第 36 节
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津鸿一瞥 更新:2021-10-16 18:44 字数:9322
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
young Professor took me aside and said he did not think I quite
understood their views about progress。
〃We like progress;〃 he said; 〃but it must commend itself to the
common sense of the people。 If a man gets to know more than his
neighbours he should keep his knowledge to himself till he has
sounded them; and seen whether they agree; or are likely to agree
with him。 He said it was as immoral to be too far in front of
one's own age; as to lag too far behind it。 If a man can carry his
neighbours with him; he may say what he likes; but if not; what
insult can be more gratuitous than the telling them what they do
not want to know? A man should remember that intellectual over…
indulgence is one of the most insidious and disgraceful forms that
excess can take。 Granted that every one should exceed more or
less; inasmuch as absolutely perfect sanity would drive any man mad
the moment he reached it; but 。 。 。 〃
He was now warming to his subject and I was beginning to wonder how
I should get rid of him; when the party broke up; and though I
promised to call on him before I left; I was unfortunately
prevented from doing so。
I have now said enough to give English readers some idea of the
strange views which the Erewhonians hold concerning unreason;
hypothetics; and education generally。 In many respects they were
sensible enough; but I could not get over the hypothetics;
especially the turning their own good poetry into the hypothetical
language。 In the course of my stay I met one youth who told me
that for fourteen years the hypothetical language had been almost
the only thing that he had been taught; although he had never (to
his credit; as it seemed to me) shown the slightest proclivity
towards it; while he had been endowed with not inconsiderable
ability for several other branches of human learning。 He assured
me that he would never open another hypothetical book after he had
taken his degree; but would follow out the bent of his own
inclinations。 This was well enough; but who could give him his
fourteen years back again?
I sometimes wondered how it was that the mischief done was not more
clearly perceptible; and that the young men and women grew up as
sensible and goodly as they did; in spite of the attempts almost
deliberately made to warp and stunt their growth。 Some doubtless
received damage; from which they suffered to their life's end; but
many seemed little or none the worse; and some; almost the better。
The reason would seem to be that the natural instinct of the lads
in most cases so absolutely rebelled against their training; that
do what the teachers might they could never get them to pay serious
heed to it。 The consequence was that the boys only lost their
time; and not so much of this as might have been expected; for in
their hours of leisure they were actively engaged in exercises and
sports which developed their physical nature; and made them at any
rate strong and healthy。
Moreover those who had any special tastes could not be restrained
from developing them: they would learn what they wanted to learn
and liked; in spite of obstacles which seemed rather to urge them
on than to discourage them; while for those who had no special
capacity; the loss of time was of comparatively little moment; but
in spite of these alleviations of the mischief; I am sure that much
harm was done to the children of the sub…wealthy classes; by the
system which passes current among the Erewhonians as education。
The poorest children suffered leastif destruction and death have
heard the sound of wisdom; to a certain extent poverty has done so
also。
And yet perhaps; after all; it is better for a country that its
seats of learning should do more to suppress mental growth than to
encourage it。 Were it not for a certain priggishness which these
places infuse into so great a number of their alumni; genuine work
would become dangerously common。 It is essential that by far the
greater part of what is said or done in the world should be so
ephemeral as to take itself