Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure - The Anarchist Library

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Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure
AndOtherEssays
Edward Carpenter
1889
Contents
PREFACETOCOMPLETEEDITION(1920) 4
CIVILISATION:ITSCAUSEANDCURE 6
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
MODERNSCIENCE:ACRITICISM 30
THESCIENCEOFTHEFUTURE:AFORECAST 46
DEFENCEOFCRIMINALS:ACRITICISMOFMORALITY 55
EXFOLIATION 69
CUSTOM 78
ARATIONALANDHUMANESCIENCE 83
THENEWMORALITY 92
APPENDIX 100
CivilisationdoesnotEngrossalltheVirtues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Influencesof“Civilisation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
CaptainCookatOwyheein1799 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
NativesofTahiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Radack—oneoftheCarolineIslands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
AdaptationofEarlyPeoplestoSurroundings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
NativesoftheAndamanIslands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
TheBushmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
TheNechilliEskimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Ugpi,anEskimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
EskimoandCivilisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
HighStandardofTribalMoralityamongtheAleoutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
HomeLifeoftheEskimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
ReligiousBeliefsamongtheEskimos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
PeriodicalDistributionstoObviateAccumulationsofWealth . . . . . . . . . . 108
TheSamoyedes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
TheBelleofKolguev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
2
TheTodas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Nudity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
NativesoftheAmazonRegion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
FineFiguresandFeaturesoftheDyaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
ARodiyaBoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
SecondSight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
TheZulus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Over-government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
SocietywithoutGovernment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
SecuritywithoutGovernment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Degradationthrough“Civilisation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Slavery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
TheFraudofWesternCivilisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
FailureofOurCivilisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
3
PREFACE TO COMPLETE EDITION (1920)
In looking over this volume, first published in 1889, with a view to a final Edition, I am glad
to note that after all there is not much in it requiring alteration. Considering that the original
issue took place more than 30 years ago, I had thought that the great changes in scientific and
philosophic thought which have taken place during that period would probably have rendered
“outofdate”agooddealofthebook.
As a matter of fact, the first paper—that on Civilisation—was given as a lecture before the
FabianSociety,in1888;andIshallnoteasilyforgetthefuriousattackswhichweremadeuponit
onthatoccasion.Thebook—publishedasawholein1889—cameinforaverysimilarreception
fromthepress-critics.Theyslatedittothetopoftheirbent—exceptinthosenotunfrequentcases
whentheyignoreditasalmostbeneathnotice.Thewholetrendofthethoughtofthetimewas
against its conclusions; and it is perhaps worth while to recall these facts in order to measure
how far we have travelled in these 30 years. For to-day (I think we may say) these conclusions
aregenerallyadmittedascorrect;andtheviewswhichseemedsohazardedandprecariousatthe
earlierdatearenowfairlyacceptedandestablished.
ThewordCivilisationhasundoubtedlyduringthisperiodsufferedanominouschangeofcolor.
It is no longer an easy term denoting all that is ideal and delightful in social life, but on the
contrary, carries with it a sense of doubt and of criticism, as of something that is by no means
acceptedyet,butisratheronitstrial—ifnotactuallycondemned!
I am sorry to note, however, that the suggestion made more than once in the course of my
book—namelythattheterm(Civilisation)shouldproperlybegivenanhistorical insteadofideal
value,asapplicabletoacertainperiodonlyinthehistoryofeachpeople,hasnotyetbeengener-
allytakenup.Yetapaperbysomemorecompetentpersonthanmyselfonthedefinitemarksand
signsofthecivilisation-periodinHistory—theirfirstappearanceinthecourseofhumanprogress
andevolution,andtheirprobabledisappearanceagainatalaterstage—wouldbegreatlyinterest-
ingandinstructive.
My little essay on this subject was written at the time of its composition with a good deal of
imaginativeélan;andisofcourseopentocriticismonthatside,asbeingmainlyenthusiasticin
character and only slenderly supported by exact data, proofs, historical illustrations, analogies,
and so forth. But to largely alter or amend the essay without seriously crippling it would be
impossible;andthoughtheformmaybehurriedorinadequate,yetasfarastheactualcontents
andconclusionsareconcernedIstilladheretothemabsolutely,andbelievethattimewillshow
themtobefullyjustified.
