Butthemachinetechnologynotonlytrainstheworkmenintomaterialisticiconoclasm,ithasalsoaselectiveeffect。Personsendowedwithpropensitiesandaptitudesofamaterialistic,matter-of-factkindaredraftedintothemechanicalemployments,andsucharealsopeculiarlyavailablesocialisticmaterial。
Aptitudeforthematter-of-factworkofthemachinetechnologymeans,inageneralway,ineptitudeforanuncriticalacceptanceofinstitutionaltruths,Itisprobable,therefore,thattheapparentfacilitywithwhichthemechanicalemploymentsandthematerialsciencesinduceasocialisticoriconoclasticbentistobesetdowninparttothefactthatthehumanmaterialintheseemploymentsispickedmaterial,peculiarlyamenabletothisdiscipline。Thereisasiftingoftheworkingclasses,wherebythesocialisticandmechanicallycapableareroughlysegregatedoutfromtherestandsubjectedtotheiconoclasticdisciplineofthemechanicalemploymentsandmatter-of-factthinking;whiletheresidue,whichisonthewholemadeupofthepersonsthatarerelativelyleastcapableofrevolutionarysocialism,isatthesametimelessexposedtothedisciplinethatmightfitthemforthesocialisticmovement。Thissiftingis,ofcourse,aroughone,andleavesmanyexceptionsbothways。
Inthelightofthisconsideration,then,itistobenoted:
1thatthedominanceofthemachineprocessinmodernindustryisnotsopotentafactorfortheinculcationofsocialisticnotions-itdoesnotsoirresistiblyshapemen’shabitofmindinthesocialisticsense-asthefirstsurveyofthefactswouldsuggest;and2thatthedifferentiationofoccupationsinvolvedinmodernindustrialmethodsselectivelybunchesthesocialisticelementstogether,andsoheightenstheirsenseofclasssolidarityandactstoaccentuatetheirbias,givesconsistencytotheirideals,andinducesthatboldnessofconvictionandactionwhichistobehadonlyinacompactbodyofmen。
Butineithercase,whetherthevisibleoutcomeischieflyduetotheirselectiveortotheirdisciplinaryeffect,thebearingoftheindustrialoccupationsuponthegrowthofsocialismseemsequallycloseandundeniable。Thetwomodesofinfluenceseemtoconvergetotheoutcomeindicatedabove,andforthepurposeofthepresentinquiryadetailedtracingoutofthetwostrandsofsequenceinthecaseneithercannorneedbeundertaken。25*
Withsuchgeneralityascommonlyholdsinstatementsofthiskind,itmaybesaidthatthemodernsocialisticdisaffectionislooselyboundupwiththemachineindustry-spreadingwherethisindustryspreadsandflourishingwherethisindustrygivesthedominantnoteoflife。Thecorrelationbetweenthetwophenomenaisofsuchakindastoleavenodoubtthattheyarecausallyconnected;whichmeanseitherthatthemachineindustry,directlyorindirectly,givesrisetosocialism,orthatthetwoareexpressionsofthesamecomplexofcauses。Theformerstatementprobablyexpressesthetruthofthecaseingreatpart,butthelatterneednotthereforebefalse。Whereverandinsofarastheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgehasmadethemachineprocessandthemechanicaltechnologythetone-givingfactorinmen’sschemeofthought,theremodernsocialisticiconoclasmfollowsbyeasyconsequence。
Thesocialisticbiasprimarilytoucheseconomicinstitutionsproper。Butthatisnotthewholeofit。Whenthetermisusedwithoutmodifyingphraseitcarriesacertainimplicationtouchingotherthanprimarilyeconomicmatters。Thepoliticalbiasofthisunmitigatedsocialismisalwaysradicallydemocratic,totheextentthatthesesocialistsareinahighdegreeintolerantofanymonarchical,aristocratic,orotherprescriptivegovernment。Thestateisdoomedinthesocialisticview。26*Thesocialistantagonismtothestatetakesvariousformsandgoestovaryingdegreesofintemperance,butitisconsistentlynegative。Exceptintheirdestructivelyhostileattitudetoexistingpoliticalorganizations,thesocialistshavenothingconsistenttoofferontheheadofpoliticalinstitutions,less,indeed,latterlythanintheearlierdaysofthepropaganda。Thereseemstobeagrowingshiftlessnessofopiniononthishead;onegetstheimpressionthatthesenseofthesocialistmalcontents,asnearasitmaybepermissibletousethatwordinthisconnection,isthatthecommunitycanbestgetalongwithoutpoliticalinstitutions。
