Economic development -- Social aspects; Social evolution; Social problems; Work
From that class of people who “do not have to work”—that is, who have
been paid and overpaid in advance—there is an overwhelming debt of
honour due the world. In that great field of action where there is no
pay, nor even thanks as yet; in the efforts necessary to teach the right
things, and to provide the right things for the world’s little children,
there is ample room for the most helplessly rich. Also in the work of
spreading the social supplies where they belong—among the whole
people—there is work there, much work, not only unpaid and unthanked,
but heartily resisted.
There was never a time in history when more splendid opportunities were
open to those who would serve society. Thousands of us are at it
already, organised and unorganised; a rising flood of love and service,
toiling manfully, and womanfully, at the mighty task. But the economic
darkness makes it blind work at best.
Most of our conscious “social service” to-day is directed, naturally
enough, to ministering to the social diseases. Now, if a man is sick,
there are two ways to re-establish his health—both necessary. One is to
restore normal conditions to his body, trusting that a normal body will
urge to normal action, and so keep him well. The other is to induce
normal action, trusting to that to restore right conditions in the body.
Each is a good thing, each tends to produce the desired result; but both
are incomparably better than either. Our sick Society needs this double
treatment. The first condition of normal action we have here reviewed at
length; consciously to assume true place in the organic industries of
human life. If all of us do that, the currents of right action will
assuredly build us a healthy social body. But we can greatly hasten that
good end by rearranging the social body too. Here the law of interaction
between spirit and form comes to our aid, and makes possible an
incredible rate of progress.
Take, for instance, an advanced case in social pathology—a city slum.
Now there are two ways for a conscious society to focus its forces on
the diseased part and regenerate it. One is by dealing with the spirit
of the slum, the people themselves; by so educating the children, so
stimulating the adult, so providing proper opportunity for right social
service for all, that the people will change in character, and,
reacting, soon make the slum a fair, clean, healthful part of the city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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