With regard to my views on Modern Science the last quarter of a century has curiously cor-
roborated them. For while on the one hand—as expected—the progress in actual discovery and
applicationofobservedfactshasbeenenormous,thetheories ontheotherhandaboutallthese
things have receded more and more into the background, and have passed almost out of sight.
While knowing, for instance, infinitely more about electrical actions and adaptations than we
did,weseemtobeifanythingfurtheroffthaneverfromanyvalidtheoryofwhatElectricityis.
4
ThesamewithregardtoHeatandLight,toAstronomical,BiologicalandGeological“laws,”and
soforth.OnsuchmattersModernScienceisonthevergeofconfessingitselfbankrupt,butnot
wishingtodothat,itkeepsadiscreetsilence.
The Atom, which I ventured (to the disgust of my scientific friends) to make fun of 30 years
ago, has now exploded of itself as thoroughly as a German “coal-box”; and the fixed Chemical
Elements of older days have of late dissolved into protean vapours and emanations, ions and
electrons,impossibletofollowthroughtheirendlesstransformations.Astothenumerous“Laws
ofNature”whichinthenineteenthcenturywewerejustabouttoestablishforalleternity,itis
onlywiththegreatestdifficultythatanyofthesecannowbediscovered—mostofthemhaving
gotsecretedawayintothedarknessofancienttext-books:wheretheyleadforlornandsightless
existences,likethefishinthecavesofKentucky.
Hereagain—inmychaptersonScience—thoughsomeexpressionsremainwhicharenowout
ofdate,Ihavethoughtitbesttoleavethemasoriginallywritten:themeaningsandgeneralcon-
clusionsbeingstillvalidandastheywere.Itwillbeseenthatthegeneraldriftofthesechapters
is to point the moral that the true field of science is to be found in Life, and that the best way
toknow thingsistoexperience theirmeaningandtoidentifyoneselfwiththemthroughAction.
From a study on these principles will ultimately emerge a Science truly humane and creative,
masterful, and capable of building a true home for men—instead of the feverish, spectral and
self-deludingthingwhichhasusurpedthenameuptonow.
Something the same will happen with the conception of Morality. The abstract codes on this
subject,whichhavewroughtsomuchhavocbytheirfatalintrusiononthefieldofhumanLife,are
rapidlyfadingaway.Theseghosts,liketheghostsofNature’s“Laws,”arereceivingtheirquietus.
Andthegeneraloutlinewhichwassuggestedin“TheDefenceofCriminals”hasnowbeentraced
morepositivelyinthechapteron“TheNewMorality”insertedattheendofthepresentvolume.
Moralityhasatlasttobecometrulyhuman,andtherealexpressionofourorganicneed.Manhas
to be liberated from the cramps and suppressions and fixations which have hitherto paralysed
himinthemoralfield.Hehastoemergefromtheswathingbandsofhispupalstageintothefree
airofheaven,andtobecomeinthehighestsenseself-determiningandcreative.
Thus three things, (1) the realisation of a new order of Society, in closest touch with Nature,
and in which the diseases of class-domination and Parasitism will have finally ceased; (2) the
realisationofaSciencewhichwillnolongerbeamerethingofthebrain,butapartofActualLife;
and(3)therealisationofaMoralitywhichwillsignaliseandexpressthevitalandorganicunity
ofmanwithhisfellows—thesethreethingswillbecometheheraldsofaneweraofhumanity—an
erawhichwillpossiblyprefernot tocallitselfbythenameofCivilisation.
In order to corroborate and confirm the first paper in the book an Appendix has now been
addedcontainingnotesanddataonthelifeandcustomsofmany“uncivilised”peoples;formuch
ofwhichAppendixIamindebtedtotheassistanceofmywidely-readandresourcefulfriend,E.
BertramLloyd.
E.C.
December,1920.
