Political Evolution. 73 



within such bounds that they do not impede the purely 

 self-regarding actions of his fellows, he steps beyond 

 utilitarianism into the region of " absolute morality." All 

 he can consistently urge is that it is expedient for each 

 man to seek to establish and maintain a social system 

 in which all actions are free to every citizen which do 

 not directly infringe the similar freedom of his fellows. 

 This may be asserted to be expedient, since thus alone 

 can each man best secure the steady and least impeded 

 exercise of his own volition. 



But whether or not a social fabric could be maintained 

 in which it could not be proclaimed that to disregard 

 others is wrong, as well as inexpedient, certain is it that 

 if maintained it might become the most fearful of tyran- 

 nies. In such a social system the extermination of a 

 harmless minority could only be opposed on the ground 

 that it might be prejudicial to the majority. 



Turning then to the other idea, that of " Right," it 

 is manifest that it may repose upon either of two bases. 



(1) A supernatural revelation, if a belief in that reve- 

 lation be all but universal in any given society. 



(2) A common belief as to natural absolute right, if any 

 sufficient ethical proposition can be found which will 

 command the assent of the overwhelming majority. 



Social systems based on an asserted divine revelation 

 i.e., theocracies have played a most important part in 

 social evolution up to this day ; and no theocracy has 



