CIVILIZATION
READER: Now you will have to explain what you mean by civilization.
EDITOR: It is not a question of what I mean. Several English writers
refuse to call that, civilization which passes under that name. Many
books have been written upon that subject. Societies have been formed to
cure the nation of the evils of civilization. A great English writer has
written a work called "Civilization: Its Cause and Cure." Therein he has
called it a disease.
READER: Why do we not know this generally?
EDITOR: The answer is very simple. We rarely find people arguing against
themselves. Those who are intoxicated by modern civilization are not
likely to write against it. Their care will be to find out facts and
arguments in support of it, and this they do unconsciously, believing it
to be true. A man, whilst he is dreaming, believes in his dream; he is
undeceived only when he is awakened from his sleep. A man labouring
under the bane of civilization is like a dreaming man. What we usually
read are the work of defenders of modern civilization, which undoubtedly
claims among its votaries very brilliant and even some very good men.
Their writings hypnotise us. And so, one by one, we are drawn into the
vortex.
READER: This seems to be very plausible. Now will you tell me something
of what you have read and thought of this civilization.
EDITOR: Let us first consider what state of things is described by the
word "civilization." Its true test lies in the fact that people living
in it make bodily welfare the object of life. We will take some
examples. The people of Europe to-day live in better-built houses than
they did a hundred years ago. This is considered an emblem of
civilization, and this is also a matter to promote bodily happiness.
Formerly, they wore skins, and used as their weapons spears. Now, they
wear long trousers, and for embellishing their bodies they wear a
variety of clothing, and, instead of spears, they carry with them
revolvers containing five or more chambers. If people of a certain
country, who have hitherto not been in the habit of wearing much
clothing, boots, etc., adopt European clothing, they are supposed to
have become civilised out of savagery. Formerly, in Europe, people
ploughed their lands mainly by manual labour. Now, one man can plough a
vast tract by means of steam-engines, and can thus amass great wealth.
This is called a sign of civilization. Formerly, the fewest men wrote
books, that were most valuable. Now, anybody writes and prints anything
he likes and poisons people's minds. Formerly, men travelled in waggons;
now they fly through the air, in trains at the rate of four hundred and
more miles per day. This is considered the height of civilization. It
has been stated that, as men progress, they shall be able to travel in
airships and reach any part of the world in a few hours. Men will not
need the use of their hands and feet. They will press a button, and they
will have their clothing by their side. They will press another button,
and they will have their newspaper. A third, and a motor-car will be in
waiting for them. They will have a variety of delicately dished up food.
Everything will be done by machinery. Formerly, when people wanted to
fight with one another, they measured between them their bodily
strength; now it is possible to take away thousands of lives by one man
working behind a gun from a hill. This is civilization. Formerly, men
worked in the open air only so much as they liked. Now, thousands of
workmen meet together and for the sake of maintenance work in factories
or mines. Their condition is worse than that of beasts. They are obliged
to work, at the risk of their lives, at most dangerous occupations, for
the sake of millionaires. Formerly, men were made slaves under physical
compulsion, now they are enslaved by temptation of money and of the
luxuries that money can buy. There are now diseases of which people
never dreamt before, and an army of doctors is engaged in finding out
their cures, and so hospitals have increased. This is a test of
civilization. Formerly, special messengers were required and much
expense was incurred in order to send letters; to-day, anyone can abuse
his fellow by means of a letter for one penny. True, at the same cost,
one can send one's thanks also. Formerly, people had two or three meals
consisting of homemade bread and vegetables; now, they require something
to eat every two hours, so that they have hardly leisure for anything
else. What more need I say? All this you can ascertain from several
authoritative books. These are all true tests of civilization. And, if
any one speaks to the contrary, know that he is ignorant. This
civilization takes note neither of morality nor of religion. Its
votaries calmly state that their business is not to teach religion. Some
even consider it to be a superstitious growth. Others put on the cloak
of religion, and prate about morality. But, after twenty years'
experience, I have come to the conclusion that immorality is often
taught in the name of morality. Even a child can understand that in all
I have described above there can be no inducement to morality.
Civilization seeks to increase bodily comforts, and it fails miserably
even in doing so.
This civilization is irreligion, and it has taken such a hold on the
people in Europe that those who are in it appear to be half mad. They
lack real physical strength or courage. They keep up their energy by
intoxication. They can hardly be happy in solitude. Women, who should be
the queens of households, wander in the streets, or they slave away in
factories. For the sake of a pittance, half a million women in England
alone are labouring under trying circumstances in factories or similar
institutions. This awful fact is one of the causes of the daily growing
suffragette movement.
This civilization is such that one has only to be patient and it will be
self-destroyed. According to the teaching of Mahomed this would be
considered a Satanic civilization. Hinduism calls it the Black Age. I
cannot give you an adequate conception of it. It is eating into the
vitals of the English nation. It must be shunned. Parliament are really
emblems of slavery. If you will sufficiently think over this, you will
entertain the same opinion, and cease to blame the English. They rather
deserve our sympathy. They are a shrewd nation and I therefore believe
that they will cast off the evil. They are enterprising and industrious
and their mode of thought is not inherently immoral. Neither are they
bad at heart. I, therefore, respect them. Civilization is not an
incurable disease, but it should never be forgotten that the English
people are at present afflicted by it.