5
CIVILISATION: ITS CAUSE AND CURE
I
Thefriendlyandflowingsavage,whoishe?Ishewaitingforcivilisation,orishepastit,and
masteringit?—Whitman
We find ourselves today in the midst of a somewhat peculiar state of society, which we call
Civilisation,butwhicheventothemostoptimisticamongusdoesnotseemaltogetherdesirable.
Some of us, indeed, are inclined to think that it is a kind of disease which the various races of
manhavetopassthrough—aschildrenpassthroughmeaslesorwhoopingcough;butifitisa
disease,thereisthisseriousconsiderationtobemade,thatwhileHistorytellsusofmanynations
thathavebeenattackedbyit,ofmanythathavesuccumbedtoit,andofsomethatarestillinthe
throes of it, we know of no single case in which a nation has fairly recovered from and passed
through it to a more normal and healthy condition. In other words the development of human
society has never yet (that we know of) passed beyond a certain definite and apparently final
stageintheprocesswecallCivilisation;atthatstageithasalwayssuccumbedorbeenarrested.
OfcourseitmayatfirstsoundextravaganttousetheworddiseaseinconnectionwithCivili-
sationatall,butalittlethoughtshouldshowthattheassociationisnotill-grounded.Totakethe
matteronitsphysicalsidefirst,IfindthatinMullhall’sDictionaryofStatistics(1884)thenumber
ofaccrediteddoctorsandsurgeonsintheUnitedKingdomisputatover23,000.Iftheextentof
thenationalsicknessissuchthtwerequire23,000medicalmentoattendtous,itmustsurelybe
ratherserious!Andthey donotcureus.Whereverwelooktoday,inmansionorinslum,wesee
thefeaturesandhearthecomplaintsofill-health;thedifficultyisreallytofindahealthyperson.
The state of the modern civilised man in this respect — our coughs, colds, mufflers, dread of a
waftofchillair,etc.—isanythingbutcreditable,anditseemstobethefactthat,notwithstanding
allourlibrariesofmedicalscience,ourknowledges,arts,andappliancesoflife,weareactually
lesscapableoftakingcareofourselvesthantheanimalsare.Indeed,talkingofanimals,weare—
asShelleyIthinkpointsout—fastdepravingthedomesticbreeds.Thecow,thehorse,thesheep,
andeventheconfidingpussy-cat,arebecomingevermoreandmoresubjecttodisease,andare
liabletoillswhichintheirwilderstatetheyknewnotof.Andfinallythesavageracesoftheearth
donotescapethebanefulinfluence.WhereverCivilisationtouchesthem,theydielikefliesfrom
thesmallpox,drink,andworseevilsitbringsalongwithit,andoftenitsmerecontactisenough
todestroywholeraces.
But the word Disease is applicable to our social as well as to our physical condition. For as
in the body disease arises from the loss of the physical unity which constitutes Health, and so
takestheformofwarfareordiscordbetweenthevariousparts,oroftheabnormaldevelopment
of individual organs, or the consumption of the system by predatory germs and growths; so in
ourmodernlifewefindtheunitygonewhichconstitutestruesociety,andinitsplacewarfareof
classesandindividuals,abnormaldevelopmentofsometothedetrimentofothers,andconsump-
6
tionoftheorganismbymassesofsocialparasites.Iftheworddiseaseisapplicableanywhere,I
shouldsayitis—bothinitsdirectanditsderivedsense—tothecivilisedsocietiesoftoday.
Again, mentally, is not our condition most unsatisfactory? I am not alluding to the number
andimportanceofthelunaticasylumswhichcoverourland,nortothefactthatmaladiesofthe
brainandnervoussystemarenowsocommon;buttothestrangesenseofmentalunrestwhich
marksourpopulations,andwhichamplyjustifiesRuskin’scuttingepigram:thatourtwoobjects
inlifeare,“Whateverwehave—togetmore;andwhereverweare—togosomewhereelse.”This
senseofunrest,ofdisease,penetratesdownevenintothedeepestregionsofman’sbeing—into
hismoralnature—disclosingitselfthere,asithasdoneinallnationsnotablyatthetimeoftheir
fullcivilisation,asthesenseofSin.1 AlldowntheChristiancenturieswefindthisstrangesense
ofinwardstrifeanddiscorddeveloped,inmarkedcontrasttothenaiveinsoucianceofthepagan
andprimitiveworld;and,whatisstrangest.,weevenfindpeoplegloryinginthisconsciousness
—which,whileitmaybetheharbingerofbetterthingstocome,isandcanbeinitselfonlythe
evidenceoflossofunity,andthereforeofill-health,intheverycentreofhumanlife.
