　spoil　their　lives　by　an　unhealthy　and　exaggerated　altruism　…

are　forced；　indeed；　so　to　spoil　them。　　They　find　themselves

surrounded　by　hideous　poverty；　by　hideous　ugliness；　by　hideous

starvation。　　It　is　inevitable　that　they　should　be　strongly　moved　by

all　this。　　The　emotions　of　man　are　stirred　more　quickly　than　man's

intelligence；　and；　as　I　pointed　out　some　time　ago　in　an　article　on

the　function　of　criticism；　it　is　much　more　easy　to　have　sympathy

with　suffering　than　it　is　to　have　sympathy　with　thought。

Accordingly；　with　admirable；　though　misdirected　intentions；　they

very　seriously　and　very　sentimentally　set　themselves　to　the　task　of

remedying　the　evils　that　they　see。　　But　their　remedies　do　not　cure

the　disease：　　they　merely　prolong　it。　　Indeed；　their　remedies　are

part　of　the　disease。



They　try　to　solve　the　problem　of　poverty；　for　instance；　by　keeping

the　poor　alive；　or；　in　the　case　of　a　very　advanced　school；　by

amusing　the　poor。



But　this　is　not　a　solution：　　it　is　an　aggravation　of　the

difficulty。　　The　proper　aim　is　to　try　and　reconstruct　society　on

such　a　basis　that　poverty　will　be　impossible。　　And　the　altruistic

virtues　have　really　prevented　the　carrying　out　of　this　aim。　　Just

as　the　worst　slave…owners　were　those　who　were　kind　to　their　slaves；

and　so　prevented　the　horror　of　the　system　being　realised　by　those

who　suffered　from　it；　and　understood　by　those　who　contemplated　it；

so；　in　the　present　state　of　things　in　England；　the　people　who　do

most　harm　are　the　people　who　try　to　do　most　good；　and　at　last　we

have　had　the　spectacle　of　men　who　have　really　studied　the　problem

and　know　the　life　…　educated　men　who　live　in　the　East　End　…　coming

forward　and　imploring　the　community　to　restrain　its　altruistic

impulses　of　charity；　benevolence；　and　the　like。　　They　do　so　on　the

ground　that　such　charity　degrades　and　demoralises。　　They　are

perfectly　right。　　Charity　creates　a　multitude　of　sins。



There　is　also　this　to　be　said。　　It　is　immoral　to　use　private

property　in　order　to　alleviate　the　horrible　evils　that　result　from

the　institution　of　private　property。　　It　is　both　immoral　and

unfair。



Under　Socialism　all　this　will；　of　course；　be　altered。　　There　will

be　no　people　living　in　fetid　dens　and　fetid　rags；　and　bringing　up

unhealthy；　hunger…pinched　children　in　the　midst　of　impossible　and

absolutely　repulsive　surroundings。　　The　security　of　society　will

not　depend；　as　it　does　now；　on　the　state　of　the　weather。　　If　a

frost　comes　we　shall　not　have　a　hundred　thousand　men　out　of　work；

tramping　about　the　streets　in　a　state　of　disgusting　misery；　or

whining　to　their　neighbours　for　alms；　or　crowding　round　the　doors

of　loathsome　shelters　to　try　and　secure　a　hunch　of　bread　and　a

night's　unclean　lodging。　　Each　member　of　the　society　will　share　in

the　general　prosperity　and　happiness　of　the　society；　and　if　a　frost

comes　no　one　will　practically　be　anything　the　worse。



Upon　the　other　hand；　Socialism　itself　will　be　of　value　simply

because　it　will　lead　to　Individualism。



Socialism；　Communism；　or　whatever　one　chooses　to　call　it；　by

converting　private　property　into　public　wealth；　and　substituting

co…operation　for　competition；　will　restore　society　to　its　proper

condition　of　a　thoroughly　healthy　organism；　and　insure　the　material

well…being　of　each　member　of　the　community。　　It　will；　in　fact；　give

Life　its　proper　basis　and　its　proper　environment。　　But　for　the　full

development　of　Life　to　its　highest　mode　of　perfection；　something

more　is　needed。　　What　is　needed　is　Individualism。　　If　the　Socialism

is　Authoritarian；　if　there　are　Governments　armed　with　economic

power　as　they　are　now　with　political　power；　if；　in　a　word；　we　are

to　have　Industrial　Tyrannies；　then　the　last　state　of　man　will　be

worse　than　the　first。　　At　present；　in　consequence　of　the　existence

of　private　property；　a　great　many　people　are　enabled　to　develop　a

certain　very　limited　amount　of　Individualism。　　They　are　either

under　no　necessity　to　work　for　their　living；　or　are　enabled　to

choose　the　sphere　of　activity　that　is　really　congenial　to　them；　and

gives　them　pleasure。　　These　are　the　poets；　the　philosophers；　the

men　of　science；　the　men　of　culture　…　in　a　word；　the　real　men；　the

men　who　have　realised　themselves；　and　in　whom　all　Humanity　gains　a

partial　realisation。　　Upon　the　other　hand；　there　are　a　great　many

people　who；　having　no　private　property　of　their　own；　and　being

always　on　the　brink　of　sheer　starvation；　are　compelled　to　do　the

work　of　beasts　of　burden；　to　do　work　that　is　quite　uncongenial　to

