Divorce versus DemocracyChesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
Philosophy
Divorce versus Democracy
Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
Divorce
On this question of divorce I do not profess to be impartial, for I have
never perceived any intelligent meaning in the word. I merely (and most
modestly) profess to be right. I also profess to be representative: that
is, democratic. Now, one may believe in democracy or disbelieve in it.
It would be grossly unfair to conceal the fact that there are
difficulties on both sides. The difficulty of believing in democracy is
that it is so hard to believe--like God and most other good things. The
difficulty of disbelieving in democracy is that there is nothing else to
believe in. I mean there is nothing else on earth or in earthly
politics. Unless an aristocracy is selected by gods, it must be selected
by men. It may be negatively and passively permitted, but either heaven
or humanity must permit it; otherwise it has no more moral authority
than a lucky pickpocket. It is baby talk to talk about “Supermen” or
“Nature’s Aristocracy” or “The Wise Few.” “The Wise Few” must be either
those whom others think wise--who are often fools; or those who think
themselves wise--who are always fools.
Well, if one happens to believe in democracy as I do, as a large trust
in the active and passive judgment of the human conscience, one can have
no hesitation, no “impartiality,” about one’s view of divorce; and
especially about one’s view of the extension of divorce among the
democracy. A democrat in any sense must regard that extension as the
last and vilest of the insults offered by the modern rich to the modern
poor. The rich do largely believe in divorce; the poor do mainly believe
in fidelity. But the modern rich are powerful and the modern poor are
powerless. Therefore for years and decades past the rich have been
preaching their own virtues. Now that they have begun to preach their
vices too, I think it is time to kick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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