the vested interests and the common man-第3部分

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mutual　rights；　obligations；　advantages　and　disabilities。　But　it　
should　reasonably　be　expected　that　this　established　system　of　
rights；　duties；　proprieties　and　disabilities　will　also　in　due　
time　come　in　for　something　in　the　way　of　a　revision；　to　bring　it　
all　more　nearly　into　congruity　with　that　matter…of…fact　
conception　of　things　that　lies　at　the　root　of　the　late…modern　
civilisation。　
　　　　The　constituent　principles　of　the　established　system　of　law　
and　custom　are　of　the　nature　of　imponderables；　of　course；　but　
they　are　imponderables　which　have　been　conceived　and　formulated　
in　terms　of　a　different　order　from　those　that　are　convincing　to　
the　twentieth…century　scientists　and　engineers。　Whereas　the　line　
of　advance　of　the　scientists　and　engineers；　dominated　by　their　
mechanistic　conception　of　things；　appears　to　be　the　main　line　of　
march　for　modern　civilisation。　It　should　seem　reasonable　to　
expect；　therefore；　that　the　scheme　of　law　and　custom　will　also　
fall　into　line　with　this　mechanistic　conception　that　appears　to　
mark　the　apex　of　growth　in　modern　intellectual　life。　But　hitherto　
the　〃due　time〃　needed　for　the　adjustment　has　apparently　not　been　
had；　or　perhaps　the　experience　which　drives　men　in　the　direction　
of　a　mechanistic　conception　of　all　things　has　not　hitherto　been　
driving　them　hard　enough　or　unremittingly　enough　to　carry　such　a　
revision　of　ideas　out　in　the　system　of　law　and　custom。　The　modern　
point　of　view　in　matters　of　law　and　custom　appears　to　be　somewhat　
in　arrears；　as　measured　by　the　later　advance　in　science　and　
technology。　
　　　　But　just　now　the　attention　of　thoughtful　men　centers　on　
questions　of　practical　concern；　questions　of　law　and　usage；　
brought　to　a　focus　by　the　flagrant　miscarriage　of　that　
organisation　of　Christendom　that　has　brought　the　War　upon　the　
civilised　nations。　The　paramount　question　just　now　is；　what　to　do　
to　save　the　civilised　nations　from　irretrievable　disaster；　and　
what　further　may　be　accomplished　by　taking　thought　so　that　no　
similar　epoch　of　calamities　shall　be　put　in　train　for　the　next　
generation。　It　is　realised　that　there　must　be　something　in　the　
way　of　a　〃reconstruction〃　of　the　scheme　of　things；　and　it　is　also　
realised；　though　more　dimly；　that　the　reconstruction　must　be　
carried　out　with　a　view　to　the　security　of　life　under　such　
conditions　as　men　will　put　up　with；　rather　than　with　a　view　to　
the　impeccable　preservation　of　the　received　scheme　of　law　and　
custom。　All　of　which　is　only　saying　that　the　constituent　
principles　of　the　modern　point　of　view　are　to　be　taken　under　
advisement；　reviewed　and　　conceivably　　revised　and　brought　
into　line；　in　so　far　as　these　principles　are　constituent　elements　
of　that　received　scheme　of　law　and　custom　that　is　spoken　of　as　
the　status　quo。　It　is　the　status　quo　in　respect　of　law　and　
custom；　not　in　respect　of　science　and　technology　or　of　knowledge　
and　belief；　that　is　to　be　brought　under　review。　Law　and　custom；　
it　is　believed；　may　be　revised　to　meet　the　requirements　of　
civilised　men's　knowledge　and　belief；　but　no　man　of　sound　mind　
hopes　to　revise　the　modern　system　of　knowledge　and　belief　so　as　
to　bring　it　all　into　conformity　with　the　time…worn　scheme　of　law　
and　custom　of　the　status　quo。　
　　　　Therefore　the　bearing　of　this　stabilised　modern　point　of　
view；　stabilised　in　the　eighteenth　century；　on　these　questions　of　
practical　concern　is　of　present　interest；　　its　practical　value　
as　ground　for　a　reasonably　hopeful　reconstruction　of　the　
war…shattered　scheme　of　use　and　wont；　its　possible　serviceability　
as　a　basis　of　enduring　settlement；　as　well　as　the　share　which　its　
constituent　principles　have　had　in　the　creation　of　that　status　
quo　out　of　which　this　epoch　of　calamities　has　been　precipitated。　
The　status　quo　ante；　in　which　the　roots　of　this　growth　of　
misfortunes　and　impossibilities　are　to　be　found；　lies　within　the　
modern　era；　of　course；　and　it　is　nowise　to　be　decried　as　an　
alien；　or　even　as　an　unforeseen；　outgrowth　of　this　modern　era。　By　
and　large；　this　eighteenth…century　stabilised　modern　point　of　
view　has　governed　men's　dealings　within　this　era；　and　its　
constituent　principles　of　right　and　honest　living　must　therefore；　
presumptively；　be　held　answerable　for　the　disastrous　event　of　it　
all；　　at　least　to　the　extent　that　they　have　permissively　
countenanced　the　growth　of　those　sinister　conditions　which　have　
now　ripened　into　a　state　of　world…wide　shame　and　confusion。　
　　　　How　and　how　far　is　this　modern　point　of　view；　this　body　of　
legal　and　moral　principles　established　in　the　eighteenth　century；　
