Book X.—THE LAW OF HUMAN PROGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 147, 22 June 1889, Page 4 (Supplement)

Book X.—THE LAW OF HUMAN PROGRESS.

If the conclusion that land should be common property is correct, it will fall under a higher generalisation. Let it be tested by recommencing the inquiry from a higher standpoint. What is the law of human progress? The prevailing belief is that the progress of civilisation is the result of forces which slowly change the character and improve and elevate the powers of man; that the difference between civilised man and the savage is of a long race education which has become permanently fixed in mental organisation ; and that this improvement tends to go on increasingly to a higher and higher civilisation. This theory may explain the difference between the savage and the civilised man; but it does not account for the civilisations that havo progressed so far and then stopped, nor for the civilisations thab have gone back. Every civilisation has had its period of vigorous growth, of arrest and stagnation, its" decline and fall. The earth is the tomb of dead empires no less than of dead men. Shall v/e, therefore, say there is a national or race life, as there is an individual life 1 Such analogies are superficial. While its members are constantly reproduced, in all the fresh vigour of childhood, a community cannot grow old as does a man by the decay of his powers. Yet in this analogy lurks the recognition of an obvious truth— the truth that the obstacles which finally bring progress to a halt are raised by the course of progress; that what has destroyed all previous civilisations has been the conditions produced by the growth of civilisation itself. Any valid theory of human progress must account for this. Chapter ll.—Tho differences between the peoplo of communities in different places and ot different times, which we call differences of civilisation, are not differences which inhere in the individuals, bub differences which inhere in the society. Social environment is the matrix in which mind unfolds, and from which it takes its., stamp. In this way skill is transmitted and knowledge stored up; and human progress goes on as the advances made by one generation are secured as the common stock of the next, and made the starting point for new advances. Chapter lll.—The incentives to progress are the desires inherent in human nature which, short of infinity, can never be satisfied. Mind is the instrument by which man advances, and by which each advance issecured and made the vantage ground for new advances. Mon tend to advance in proportion to the mental power expended in progression. But the mental power lohich can bellevoled lo progress is only what is left after what is required for non-progressive purposes. Theee non-progressive purposes are maintenance and conflict. Maintenance means not only the support of existence, but tho keeping up of the social condition and the holding" of advances already gained. Conflict moans nob merely warfare and preparation for warfare, but all expenditure of mental power in seeking the gratification of desire at the expense of others, and in resistance to such aggression. As mental power is only set free for higher uses than maintenance, by association in communities, which permits division of labour, association is the first essential of progress. And, as the wasteful expenditure of mental power in conflict becomes greater or less as bhe moral law which accords to each an I equaliby of rights is ignored or recognised, ; equality is the second essential of progress. Thus association in equality is the laiv of< human progress. Minds tend to _ progress as bhey come closer together, but just as inequality of condition or power is developed this tendency to progression is lessened, checked and finally reversed. Chapter IV.—A civilisation like ours must either advance or go back ; it cannot stand still. What has destroyed every previous civilisation has been the tendency to the unequal distribution cf wealth and power. This same tendency, operating with increasing force, is observable in our civilisation to-day, showing itself in every progressive community, and with greater intensity the more progressive the community. Wages and interest tend constantly to fall, rent to rise; the rich to become very much richer, the poor to become more helpless and hopeless; the middle class to be swept away. Chapter V.—The evila arising from the unjust and unequal, distribution of wealth are not incidents of progress, bnt tendencies which must bring progress to a halt. They will not cure themselves, but must, unless the cause is removed, sweepus back into barbarism. But they are nob imposed by natural laws ; they spring- solely from social maladjustments which ignore natural laws. And in removing their cause by making land common property in the way proposed, we shall be giving an enormousimpebus bo progress. We cannot go on prabing of the inalienable rights of man and then denying the inalienable right to the bounty of the Creator. Even now in old bottles the new wine begins to ferment and elemental forces gather for the strife 1 Bub if, while bhere is yeb bime, we torn to Justice and obey her, if we trust Liberty and follow her, the dangers that threaten will disappear and the forces that menace will turn to agencies of elevation.