The Salvaging of CivilizationWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Philosophy
The Salvaging of Civilization
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Civilization, Modern -- 20th century; Education
The catastrophe of the Great War did more or less completely awaken a
certain limited number of intelligent people to the need of some general
control replacing this ancient traditional driftage of events. But they
shrank from the great implications of such a world control. The only
practicable way to achieve a general control in the face of existing
governments, institutions and prejudices, interested obstruction and the
common disregard, is by extending this awakening to great masses of
people. This means an unprecedented educational effort, an appeal to
men's intelligence and men's imagination such as the world has never
seen before. Is it possible to rationalize the at present chaotic will
of mankind? That possibility, if it is a possibility, is the most
important thing in contemporary human affairs.
We are asking here for an immense thing, for a change of ideas, a vast
enlargement of ideas, and for something very like a change of heart in
hundreds of millions of human beings. But then we are dealing with the
fate of the entire species. We are discussing the prevention of wars,
disorders, shortages, famines and miseries for centuries ahead. The
initial capital we have to go upon is as yet no more than the aroused
understanding and conscience of a few thousands, at most of a few score
thousands of people. Can so little a leaven leaven so great a lump? Is a
response to this appeal latent in the masses of mankind? Is there
anything in history to justify hope for so gigantic a mental turnover in
our race?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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