352 



ARISTOCRACY AND EVOLUTION 



Book IV 

 Chapter 4 



The radical 

 theorist will 

 put these same 

 objections 

 more logically. 

 If the desire 

 of exceptional 

 wealth is really 

 the strongest 

 motive, he will 

 say that it 

 follows that 

 most men, 

 since they can- 

 not all be 

 exceptionally 

 rich, must 

 always remain 

 miserable. 



these conclusions, whilst highly satisfactory to 

 the fortunately -placed minority, bring but cold 

 comfort to the majority ; that they represent an 

 attempt "to put the clock of progress back," and 

 that the masses of mankind are not very likely to 

 accept them. He will probably go on to say that 

 they are merely a prose rendering of the well-known 

 lines which the sarcastic radical loves- 

 God bless the squire and his relations, 

 Teach us to know our proper stations ; 



which last request to the radical seems to be the 

 very height of absurdity ; and he will end his attack 

 by appealing to our electioneering instincts, asking 

 us, if we take away the hopes to which at present 

 the masses cling, what new hopes or promises we 

 propose to put in the place of them ? 



The radical or socialistic theorist, as distinct from 

 the militant politician, will express these same objec- 

 tions in a more logical form, thus : He will remind us 

 that in our analysis of social action we represent 

 the attainment of an exceptional position, and more 

 especially of an exceptional amount of wealth, as 

 the sole motive that can be counted on to induce 

 exceptional men to develop and use their powers. 

 Now this, he will urge, is tantamount to declaring 

 that exceptional wealth is naturally regarded by men 

 as the main condition of happiness ; and since it is 

 obvious that exceptional wealth can be possessed by 

 the few only, we are, he will say, convicted of teach- 

 ing that social progress involves a denial of happi- 