OfcourseweareawarewithregardtoCivilisationthatthewordissometimesusedinakind
ofidealsense,astoindicateastateoffutureculturetowardswhichwearetending—theimplied
assumptionbeingthatasufficientlylongcourseoftophatsandtelephoneswillintheendbring
ustothisidealcondition;whileanylittledrawbacksintheprocess,suchaswehavejustpointed
out,areexplainedasbeingmerelyaccidentalandtemporary.Mensometimesspeakofcivilising
and ennobling influences as if the two terms were interchangeable, and of course they have a
righttousethewordCivilisationinthissenseiftheylike;butwhethertheactualtendenciesof
modernlifetakeninthemassareennobling(exceptinaquiteindirectwayhereaftertobedwelt
upon)is,tosaytheleast,adoubtfulquestion.Anyonewhowouldgetanideaofthegloriousbeing
thatisasamatteroffactbeingturnedoutbythepresentprocessshouldreadMr.KayRobinson’s
article in the Nineteenth Century for May, 1883, in which he prophesies (quite solemnly and in
thenameofscience)thatthehumanbeingofthefuturewillbeatoothless,bald,toelesscreature
withflaccidmusclesandlimbsalmostincapableoflocomotion!
PerhapsitissaferonthewholenottousethewordCivilisationinsuchidealsense,buttolimit
itsuse(asisdonetodaybyallwritersonprimitivesociety)toadefinitehistoricalstagethrough
which the various nations pass, and in which we actually find ourselves at the present time.
Thoughthereisofcourseadifficultyinmarkingthecommencementofanyperiodofhistorical
evolution very definitely, yet all students of this subject agree that the growth of property and
the ideas and institutions flowing from it did at a certain point bring about such a change in
thestructureofhumansocietythatthenewstagemightfairlybedistinguishedfromtheearlier
stages of Savagery and Barbarism by a separate term. The growth of Wealth, it is shown, and
withittheconceptofPrivateProperty,broughtoncertainverydefinitenewformsofsociallife;
itdestroyedtheancientsystemofsocietybaseduponthegens,thatis,asocietyofequalsfounded
uponblood-relationship,andintroducedasocietyofclassesfoundedupondifferencesofmaterial
possession;itdestroyedtheancientsystemofmother-rightandinheritancethroughthefemale
line,andturnedthewomanintothepropertyoftheman;itbroughtwithitprivateownershipof
land,andsocreatedaclassoflandlessaliens,andawholesystemofrent,mortgage,interest,etc.;
1Itisinterestingtonotethatthe“senseofSin”seemsnow(1920)tohavenearlypassedaway.Andthisprobably
indicatesaconsiderableimpendingchangeinourSocialOrder.
7
itintroducedslavery,serfdomandwage-labour,whichareonlyvariousformsofthedominance
ofoneclassoveranother;andtorivettheseauthoritiesitcreatedtheStateandthepoliceman.
Every race that we know that has become what we call civilised, has passed through these
changes;andthoughthedetailsmayvaryandhavevariedalittle,themainorderofchangehas
beenpracticallythesameinallcases.WearejustifiedthereforeincallingCivilisationahistorical
stage,whosecommencementdatesroughlyfromthedivisionofsocietyintoclassesfoundedon
property and the adoption of class-government. Lewis Morgan in his Ancient Society adds the
invention of writing and the consequent adoption of written History and written Law; Engels
in his Ursprung der Familie, des Privateigenthums und des Staats points out the importance of
the appearance of the Merchant, even in his most primitive form, as a mark of the civilisation
period; while the French writers of the last century made a good point in inventing the term
nationspolliceés(policemanisednations)asasubstituteforcivilisednations;forperhapsthereis
nobetterormoreuniversalmarkoftheperiodweareconsidering,andofitssocialdegradation,
thantheappearanceofthecrawlingphenomenoninquestion.[Imaginetherageofanydecent
NorthAmericanIndiansiftheyhadbeentoldtheyrequiredpolicementokeeptheminorder!]