to　be　accounted　an　accessory　to　this　crime？　And　if　it　be　argued　
that　this　complication　of　atrocities　has　come　on；　not　because　of　
these　principles　of　conduct　which　are　so　dear　to　civilised　men　
and　so　blameless　in　their　sight；　but　only　in　spite　of　them；　then；　
what　is　the　particular　weakness　or　shortcoming　inherent　in　this　
body　of　principles　which　has　allowed　such　a　growth　of　malignant　
conditions　to　go　on　and　gather　head？　If　the　modern　point　of　view；　
these　settled　principles　of　conduct　by　which　modern　men　
collectively　are　actuated　in　what　they　will　do　and　in　what　they　
will　permit；　　if　these　canons　and　standards　of　clean　and　honest　
living　have　proved　to　be　a　fatal　snare；　then　it　becomes　an　urgent　
question：　Is　it　safe；　or　sane　to　go　into　the　future　by　the　light　
of　these　same　established　canons　of　right；　equity；　and　propriety　
that　so　have　been　tried　and　found　wanting？　
　　　　Perhaps　the　question　should　rather　take　the　less　didactic　
form：　Will　the　present　experience　of　calamities　induce　men　to　
revise　these　established　principles　of　conduct；　and　the　
specifications　of　the　code　based　on　them；　so　effectually　as　to　
guard　against　any　chance　of　return　to　the　same　desperate　
situation　in　the　calculable　future？　Can　the　discipline　of　recent　
experience　and　the　insight　bred　by　the　new　order　of　knowledge　and　
belief；　re…enforced　by　the　shock　of　the　present　miscarriage；　be　
counted　on　to　bring　such　a　revision　of　these　principles　of　law　
and　custom　as　will　preclude　a　return　to　that　status　quo　ante　from　
which　this　miscarriage　of　civilisation　has　resulted？　The　latter　
question　is　more　to　the　point。　History　teaches　that　men；　taken　
collectively；　learn　by　habituation　rather　than　by　precept　and　
reflection；　particularly　as　touches　those　underlying　principles　
of　truth　and　validity　on　which　the　effectual　scheme　of　law　and　
custom　finally　rests。　
　　　　In　the　last　analysis　it　resolves　itself　into　a　question　as　to　
how　and　how　far　the　habituation　of　the　recent　past；　mobilised　by　
the　shock　of　the　present　conjuncture；　will　have　affected　the　
frame　of　mind　of　the　common　man　in　these　civilised　countries；　for　
in　the　last　analysis　and　with　due　allowance　for　a　margin　of　
tolerance　it　is　the　frame　of　mind　of　the　common　man　that　makes　
the　foundation　of　society　in　the　modern　world；　even　though　the　
elder　statesmen　continue　to　direct　its　motions　from　day　to　day　by　
the　light　of　those　principles　that　were　found　good　some　time　
before　yesterday。　And　the　fortunes　of　the　civilised　world；　for　
good　or　ill；　have　come　to　turn　on　the　deeds　of　commission　and　of　
omission　of　these　advanced　peoples　among　whom　the　frame　of　mind　
of　the　common　man　is　the　finally　conditioning　circumstance　in　
what　may　safely　be　done　or　left　undone。　The　advice　and　consent　of　
the　common　run　has　latterly　come　to　be　indispensable　to　the　
conduct　of　affairs　among　civilised　men；　somewhat　in　the　same　
degree　in　which　the　community　is　to　be　accounted　a　civilised　
people。　It　is　indispensable　at　least　in　a　permissive　way；　at　
least　to　the　extent　that　no　line　of　policy　can　long　be　pursued　
successfully　without　the　permissive　tolerance　of　the　common　run；　
and　the　margin　of　tolerance　in　the　case　appears　to　be　narrower　
the　more　alert　and　the　more　matter…of…fact　the　frame　of　mind　of　
the　common　man。　
　
Chapter　2　
　
The　Stability　of　Law　and　Custom　
　
　　　　In　so　far　as　concerns　the　present　question；　that　is　to　say　as　
regards　those　standards　and　principles　which　underlie　the　
established　system　of　law　and　custom；　the　modern　point　of　view　
was　stabilised　and　given　a　definitive　formulation　in　the　
eighteenth　century；　and　in　so　far　as　concerns　the　subsequent　
conduct　of　practical　affairs；　its　constituent　principles　have　
stood　over　without　material　change　or　revision　since　that　time。　
So　that　for　practical　purposes　it　is　fair　to　say　that　the　modern　
point　of　view　is　now　some　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　old。　
　　　　It　will　not　do　to　say　that　it　is　that　much　behind　the　times；　
because　its　time…worn　standards　of　truth　and　validity　are　a　very　
material　factor　in　the　makeup　of　〃our　time。〃　That　such　is　the　
case　is　due　in　great　part　to　the　fact　that　this　body　of　
principles　was　stabilised　at　that　time　and　that　they　have　
therefore　stood　over　intact；　in　spite　of　other　changes　that　have　
taken　place。　It　is　only　that　the　principles　which　had　been　tested　
and　found　good　under　the　conditions　of　life　in　the　modern　era　up　
to　that　time　were　at　that　time　held　fast；　canvassed；　defined；　
approved；　and　stabilised　by　being　reduced　to　documentary　form。　In　
some　sense　they　were　then　written　int