Physics and Politics, or, Thoughts on the application of the principles of "natural selection" and "inheritance" to political societyBagehot, Walter
Philosophy
Physics and Politics, or, Thoughts on the application of the principles of "natural selection" and "inheritance" to political society
Bagehot, Walter
Evolution; Nationalism; Political science
Let us consider in what a village of English colonists is superior to a
tribe of Australian natives who roam about them. Indisputably in one,
and that a main sense, they are superior. They can beat the Australians
in war when they like; they can take from them anything they like, and
kill any of them they choose. As a rule, in all the outlying and
uncontested districts of the world, the aboriginal native lies at the
mercy of the intruding European. 'Nor is this all. Indisputably in the
English village there are more means of happiness, a greater
accumulation of the instruments of enjoyment, than in the Australian
tribe. "The English have all manner of books, utensils, and machines
which the others do not use, value, or understand. And in addition, and
beyond particular inventions, there is a general strength which is
capable of being used in conquering a thousand difficulties, and is an
abiding source of happiness, because those who possess it always feel
that they can use it."
If we omit the higher but disputed topics of morals and religion, we
shall find, I think, that the plainer and agreed--on superiorities of
the Englishmen are these: first, that they have a greater command over
the powers of nature upon the whole. Though they may fall short of
individual Australians in certain feats of petty skill, though they may
not throw the boomerang as well, or light a fire with earthsticks as
well, yet on the whole twenty Englishmen with their implements and
skill can change the material world immeasurably more than twenty
Australians and their machines. Secondly, that this power is not
external only; it is also internal. The English not only possess better
machines for moving nature, but are themselves better machines. Mr.
Babbage taught us years ago that one great use of machinery was not to
augment the force of man, but to register and regulate the power of
man; and this in a thousand ways civilised man can do, and is ready to
do, better and more precisely than the barbarian. Thirdly, | civilised
man not only has greater powers over nature, but knows better how to
use them, and by better I here mean better for the health and comfort
of his present body and mind. He can lay up for old age, which a savage
having no durable means of sustenance cannot; he is ready to lay up
because he can distinctly foresee the future, which the vague--minded
savage cannot; he is mainly desirous of gentle, continuous pleasure, I
whereas the barbarian likes wild excitement, and longs for stupefying
repletion. Much, if not all, of these three ways may be summed up in
Mr. Spencer's phrase, that progress is an increase of adaptation of man
to his environment, that is, of his internal powers and wishes to his
external lot and life. Something of it too is expressed in the old
pagan idea 'mens sana in corpore sano.' And I think this sort of
progress may be fairly investigated quite separately, as it is progress
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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