THE VALUE OF SOCIALIST IDEALS 481 



cMef instrument of tlie expansion of European civilisation — 

 wMe, at the same time, owing to its nature, it enormously in- 

 creased the value of life ; for hfe, viewed from the Christian stand- 

 point, was no longer a mere speck of dust in the eternal rhythm 

 of evolution and dissolution, but every life had its value and its 

 eternal sanction ; whereas to-day, on the one hand, modern 

 industrialism, though its tendency is to develop conflict, does 

 not tend concurrently to increase the value of life ; and, on the 

 other hand, SociaUsm responds to the popular perception of this 

 failure to give value to the individual life. But, in seeking 

 to escape from this regrettable consequence of industrialism, 

 Socialism endeavours at the same time to destroy the other main 

 tendency of our present system to develop conflict, which is a 

 beneficial tendency. SociaUsm thus renders the state of afEairs 

 doubly bad. In seeking to escape from the regrettable conse- 

 quences of industrial development, it threatens the fundamental 

 conditions of life itself ; and it overlooks the real cause which lies 

 at the root of this tendency of industrial development to diminish 

 the value of life. 



For it is evident that if the greatest sum of life be sought in a con- 

 dition of things in which the developmental tendencies necessary 

 to the expansion of life are greatly restricted, if not altogether 

 suspended, the sum of life aimed at will be at best a very meagre 

 one ; and if the sum of vitahty be reduced, the value of hfe will 

 be reduced at the same time. Vain the conflict ! Useless the 

 struggle ! Meaningless the sufEering of the world ! The ideal is 

 a Hfe of calm, of repose, in which the existence of all is comfort- 

 ably assured. But the Hfe of storms, of struggle, and of suffer- 

 ing can alone be the fvll Hfe. The Hfe which has never forsaken its 

 harbour of shelter and rest, which has never embarked on the 

 stormy seas of the unknown, which has never had to confront 

 great perils, which has not been moulded into shape by great 

 sufEering — such a Hfe is incomplete ; and, being incomplete, its 

 value must be less. 



31 



