utilitarianism-第5章

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ly　the　gratification　of　curiosity。　　　Now　there　is　absolutely　no　reason　in　the　nature　of　things　why　an　amount　of　mental　culture　sufficient　to　give　an　intelligent　interest　in　these　objects　of　contemplation；　should　not　be　the　inheritance　of　every　one　born　in　a　civilised　country。　As　little　is　there　an　inherent　necessity　that　any　human　being　should　be　a　selfish　egotist；　devoid　of　every　feeling　or　care　but　those　which　centre　in　his　own　miserable　individuality。　Something　far　superior　to　this　is　sufficiently　common　even　now；　to　give　ample　earnest　of　what　the　human　species　may　be　made。　Genuine　private　affections　and　a　sincere　interest　in　the　public　good；　are　possible；　though　in　unequal　degrees；　to　every　rightly　brought　up　human　being。　In　a　world　in　which　there　is　so　much　to　interest；　so　much　to　enjoy；　and　so　much　also　to　correct　and　improve；　every　one　who　has　this　moderate　amount　of　moral　and　intellectual　requisites　is　capable　of　an　existence　which　may　be　called　enviable；　and　unless　such　a　person；　through　bad　laws；　or　subjection　to　the　will　of　others；　is　denied　the　liberty　to　use　the　sources　of　happiness　within　his　reach；　he　will　not　fail　to　find　this　enviable　existence；　if　he　escape　the　positive　evils　of　life；　the　great　sources　of　physical　and　mental　suffering…　such　as　indigence；　disease；　and　the　unkindness；　worthlessness；　or　premature　loss　of　objects　of　affection。　The　main　stress　of　the　problem　lies；　therefore；　in　the　contest　with　these　calamities；　from　which　it　is　a　rare　good　fortune　entirely　to　escape；　which；　as　things　now　are；　cannot　be　obviated；　and　often　cannot　be　in　any　material　degree　mitigated。　Yet　no　one　whose　opinion　deserves　a　moment's　consideration　can　doubt　that　most　of　the　great　positive　evils　of　the　world　are　in　themselves　removable；　and　will；　if　human　affairs　continue　to　improve；　be　in　the　end　reduced　within　narrow　limits。　Poverty；　in　any　sense　implying　suffering；　may　be　completely　extinguished　by　the　wisdom　of　society；　combined　with　the　good　sense　and　providence　of　individuals。　Even　that　most　intractable　of　enemies；　disease；　may　be　indefinitely　reduced　in　dimensions　by　good　physical　and　moral　education；　and　proper　control　of　noxious　influences；　while　the　progress　of　science　holds　out　a　promise　for　the　future　of　still　more　direct　conquests　over　this　detestable　foe。　And　every　advance　in　that　direction　relieves　us　from　some；　not　only　of　the　chances　which　cut　short　our　own　lives；　but；　what　concerns　us　still　more；　which　deprive　us　of　those　in　whom　our　happiness　is　wrapt　up。　As　for　vicissitudes　of　fortune；　and　other　disappointments　connected　with　worldly　circumstances；　these　are　principally　the　effect　either　of　gross　imprudence；　of　ill…regulated　desires；　or　of　bad　or　imperfect　social　institutions。　　　All　the　grand　sources；　in　short；　of　human　suffering　are　in　a　great　degree；　many　of　them　almost　entirely；　conquerable　by　human　care　and　effort；　and　though　their　removal　is　grievously　slow…　though　a　long　succession　of　generations　will　perish　in　the　breach　before　the　conquest　is　completed；　and　this　world　becomes　all　that；　if　will　and　knowledge　were　not　wanting；　it　might　easily　be　made…　yet　every　mind　sufficiently　intelligent　and　generous　to　bear　a　part；　however　small　and　unconspicuous；　in　the　endeavour；　will　draw　a　noble　enjoyment　from　the　contest　itself；　which　he　would　not　for　any　bribe　in　the　form　of　selfish　indulgence　consent　to　be　without。　　　And　this　leads　to　the　true　estimation　of　what　is　said　by　the　objectors　concerning　the　possibility；　and　the　obligation；　of　learning　to　do　without　happiness。　Unquestionably　it　is　possible　to　do　without　happiness；　it　is　done　involuntarily　by　nineteen…twentieths　of　mankind；　even　in　those　parts　of　our　present　world　which　are　least　deep　in　barbarism；　and　it　often　has　to　be　done　voluntarily　by　the　hero　or　the　martyr；　for　the　sake　of　something　which　he　prizes　more　than　his　individual　happiness。　But　this　something；　what　is　it；　unless　the　happiness　of　others　or　some　of　the　requisites　of　happiness？　