Civilisation : Its Cause and Cure 



knowing not what they do, yet all unconsciously, 

 doubtless, fulfilling the great age-long destiny of 

 humanity. 



In all this the influence of Property is apparent 

 enough. It is evident that the growth of property 

 through the increase of man's powers of production 

 reacts on the man in three ways : to draw him away 

 namely, (i) from Nature, (2) from his true Self, 

 (3) from his Fellows. In the first place it draws 

 him away from Nature. That is, that as man's 

 power over materials increases he creates for 

 himself a sphere and an environment of his own, 

 in some sense apart and different from the great 

 elemental world of the winds and the waves, the 

 woods and the mountains, in which he has hitherto 

 lived. He creates what we call the artificial life, of 

 houses and cities, and, shutting himself up in these, 

 shuts Nature out. As a growing boy at a certain 

 point, and partly in order to assert his independence, 

 wrests himself away from the tender care of his 

 mother, and even displays just for the time being 

 a spirit of opposition to her, so the growing 

 Man finding out his own powers uses them for 

 the time even to do despite to Nature, and to 

 create himself a world in which she shall have no 

 part. In the second place the growth of property 

 draws man away from his true Self. This is clear 

 enough. As his power over materials and his 

 possessions increases, man finds the means of 

 gratifying his senses at will. Instead of being 

 guided any longer by that continent and " whole " 



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