The Salvaging of CivilizationWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Philosophy
The Salvaging of Civilization
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Civilization, Modern -- 20th century; Education
Let us try to imagine what a World Government would be like. I find that
when one speaks of a World State people think at once of some existing
government and magnify it to world proportions. They ask, for example,
where will the World Congress meet; and how will you elect your World
President? Won't your World President, they say, be rather a tremendous
personage? How are we to choose him? Or will there be a World King?
These are very natural questions, at the first onset. But are they sound
questions? May they not be a little affected by false analogies? The
governing of the whole of the world may turn out to be _not_ a magnified
version of governing a part of the world, but a different sort of job
altogether. These analogies that people draw so readily from national
states may not really work in a world state.
And first with regard to this question of a king or president. Let us
ask whether it is probable that the world state will have any single
personal head at all?
Is the world state likely to be a monarchy--either an elective short
term limited monarchy such as is the United States, or an inherited
limited monarchy like the British Empire?
Many people will say, you _must_ have a head of the state. But _must_
you? Is not this idea a legacy from the days when states were small
communities needing a leader in war and diplomacy?
In the World State we must remember there will be no war--and no
diplomacy as such.
I would even question whether in such a great modern state as the U.S.A.
the idea and the functions of the president may not be made too
important. Indeed I believe that question has been asked by many people
in the States lately, and has been answered in the affirmative.
The broad lines of the United States constitution were drawn in a period
of almost universal monarchy. American affairs were overshadowed by the
personality of George Washington, and as you know, monarchist ideas were
so rife that there was a project, during the years of doubt and division
that followed the War of Independence, for importing a German King, a
Prussian Prince, in imitation of the British Monarchy. But if the United
States were beginning again to-day on its present scale, would it put so
much power and importance upon a single individual as it put upon George
Washington and his successors in the White House? I doubt it very much.
There may be a limit, I suggest, to the size and complexity of a
community that can be directed by a single personal head. Perhaps that
limit may have been passed by both the United States and by the British
Empire at the present time. It may be possible for one person to be
leader and to have an effect of directing personality in a community of
millions or even of tens of millions. But is it possible for one small
short-lived individual to get over and affect and make any sort of
contact with hundreds of millions in thousands of towns and cities?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account