them；　and　to　which　they　are　forced　by　the　peremptory；　unreasonable；

degrading　Tyranny　of　want。　　These　are　the　poor；　and　amongst　them

there　is　no　grace　of　manner；　or　charm　of　speech；　or　civilisation；

or　culture；　or　refinement　in　pleasures；　or　joy　of　life。　　From　their

collective　force　Humanity　gains　much　in　material　prosperity。　　But

it　is　only　the　material　result　that　it　gains；　and　the　man　who　is

poor　is　in　himself　absolutely　of　no　importance。　　He　is　merely　the

infinitesimal　atom　of　a　force　that；　so　far　from　regarding　him；

crushes　him：　　indeed；　prefers　him　crushed；　as　in　that　case　he　is

far　more　obedient。



Of　course；　it　might　be　said　that　the　Individualism　generated　under

conditions　of　private　property　is　not　always；　or　even　as　a　rule；　of

a　fine　or　wonderful　type；　and　that　the　poor；　if　they　have　not

culture　and　charm；　have　still　many　virtues。　　Both　these　statements

would　be　quite　true。　　The　possession　of　private　property　is　very

often　extremely　demoralising；　and　that　is；　of　course；　one　of　the

reasons　why　Socialism　wants　to　get　rid　of　the　institution。　　In

fact；　property　is　really　a　nuisance。　　Some　years　ago　people　went

about　the　country　saying　that　property　has　duties。　　They　said　it　so

often　and　so　tediously　that；　at　last；　the　Church　has　begun　to　say

it。　　One　hears　it　now　from　every　pulpit。　　It　is　perfectly　true。

Property　not　merely　has　duties；　but　has　so　many　duties　that　its

possession　to　any　large　extent　is　a　bore。　　It　involves　endless

claims　upon　one；　endless　attention　to　business；　endless　bother。　　If

property　had　simply　pleasures；　we　could　stand　it；　but　its　duties

make　it　unbearable。　　In　the　interest　of　the　rich　we　must　get　rid　of

it。　　The　virtues　of　the　poor　may　be　readily　admitted；　and　are　much

to　be　regretted。　　We　are　often　told　that　the　poor　are　grateful　for

charity。　　Some　of　them　are；　no　doubt；　but　the　best　amongst　the　poor

are　never　grateful。　　They　are　ungrateful；　discontented；

disobedient；　and　rebellious。　　They　are　quite　right　to　be　so。

Charity　they　feel　to　be　a　ridiculously　inadequate　mode　of　partial

restitution；　or　a　sentimental　dole；　usually　accompanied　by　some

impertinent　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　sentimentalist　to　tyrannise

over　their　private　lives。　　Why　should　they　be　grateful　for　the

crumbs　that　fall　from　the　rich　man's　table？　　They　should　be　seated

at　the　board；　and　are　beginning　to　know　it。　　As　for　being

discontented；　a　man　who　would　not　be　discontented　with　such

surroundings　and　such　a　low　mode　of　life　would　be　a　perfect　brute。

Disobedience；　in　the　eyes　of　anyone　who　has　read　history；　is　man's

original　virtue。　　It　is　through　disobedience　that　progress　has　been

made；　through　disobedience　and　through　rebellion。　　Sometimes　the

poor　are　praised　for　being　thrifty。　　But　to　recommend　thrift　to　the

poor　is　both　grotesque　and　insulting。　　It　is　like　advising　a　man

who　is　starving　to　eat　less。　　For　a　town　or　country　labourer　to

practise　thrift　would　be　absolutely　immoral。　　Man　should　not　be

ready　to　show　that　he　can　live　like　a　badly…fed　animal。　　He　should

decline　to　live　like　that；　and　should　either　steal　or　go　on　the

rates；　which　is　considered　by　many　to　be　a　form　of　stealing。　　As

for　begging；　it　is　safer　to　beg　than　to　take；　but　it　is　finer　to

take　than　to　beg。　　No：　　a　poor　man　who　is　ungrateful；　unthrifty；

discontented；　and　rebellious；　is　probably　a　real　personality；　and

has　much　in　him。　　He　is　at　any　rate　a　healthy　protest。　　As　for　the

virtuous　poor；　one　can　pity　them；　of　course；　but　one　cannot

possibly　admire　them。　　They　have　made　private　terms　with　the　enemy；

and　sold　their　birthright　for　very　bad　pottage。　　They　must　also　be

extraordinarily　stupid。　　I　can　quite　understand　a　man　accepting

laws　that　protect　private　property；　and　admit　of　its　accumulation；

as　long　as　he　himself　is　able　under　those　conditions　to　realise

some　form　of　beautiful　and　intellectual　life。　　But　it　is　almost

incredible　to　me　how　a　man　whose　life　is　marred　and　made　hideous　by

such　laws　can　possibly　acquiesce　in　their　continuance。



However；　the　explanation　is　not　really　difficult　to　find。　　It　is

simply　this。　　Misery　and　poverty　are　so　absolutely　degrading；　and

exercise　such　a　paralysing　effect　over　the　nature　of　men；　that　no

class　is　ever　really　conscious　of　its　own　suffering。　　They　have　to

be　told　of　it　by　other　people；　and　they　often　entirely　disbelieve

them。　　What　is　said　by　great　employers　of　labour　against　agitators

is　unquestionably　true。　　Agitators　are　a　set　of　interfering；

meddling