Thereisalikedeparturefromtheancientnormstouchingdomesticrelations。Thisisnotconfinedtothoseportionsofthecommunitythatavowedlyaffectsocialisticviews,althoughithas,onthewhole,gonefarthestamongtheclassesamongwhomthesocialisticviewsprevail。Thereisavisibleweakeningofthefamilyties,adisintegrationoftheconventionsofhouseholdlife,throughoutlargeclasses。Thedefectionisevenfelt,bysensitiveandsolicitouspersons,tobeofsuchgraveproportionsastothreatenthefoundationsofdomesticlifeandmorality。
Thisdisintegrationofthefamilytiesshowsitselfmostalarminglyamongthesocialisticclasses,withwhomitallwearssuchanairofunconcernasarguesthatinthisrespecttheyareincorrigible。Tothesetheconventionalformofthehouseholdhasingoodpartceasedtoappealassomethingsacred。Itisnolongeroneoftheirsecurespiritualassets。
Whatappearstobeinjeopardy,shouldthissocialisticdefectiongainground,istheheadshipofthemaleinthehouseholdeconomy。Thefamily,asithascomedownfromthemedievalpast,undertheshelterofthechurch,isofapatriarchalconstitution,atleastintheory。Themanhasbeenvestedwithdiscretionarycontrolindomesticaffairs。Intheearlierdayshisdiscretionwasverydirectandfull,comprisingcorporalcoercion。Utterly,afterandsofarasmasteryandservitudehavepassedoffthefieldandnaturalrightshavecometorule,thisdirectcoercivecontrolhasbeensupersededbyapecuniarydiscretion;sothatthemaleheadofthehouseholdisalonecompetenttoexerciseaproprietarycontrolofhouseholdaffairs。Thislatter-dayconventionalheadshipofthemanisnowinitsturnbeginningtolosetherespectofagoodshareofthepopulace。Thedisintegrationofthepatriarchaltraditionhasgonefarthestamongthoseindustrialclasseswhoareatthesametimeinclinedtosocialisticviews。
Atthispointintheinstitutionalstructure,aswellasatotherpointswheretheindustrialclassesaregivingevidenceofalossofspiritualground,thereislittleindicationofaconstructivemovementtowardanyspecificarrangementtotaketheplaceoftheinstitutionwhoseexistenceisthreatened。Thereisalooseningofthebonds,aweakeningofconvictionastothefulltruthandbeautyofthereceiveddomesticinstitutions,withoutmuchofaconsensusastowhatistobedoneaboutit,ifanything。Inthis,asatotherjuncturesofasimilarkind,themechanicallyemployedclasses,trainedtomatter-of-facthabitsofthought,showanotablelackofspontaneityintheconstructionofnewmythsorconventionsaswellasinthereconstructionoftheold。
Allthisdisintegrationofthespiritualfoundationsofourdomesticinstitutionsspreadswiththemosttellingeffect,becausemostheedlessly,amongthepopulationoftheindustrialtowns。Butitspreadsalsooutsidethelimitsoftheindustrialclasses;forthehabitsoflifeandofthoughtinculcatedbythemachinetechnologyarenotlimitedtothem,eveniftheseclassesaretheoneswhosuffermostandmostseverelyfromthemachinediscipline。Thedisintegrationshowsitself,invaryingdegree,inallmodernindustrialcommunities,anditisvisiblesomewhatinproportionasthecommunityismodemandindustrial。Themachineisaleveller,avulgarizer,whoseendseemstobetheextirpationofallthatisrespectable,noble,anddignifiedinhumanintercourseandideals。