It　is　noble　to　be　capable　of　resigning　entirely　one's　own　portion　of　happiness；　or　chances　of　it：　but；　after　all；　this　self…sacrifice　must　be　for　some　end；　it　is　not　its　own　end；　and　if　we　are　told　that　its　end　is　not　happiness；　but　virtue；　which　is　better　than　happiness；　I　ask；　would　the　sacrifice　be　made　if　the　hero　or　martyr　did　not　believe　that　it　would　earn　for　others　immunity　from　similar　sacrifices？　Would　it　be　made　if　he　thought　that　his　renunciation　of　happiness　for　himself　would　produce　no　fruit　for　any　of　his　fellow　creatures；　but　to　make　their　lot　like　his；　and　place　them　also　in　the　condition　of　persons　who　have　renounced　happiness？　All　honour　to　those　who　can　abnegate　for　themselves　the　personal　enjoyment　of　life；　when　by　such　renunciation　they　contribute　worthily　to　increase　the　amount　of　happiness　in　the　world；　but　he　who　does　it；　or　professes　to　do　it；　for　any　other　purpose；　is　no　more　deserving　of　admiration　than　the　ascetic　mounted　on　his　pillar。　He　may　be　an　inspiriting　proof　of　what　men　can　do；　but　assuredly　not　an　example　of　what　they　should。　　　Though　it　is　only　in　a　very　imperfect　state　of　the　world's　arrangements　that　any　one　can　best　serve　the　happiness　of　others　by　the　absolute　sacrifice　of　his　own；　yet　so　long　as　the　world　is　in　that　imperfect　state；　I　fully　acknowledge　that　the　readiness　to　make　such　a　sacrifice　is　the　highest　virtue　which　can　be　found　in　man。　I　will　add；　that　in　this　condition　the　world；　paradoxical　as　the　assertion　may　be；　the　conscious　ability　to　do　without　happiness　gives　the　best　prospect　of　realising；　such　happiness　as　is　attainable。　For　nothing　except　that　consciousness　can　raise　a　person　above　the　chances　of　life；　by　making　him　feel　that；　let　fate　and　fortune　do　their　worst；　they　have　not　power　to　subdue　him：　which；　once　felt；　frees　him　from　excess　of　anxiety　concerning　the　evils　of　life；　and　enables　him；　like　many　a　Stoic　in　the　worst　times　of　the　Roman　Empire；　to　cultivate　in　tranquillity　the　sources　of　satisfaction　accessible　to　him；　without　concerning　himself　about　the　uncertainty　of　their　duration；　any　more　than　about　their　inevitable　end。　　　Meanwhile；　let　utilitarians　never　cease　to　claim　the　morality　of　self　devotion　as　a　possession　which　belongs　by　as　good　a　right　to　them；　as　either　to　the　Stoic　or　to　the　Transcendentalist。　The　utilitarian　morality　does　recognise　in　human　beings　the　power　of　sacrificing　their　own　greatest　good　for　the　good　of　others。　It　only　refuses　to　admit　that　the　sacrifice　is　itself　a　good。　A　sacrifice　which　does　not　increase；　or　tend　to　increase；　the　sum　total　of　happiness；　it　considers　as　wasted。　The　only　self…renunciation　which　it　applauds；　is　devotion　to　the　happiness；　or　to　some　of　the　means　of　happiness；　of　others；　either　of　mankind　collectively；　or　of　individuals　within　the　limits　imposed　by　the　collective　interests　of　mankind。　　　I　must　again　repeat；　what　the　assailants　of　utilitarianism　seldom　have　the　justice　to　acknowledge；　that　the　happiness　which　forms　the　utilitarian　standard　of　what　is　right　in　conduct；　is　not　the　agent's　own　happiness；　but　that　of　all　concerned。　As　between　his　own　happiness　and　that　of　others；　utilitarianism　requires　him　to　be　as　strictly　impartial　as　a　disinterested　and　benevolent　spectator。　In　the　golden　rule　of　Jesus　of　Nazareth；　we　read　the　complete　spirit　of　the　ethics　of　utility。　To　do　as　you　would　be　done　by；　and　to　love　your　neighbour　as　yourself；　constitute　the　ideal　perfection　of　utilitarian　morality。　As　the　means　of　making　the　nearest　approach　to　this　ideal；　utility　would　enjoin；　first；　that　laws　and　social　arrangements　should　place　the　happiness；　or　（as　speaking　practically　it　may　be　called）　the　interest；　of　every　individual；　as　nearly　as　possible　in　harmony　with　the　interest　of　the　whole；　and　secondly；　that　education　and　opinion；　which　have　so　vast　a　power　over　human　character；　should　so　use　that　power　as　to　establish　in　the　mind　of　every　individual　an　indissoluble　association　between　his　own　happiness　and　the　good　of　the　whole；　especially　between　his　own　happiness　and　the　practice　of　such　modes　of　conduct；　negative　and　positive；　as　regard　for　the　universal　happiness　prescribes；　so　that　not　only　he　may　be　unable　to　conceive　the　possibility　of　happiness　to　himself；　consistently　with　conduct