THE ORIGIN OF PRGVIiNCIALISM 285 



violate it. It is possible to conceive of beings 

 with even too much altruism. The ideal condition 

 is one of balanced egoism and altruism — one in 

 which each thinks as much of others as he does of 

 himself, no more and no less. And if beings were 

 endowed with natures rendering them not only 

 willing but determined to act primarily in the 

 interests of others, and this condition of things 

 were universal, there would be about as much 

 discord and strife as if everyone acted in the 

 interest of himself. The Golden Rule among a 

 lot of hypothetical otherists like this would be the 

 opposite of ours, for, instead of emphasising the 

 importance of others as we do, they would need 

 to encourage regard for self. Wouldn't it seem 

 original to live in a world where men were sent to 

 gaol for over-benevolence, and where sermons had 

 to be preached on such texts as, ' Love thyself as 

 thy neighbour * ; * It is more blessed to receive 

 than to give * ; * Avoid doing to yourself that which 

 you do not like when done to others'; * The Lord 

 loves a cheerful taker ' ; and the like ? 



The persistence with which savage ideas and 

 instincts continue to influence men long after 

 those ideas and instincts have really become 

 anachronistic and vestigial is well illustrated by 

 civilised men and women everywhere. The sun 

 continues to * rise ' and * set ' in all civilised lands 

 just as it used to do to the savage, although men 

 have long since learned that it does not do either. 

 Hell, as originally conceived, was an actual sub- 

 terranean region, and heaven was an abode 