Whathappenswithinthenarrowrangeoftheinstitutionsofdomesticliferepeatsitselfinsubstanceinthelargerfieldofnationallifeandideals。Fealtytoasuperiorinstalledbylaworcustomsuffersunderthedisciplineofalifewhich,asregardsitsmostformativeexigencies,isnotguidedbyconventionalgroundsofvalidity。Andthetransmutedformoffealtycalledpatriotismisinmuchthesameinsecurecase。Thenewgroundofclasssolidarityandantagonism,forwhichtheseextremespokesmenoftheindustrialregimestand,isneitherecclesiastic,dynastic,territorial,norlinguistic;itisindustrialandmaterialistic。Butintheirattitudeofheedlessnesstowardthedynasticandnationalconventionsthesocialistsaremerelytheextremeexponentsofthespiritoftheageinthemodernindustrialcommunities。
So,again,asregardsthereligiouslife。Mentrainedbythemechanicaloccupationstomaterialistic,industrialhabitsofthoughtarebesetwithagrowinginabilitytoappreciate,oreventoapprehend,themeaningofreligiousappealsthatproceedontheold-fashionedgroundsofmetaphysicalvalidity。Theconsolationsofapersonalrelationofsubserviencetoasupernaturalmasterdonotappealtomenwhosehabitoflifeisshapedbyafamiliaritywiththerelationsofimpersonalcauseandeffect,ratherthanbyrelationsofpersonaldominanceandfealty。Itdoesnotcomeasamatterofcourseforsuchmentogivethecatechism’sanswertothequestion,Whatisthechiefendofman?Nordotheyinstinctivelyfeelthemselvestobesinnersbyvirtueofacongenital,hereditarytaintorobliquity。
Indeed,theycanonlywithgreatdifficultybeseriouslypersuadedthattheyaresinnersatall。Theyareindangeroflosingthepointofviewofsin。Therelationofstatusorfealtyinvolvedintheconceptofsinisbecomingalientotheirhabitofmind。Theyarethereforeslowtorealizethattheirpastlifehasviolatedsucharelationoffealty,ontheonehand,andthatitisofvitalconsequencetoreestablishsucharelationofstatusbyaworkofsalvationorredemption。Thekindlyministrationsofthechurchandtheclergygrateonthesensibilitiesofmensotrained,asbeingsomuchadoaboutnothing。Themachine,theirmaster,isnorespecterofpersonsandknowsneithermoralitynordignitynorprescriptiveright,divineorhuman;itsteachingistrainingthemintoinsensibilityofthewholerangeofconceptsonwhichtheseministrationsproceed。27*
Notaloneinthedirectionofgrowthgiventovulgarsentimentandtothevulgarinsightintofactsisthematter-of-factdisciplineofthemachinetechnologyapparent,butalsointhescopeandmethodofthatscientificknowledgethathashadthevoguesincetheadventofthemachineindustry。
Scientificinquiryisdirectedtoadifferentendandcarriedoutundertheguidanceofadifferentrangeofprinciplesorpreconceptionsinthemodernindustrialcommunitiesthaninearlierdaysorinculturalcentreslyingoutsidethemachine’sdominion。Modernscienceissingle-mindedinitspursuitofimpersonalrelationsofcausalsequenceinthephenomenawithwhichitisoccupied。
Thelineofdescentofthismatter-of-factmodernscienceisessentiallyBritish,asisthatofthemachinetechnologyandofthecharacteristicallymoderncivilandpoliticalinstitutions。
Itistrue,beginningsofthemodernscientificmovementweremadeinItalyinthedaysoftheRenaissance,andCentralEuropehaditsshareintheenlightenment;buttheseearlymodernrisingsofthescientificspiritpresentlyranintothesand,whenwar,politics,andreligionreassertedtheirswayinthesouthofEurope。Similartentativestirringsofmatter-of-factthoughtwerehadinSpainandFrancebeforeandduringtheearlyphasesofthestate-makingera;buthere,again,warandpoliticsrenderedtheseonsetsnearlynugatory,sothattheintellectualoutputwasmorespeculationthanscience。IntheLowCountriessomethingsimilarholdstrue,withalargerqualification。TheBritishcommunitymadealaterandslowerstart,comingoutofbarbarismatalaterdateandwithaheavierhandicapofphysicalobstructions。Butbeing,relatively,shelteredfromwarandpolitics,theBritishwereabletotakeupthefundofscientificgainsmadebytheSouth-Europeanmenofworkdayinsight,toturnittoaccountandtocarryitovertheeraofstate-makingandsopreparethewayforthemodernscientific,technologicalera。