If we take this historical definition of Civilisation, we shall see that our English Civilisation
began hardly more than a thousand years ago, and even so the remains of the more primitve
societylastedlongafterthat.InthecaseofRome—ifwereckonfromthelatertimesoftheearly
kingsdowntothefallofRome—wehaveagainaboutathousandyears.TheJewishcivilisation
fromDavidandSolomondownwardslasted—withbreaks—somewhatoverathousandyears;
the Greek civilisation less; the series of Egyptian civilisations which we can now distinguish
lastedaltogetherverymuchlonger;buttheimportantpointstoseeare,first,thattheprocesshas
beenquitesimilarincharacterinthesevarious(andnumerousother)cases,2 quiteassimilarin
fact as the course of the same disease in various persons; and secondly that in no case, as said
before,hasanynationcomethroughandpassedbeyondthisstage;butthatinmostcasesithas
succumbedsoonafterthemainsymptomshadbeendeveloped.
Butitwillbesaid,ItmaybetruethatCivilisationregardedasastageofhumanhistorypresents
somefeaturesofdisease;butisthereanyreasonforsupposingthatdiseaseinsomeformorother
was any less present in the previous stage — that of Barbarism? To which I reply, I think there
is good reason. Without committing ourselves to the unlikely theory that the “noble savage”
was an ideal human being physically or in any other respect, and while certain that in many
points he was decidely inferior to the civilised man, I think we must allow him the superiority
insomedirections;andoneofthesewashiscomparativefreedomfromdisease.LewisMorgan,
whogrewupamongtheIroquoisIndians,andwhoprobablyknewtheNorthAmericannatives
aswellasanywhitemanhaseverdone,says(inhisAncientSociety,p.45),“Barbarismendswith
the production of grand Barbarians.” And though there are no native races on the earth today
who are actually in the latest and most advanced stage of Barbarism;3 yet, if we take the most
advanced tribes that we know of — such as the said Iroquois Indians of twenty or thirty years
ago, some of the Kaffir tribes round Lake Nyassa in Africa, now (and possibly for a few years
more) comparatively untouched by civilisation, or the tribes along the river Uaupes, thirty or
forty years back, of Wallace’s Travels on the Amazon — all tribes in what Morgan would call
themiddlestageofBarbarism—weundoubtedlyineachcasediscoverafineand(whichisour
2ForproofImustreferthereadertoEngels,ortohisownstudyofhistory.
3SayliketheHomericGreeks,ortheSpartansoftheLycurgusperiod.
8
pointhere)heathy people.CaptainCookinhisfirstVoyagesaysofthenativesofOtaheite,“We
sawnocriticaldiseaseduringourstayupontheisland,andbutfewinstancesofsickness,which
were accidental fits of the colic;” and, later on, of the New Zealanders, “They enjoy perfect and
uninterrupted health. In all our visits to their towns, where young and old, men and women,
crowdedaboutus…weneversawasinglepersonwhoappearedtohaveanybodilycomplaint,
nor among the numbers we have seen naked did we once perceive the slightest eruption upon
theskin,oranymarksthataneruptionhadleftbehind.”Theseareprettystrongwords.Ofcourse
diseasesexistamongsuchpeoples,evenwheretheyhaveneverbeenincontactwithcivilisation,
butIthinkwemaysaythatamongthehighertypesofsavagestheyarerarer,andnothinglike
so various and so prevalent as they are in our modern life; while the power of recovery from
wounds (whichareofcoursethemostfrequentformofdisablement)isgenerallyadmittedtobe
something astonishing. Speaking of the Kaffirs, J. G. Wood says, “Their state of health enables
them to survive Injuries which would be almost instantly fatal to any civilised European.” Mr.
