Civilisation : Its Cause and Cure 



organisation that is, man fights with his fellows 

 before he makes weapons to fight with ; the 

 rudimentary animal digests food (as in the case 

 of the amoeba) before it acquires a stomach or 

 organ of digestion ; it sees or is sensitive to light 

 before it grows an eye ; in society letters are carried 

 by private hands before an organised postal system 

 is created. Such facts properly considered are 

 of vital importance. They show us, as it were by 

 a sign-post, the direction of creation. They show 

 how any new thing or modification of an old thing 

 may come into being. They may be supplemen- 

 ted by a second statement namely that desire 

 precedes function. That is, man desires to injure 

 his fellow before he actually fights with him ; he 

 experiences the wish to communicate with distant 

 friends before ever he thinks of sending such a 

 thing as a letter ; the amoeba craves for food 

 first, and circumvents its prey afterwards. Desire, 

 or inward change, comes first, action follows, 

 and organisation or outward structure is the 

 result. 



In man this " order of creation,*' if it may so 

 be called, i.e., from within outwards, is very marked. 

 Whenever a man creates anything new he pursues 

 it ; when he builds a house, for instance, or com- 

 poses a poem or piece of music, or designs an 

 Alpine tunnel, or whatever it may be. The 

 order seems to be : first, a feeling a dim want 

 or desire ; then the feeling becomes conscious 

 of itself, takes shape in thought ; the thought 

 becomes more defined and issues in a distinct plan ; 



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