The Salvaging of CivilizationWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Philosophy
The Salvaging of Civilization
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Civilization, Modern -- 20th century; Education
And outside this canonical Book or Books, shall we leave all the rest of
literature in a limitless Apocrypha? I am doubtful about that. I would
suggest that we make a second intermediate class between the canonical
books that everyone in our civilization ought to read and the outer
Apocrypha that you may read or not as you choose. This intermediate
class I would call the Great Books of the World. It would not be a part
of our Bible, but it would come next to our Bible. It would not be what
one must read but only what it is desirable the people should read.
Now this canonical literature we are discussing is to be the third vital
part of our modern Bible. I conceive of it as something that would go
into the hands of every man and woman in that coming great civilization
which is the dream of our race. Together with the Book of World History
and the Book of Law and Righteousness and Wisdom that I have sketched
out to you, and another Book of which I shall have something to say
later, this canonical literature will constitute the intellectual and
moral cement of the World Society, that intellectual and moral cement
for the want of which our world falls into political and social
confusion and disaster to-day. Upon such a basis, upon a common body of
ideas, a common moral teaching and the world-wide assimilation of the
same emotional and æsthetic material, it may still be possible to build
up humanity into one co-operative various and understanding community.
Now if we bear this idea of a cementing function firmly in mind, we
shall have a criterion by which to judge what shall be omitted from and
what shall be included in the Books of Literature in this modern Bible
of ours. We shall begin, of course, by levying toll upon the Old and
New Testaments. I do not think I need justify that step. I suppose that
there will be no doubt of the inclusion of many of the Psalms--but I
question if we should include them all--and of a number of splendid
passages from the Prophets. Should we include the Song of Songs? I am
inclined to think that the compilers of a new Bible would hesitate at
that. Should we include the Book of Job? That I think would be a very
difficult question indeed for our compilers. The Book of Job is a very
wonderful and beautiful discussion of the profound problem of evil in
the world. It is a tremendous exercise to read and understand, but is it
universally necessary? I am disposed to think that the Book of Job,
possibly with the illustrations of Blake, would not make a part of our
Canon but would rank among our Great Books. It is a part of a very large
literature of discussion, of which I shall have more to say in a moment.
So too I question if we should make the story of Ruth or the story of
Esther fundamental teaching for our world civilization. Daniel, again, I
imagine relegated to the Apocrypha. But to this I will return later.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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