FrankQatesinhisDiary4 mentionsthecaseofamanwhowascondemnedtodeathbytheking.
Hewashackeddownwithaxes,andleftfordead.“Whatmusthavebeenintendedforthecoup
degrâce wasacutinthebackofthehead,whichhadchippedalargepieceoutoftheskull,and
musthavebeenmeanttocutthespinalcordwhereitjoinsthebrain.Ithad,however,beenmade
a little higher than this, but had left such a wound as I should have thought that no one could
havesurvived…whenIheldthelanthorntoinvestigatethewoundIstartedbackinamazement
toseeaholeatthebaseoftheskull,perhapstwoincheslongandaninchandahalfwide,andI
willnotventuretosayhowdeep,butthedepthtoomusthavebeenanaffairofinches.Ofcourse
this hole penetrated into the substance of the brain, and probably for some distance. I dare say
a mouse could have sat in it.” Yet the man was not so much disconcerted. Like Old King Cole,
“Heaskedforapipeandadrinkofbrandy,”andultimatelymadeaperfectrecovery!Ofcourseit
mightbesaidthatsuchastoryonlyprovesthelownessoforganizationofthebrainsofsavages;
buttotheKaffirsatanyratethiswouldnotapply;theyareaquick-wittedrace,withlargebrains,
andexceedinglyacuteinargument,asColensofoundtohiscost.Anotherpointwhichindicates
superabundanthealthistheamazinganimalspiritsofthesenativeraces!Theshouting,singing,
dancingkeptupnightslongamongtheKaffirsareexhaustingmerelytowitness,whilethegraver
North American Indian exhibits a corresponding power of life in his eagerness for battle or his
stoicresistanceofpain.5
Similarlywhenwecometoconsiderthesociallifeofthewilderraces—howeverrudimentary
and undeveloped it may be — the almost universal testimony of students and travellers is that
withinitslimitsitismoreharmoniousandcompactthanthatofthecivilisednations.Themem-
bersofthetribearenotorganicallyatwarfarewitheachother;societyisnotdividedintoclasses
whichpreyuponeachother;norisitconsumedbyparasites.Thereismoretruesocialunity,less
of disease. Though the customs of each tribe are rigid, absurd, and often frightfully cruel,6 and
thoughalloutsidersareliabletoberegardedasenemies,yetwithinthoselimitsthememberslive
peacefully together — their pursuits, their work, are undertaken in common, thieving and vio-
lencearerare,socialfeelingandcommunityofinterestarestrong.“Intheirownbands,Indians
4MatabeleLandandtheVictoriaFalls,p.209.
5A similar physical health and power of life are also developed among Europeans who have lived for long
periodsinmorenativeconditions.Itisnottoourrace,whichisprobablysuperiortoanyincapacity,buttothestate
inwhichwelivethatwemustascribeourdefectinthisparticularmatter.
6SeeCol.Dodge’sOurWildIndians
9
areperfectlyhonest.InallmyintercoursewiththemIhaveheardofnotoverhalf-a-dozencases
ofsuchtheft.Butthiswonderfullyexceptionalhonestyextendsnofurtherthantothemembers
ofhisimmediateband.Toalloutsideofit,theIndianisnotonlyoneofthemostarrantthievesin
theworld,butthisqualityorfacultyisheldinthehighestestimation.”(Dodge,p.64.)Ifamanset
outonajourney(thisamongtheKaffirs)“heneednottroublehimselfaboutprovisions,forheis
suretofallinwithsomehut,orperhapsavillage,andisequallysureofobtainingbothfoodand
shelter.”7“Ihavelived,”saysA.R.WallaceinhisMalayArchipelago(vol.ii,p.460),“withcommu-
nitiesinSouthAmericaandtheEast,whohavenolawsorlawcourts,butthepublicopinionof
thevillage…yeteachmanscrupulouslyrespectstherightsofhisfellows,andanyinfractionof
thoserightsrarelytakesplace.Insuchacommunityallarenearlyequal.Therearenoneofthose
widedistinctionsofeducationandignorance,wealthandpoverty,masterandservant,whichare
theproductofourcivilisation.”Indeedthiscommunity oflifeintheearlysocieties,thisabsence
ofdivisionintoclasses,andofthecontrastbetweenrichandpoor,isnowadmittedonallsides
asamarkedfeatureofdifferencebetweentheconditionsoftheprimitiveandofcivilisedman.8
Lastly,withregardtothementalconditionoftheBarbarian,probablynoonewillbefoundto
disputethecontentionthatheismoreeasy-mindedandthathisconsciousnessofSinislessdevel-
opedthaninhiscivilisedbrother.Ourunrestisthepenaltywepayforourwiderlife.Themission-
ary retiresroutedfromthesavagein whomhecanawakenosenseof hissupremewickedness.
