heretics-第20节
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will convince us that nothing is more materialistic than to reserve
our horror chiefly for material wounds。
The only simplicity that matters is the simplicity of the heart。
If that be gone； it can be brought back by no turnips or cellular clothing；
but only by tears and terror and the fires that are not quenched。
If that remain； it matters very little if a few Early Victorian
armchairs remain along with it。 Let us put a complex entree into
a simple old gentleman； let us not put a simple entree into a complex
old gentleman。 So long as human society will leave my spiritual
inside alone； I will allow it； with a comparative submission； to work
its wild will with my physical interior。 I will submit to cigars。
I will meekly embrace a bottle of Burgundy。 I will humble myself
to a hansom cab。 If only by this means I may preserve to myself
the virginity of the spirit； which enjoys with astonishment and fear。
I do not say that these are the only methods of preserving it。
I incline to the belief that there are others。 But I will have
nothing to do with simplicity which lacks the fear； the astonishment；
and the joy alike。 I will have nothing to do with the devilish
vision of a child who is too simple to like toys。
The child is； indeed； in these； and many other matters； the best guide。
And in nothing is the child so righteously childlike； in nothing
does he exhibit more accurately the sounder order of simplicity；
than in the fact that he sees everything with a simple pleasure；
even the complex things。 The false type of naturalness harps
always on the distinction between the natural and the artificial。
The higher kind of naturalness ignores that distinction。
To the child the tree and the lamp…post are as natural and as
artificial as each other； or rather； neither of them are natural
but both supernatural。 For both are splendid and unexplained。
The flower with which God crowns the one； and the flame with which
Sam the lamplighter crowns the other； are equally of the gold
of fairy…tales。 In the middle of the wildest fields the most rustic
child is； ten to one； playing at steam…engines。 And the only spiritual
or philosophical objection to steam…engines is not that men pay
for them or work at them； or make them very ugly； or even that men
are killed by them； but merely that men do not play at them。
The evil is that the childish poetry of clockwork does not remain。
The wrong is not that engines are too much admired； but that they
are not admired enough。 The sin is not that engines are mechanical；
but that men are mechanical。
In this matter； then； as in all the other matters treated in this book；
our main conclusion is that it is a fundamental point of view；
a philosophy or religion which is needed； and not any change in habit
or social routine。 The things we need most for immediate practical
purposes are all abstractions。 We need a right view of the human lot；
a right view of the human society； and if we were living eagerly
and angrily in the enthusiasm of those things； we should；
ipso facto； be living simply in the genuine and spiritual sense。
Desire and danger make every one simple。 And to those who talk to us
with interfering eloquence about Jaeger and the pores of the skin；
and about Plasmon and the coats of the stomach； at them shall only
be hurled the words that are hurled at fops and gluttons； 〃Take no
thought what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink； or wherewithal ye
shall be clothed。 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek。
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness；
and all these things shall be added unto you。〃 Those amazing
words are not only extraordinarily good； practical politics；
they are also superlatively good hygiene。 The one supreme way
of making all those processes go right； the processes of health；
and strength； and grace； and beauty； the one and only way of making
certain of their accuracy； is to think about something else。
If a man is bent on climbing into the seventh heaven； he may be
quite easy about the pores of his skin。 If he harnesses his waggon
to a star； the process will have a most satisfactory effect upon
the coats of his stomach。 For the thing called 〃taking thought；〃
the thing for which the best modern word is 〃rationalizing；〃
is in its nature； inapplicable to all plain and urgent things。
Men take thought and ponder rationalistically； touching remote things
things that only theoretically matter； such as the transit of Venus。
But only at their peril can men rationalize about so practical
a matter as health。
XI Science and the Savages
A permanent disadvantage of the study of folk…lore and kindred
subjects is that the man of science can hardly be in the nature
of things very frequently a man of the world。 He is a student
of nature； he is scarcely ever a student of human nature。
And even where this difficulty is overcome； and he is in some sense
a student of human nature； this is only a very faint beginning
of the painful progress towards being human。 For the study
of primitive race and religion stands apart in one important
respect from all； or nearly all； the ordinary scientific studies。
A man can understand astronomy only by being an astronomer； he can
understand entomology only by being an entomologist （or； perhaps；
an insect）； but he can understand a great deal of anthropology
merely by being a man。 He is himself the animal which he studies。
Hence arises the fact which strikes the eye everywhere in the records
of ethnology and folk…lorethe fact that the same frigid and detached
spirit which leads to success in the study of astronomy or botany
leads to disaster in the study of mythology or human origins。
It is necessary to cease to be a man in order to do justice
to a microbe； it is not necessary to cease to be a man in order
to do justice to men。 That same suppression of sympathies；
that same waving away of intuitions or guess…work which make a man
preternaturally clever in dealing with the stomach of a spider；
will make him preternaturally stupid in dealing with the heart of man。
He is making himself inhuman in order to understand humanity。
An ignorance of the other world is boasted by many men of science；
but in this matter their defect arises； not from ignorance of
the other world； but from ignorance of this world。 For the secrets
about which anthropologists concern themselves can be best learnt；
not from books or voyages； but from the ordinary commerce of man with man。
The secret of why some savage tribe worships monkeys or the moon
is not to be found even by travelling among those savages and taking
down their answers in a note…book； although the cleverest man
may pursue this course。 The answer to the riddle is in England；
it is in London； nay； it is in his own heart。 When a man has
discovered why men in Bond Street wear black hats he will at the same
moment have discovered why men in Timbuctoo wear red feathers。
The mystery in the heart of some savage war…dance should not be
studied in books of scientific travel； it should be studied at a
subscription ball。 If a man desires to find out the origins of religions；
let him not go to the Sandwich Islands； let him go to church。
If a man wishes to know the origin of human society； to know
what society； philosophically speaking； really is； let him not go
into the British Museum； let him go into society。
This total misunderstanding of the real nature of ceremonial gives
rise to the most awkward and dehumanized versions of the conduct
of men in rude lands or ages。 The man of science； not realizing
that ceremonial is essentially a thing which is done without
a reason； has to find a reason for every sort of ceremonial； and；
as might be supposed； the reason is generally a very absurd one
absurd because it originates not in the simple mind of the barbarian；
but in the sophisticated mind of the professor。 The teamed man
will say； for instance； 〃The natives of Mumbojumbo Land believe
that the dead man can eat and will require food upon his journey
to the other world。 This is attested by the fact that they place
food in the grave； and that any family not complying with this
rite is the object of the anger of the priests and the tribe。〃
To any one acquainted with humanity this way of talking is topsy…turvy。
It is like saying； 〃The English in the twentieth century believe
