Civilisation : Its Cause and Cure 



order to measure how far we have travelled in 

 these 30 years. For to-day (I think we may 

 say) these conclusions are generally admitted as 

 correct ; and the views which seemed so hazarded 

 and precarious at the earlier date are now fairly 

 accepted and established. 



The word Civilisation has undoubtedly during 

 this period suffered an ominous change of color. 

 It is no longer an easy term denoting all that is 

 ideal and delightful in social life, but on the con- 

 trary, carries with it a sense of doubt and of cri- 

 ticism, as of something that is by no means accepted 

 yet, but is rather on its trial — if not actually con- 

 demned ! 



I am sorry to note, however, that the suggestion 

 made more than once in the course of my book — 

 namely that the term (Civilisation) should properly 

 be given an historical instead of ideal value, as 

 applicable to a certain period only in the history 

 of each people, has not yet been generally taken 

 up. Yet a paper by some more competent person 

 than myself on the definite marks and signs of 

 the civilisation-period in History — their first 

 appearance in the course of human progress and 

 evolution, and their probable disappearance again 

 at a later stage — would be greatly interesting and 

 instructive. 



My little essay on this subject was written at 

 the time of its composition with a good deal of 

 imaginative elan \ and is of course open to criticism 

 on that side, as being mainly enthusiastic in char- 

 acter and only slenderly supported by exact data^ 