AnAmericanladyhadaservant,a negro-woman,whoononeoccasionasked leaveofabsence
for the next morning, saying she wished to attend the Holy Communion. “I have no objection,”
said the mistress, “to grant you leave; but do you think you ought to attend Communion? You
know you have never said you were sorry about that goose you stole last week.” “Lor’ missus,”
repliedthewoman,“doyethinkI’dletanoldgoosestandbetwixtmeandmyBlessedLordand
Master?”Butjokingapart,andhowevernecessaryforman’sultimateevolutionmaybethetem-
porarydevelopmentofthisconsciousnessofSin,wecannothelpseeingthattheconditionofthe
mindinwhichitisabsentisthemostdistinctivelyhealthy;norcanitbeconcealedthatsomeof
7Wood’sNaturalHistoryof Man
8ThefollowingremarksbyMrH.B.CotterillonthenativesaroundLakeNyassa,amongwhomhelivedatatime,
1876–8,whentheregionwasalmostunvisited,maybeofinterest.“Inregardofmerely‘animal’developmentandwell-
being,thatisinthedelicateperfectionofbodilyfaculties(perceptive),theAfricansavageisasaruleincomparably
superiortous.Onefeelslikeachild,utterlydependentonthem,whentravellingorhuntingwiththem.Itistruethat
manymaybefound(especiallyamongsttheweakertribesthathavebeenslave-huntedordrivenintobarrencorners)
whoarehalf-starvedandwizened,butasaruletheyaresplendidanimals.Incharacter thereisagreatwantofthat
strengthwhichintheeducatedcivilisedmanissecuredbytherootsstrikingoutintothePastandFuture—andin
spiteoftheirimmenseperceptivesuperioritytheyfeelandacknowledgethesuperiorforceofcharacterinthewhite
man.TheyaretheveryconverseoftheStoicself-sufficientsage—likechildrenintheir‘admiration’andworship
oftheUnknown.HencetheirabsolutewantofConceit,thoughtheypossessself-commandanddignity.Theyare,to
thosetheyloveandrespect,faithfulanddevoted—theirfaithfulnessandtruthfulnessaredictatedbyno‘categorical
imperative,’butbypersonalaffection.Towardsanenemytheycanbe,withoutanyconscientiousscruples,treacherous
andinhumanlycruel.IshouldsaythatthereisscarcelyanypossibleideathatissoforeigntothesavageAfricanmind
asthatofgeneralphilanthropyorenemy-love.”
“InendurancetheAfricansavagebeatsushollow(excepttrainedathletes).Ononeoccasionmymenrowed
myboatwith10footoarsagainstthewindinachoppyseafor25hoursatonego,acrossKuwirweBay,about60miles.
Theyneveroncestoppedorlefttheirseats—justhandedroundahandfulofricenowandthen.Iwasatthehelm
allthetime—andhadenoughofit!…Theycarry80lbs.ontheirheadsfor10hoursthroughswampsandjungles.
Fourofmymencarriedasickmanweighing14stonesinahammockfor200miles,rightacrossthedreadedMalikata
Swamp.Butforsuddenemergencies,squalls,etc.,theyarenowhere.”
10