Human ecology surveys the species Homo sapiens as a whole in space and time; sociology is that part of the survey which concerns itself with the interaction and interdependence of human groups and individuals. It is hardly to be distinguished7 from social psychology8. There has been an enormous increase in the intensity9 and scope of human interaction and interdependence during the past half-million years or more. Communities and what one may call ranges of reaction, have enlarged and continue to enlarge more and more rapidly towards a planetary limit. The human intelligence is involved in this enlargement and it is too deeply concerned with its role in the process, to observe it with the detachment it can maintain towards the facts, for example, of astronomy or crystallography. Constructive sociology has to bring not only the study of conduct but an irresistible11 element of purpose into its problems. Human beings are not simply born or thrown together into association like a swarm12 of herrings. They keep together with a sense of collective activities and common ends, even if these ends are little more than mutual13 aid, protection and defence.
Throughout the whole range of ecology we study the adaptation of living species to changing environments, but outside the human experience these adaptations are generally made unconsciously by the natural selection of mutations and variations. These adaptations are inherited. They are either successful and the species is modified and survives, or it perishes. In the cerebral14 animals, however, natural selection is supplemented by very considerable individual adaptability15. Memories and habits are established in each generation which fit individuals to the special circumstances of their own generation. They are adaptations which perish with the individual. Such creatures learn; they are educable creatures; dogs, cats, seals, elephants for example learn and the next generation has, if necessary, to learn the old lesson all over again or a different lesson. In the human being there is an unprecedented16 extension of educability; not only is learning developed to relatively17 immense proportions, but it is further supplemented by curiosity, precept18 and tradition. In such a slow-breeding creature as man educational adaptation is, beyond all comparison, a swifter process than genetic19 adaptation. His social life, his habits, have changed completely, have even undergone reversion and reversal, while his heredity seems to have changed very little if at all, since the late Stone Age. Possibly he is more educable now and with a more prolonged physical and mental adolescence20.
The human individual is born now to live in a society for which his fundamental instincts are altogether inadequate21. He has to be educated systematically22 for his social role. The social man is a manufactured product of which the natural man is the raw nucleus23. In a world of fluctuating and generally expanding communities and ranges of reaction, the science of constructive sociology seeks to detect and give definition to the trends and requirements of man’s social circumstances and to study the possibilities and methods of adapting the natural man to them. It is the science of current adaptations. It has therefore two reciprocal aspects; on the one hand it has to deal with social organisations, laws, customs and regulations, which may either be actually operative or merely projected and potential, and on the other hand it has to examine the education these real or proposed social organisations require. These two aspects are inseparable, they need to fit like hand and glove. Plans and theories of social structure and plans and theories of education are the outer and inner aspects of the same thing. Each necessitates24 the other. Every social order must have its own distinctive25 process of education.
In the past this imperative26 association of education and social structure was not recognised so clearly as it is at the present time. Communities would grow up and not change their mental clothes until they burst out of them. Ideas would change and disorganise institutions. For the past twenty-six centuries, and particularly, and much more definitely, during the last three, there has been a very great expenditure27 of mental energy upon the statement in various terms and metaphors28, as theologies, as religions, socialisms, communisms, devotions, loyalties29, codes of behaviour and so on, of the desirable and necessary form of human adaptation to new conditions of association. From the point of view of constructive sociology, or to coin a hideous30 phrase, human adaptology, all these efforts, although not deliberately31 made as experiments, are so much experience and working material, and though almost all of them have involved special teachings (doctrines32) the need for a close interlocking of training and teaching with the social order sought, though always fairly obvious, has never been so fully33 realised as it is today. The new doctrines were often only subconsciously34 linked to the new needs. The idea, for instance, of a universal God replacing local gods ensued upon the growth of great empires, but it was not explicitly35 related to the growth of great empires. The connection was not plainly apparent to men’s minds. In the looser, easier past of our species, there has never been such a close interweaving of current usage and practices with instruction and precept as we are now beginning to feel desirable. The reference of one to the other was not direct. Now education becomes more and more definitely political and economic. It must penetrate36 deeper and deeper into life as life ceases to be customary and grows more and more deliberately planned and adjusted. The need for lively and continuous invention in constructive sociology and for an animated37 and animating38 progressive education correlated with these innovations, has hardly more than dawned on the world. The urgency of adaptation has still to be grasped.
Throughout the nineteenth century certain systems of adaptive ideas spread throughout the world to meet the requirements of what was recognised with increasing understanding as a new age. Mechanism39 was altering both the fundamental need for toil40 and the essential nature of war. The practical and cynically41 accepted need for labouring classes and subject-peoples, was dissolving quietly out of human thought — though it still exists in the minds of those who employ personal servants. Means of intercommunication and mutual help and injury have developed amazingly. A mechanical unification of the world has been demanding (and still demands) profound moral and ideological42 readjustments. It is, for example, being realised, slowly but steadily43, that the fragmentary control of production and trade through irresponsible individual ownership gives quite lamentably44 inadequate results, that the whole property-money system needs revision very urgently, and that the belated recrudescence of sentimental45 nationalism largely through misguided school-teaching and newspaper propaganda, is becoming an increasing menace to world welfare. The old ideological equipments throughout the world are misfits everywhere. Mental and moral adaptation is lagging dreadfully behind the change in our conditions. A great and menacing gulf46 opens which only an immense expansion of teaching and instruction can fill.
In the field of sociology it is impossible to disentangle social analysis from literature, and the criticism of the social order by Ruskin, William Morris and so forth47 was at least as much a contribution to social science as Herbert Spencer’s quasi-scientific defence of individualism and the abstractions and dogmas of the political economists48. The biological sciences did not spread very easily into this undeveloped region. It was a hinterland of novel problems and possibilities. Even today proper methods of study in this field have still to be fully worked out and brought into association. It has had to be explored by moral and religious appeals, by utopias and speculative49 writings of a quality and texture50. very unsatisfying to scientific workers in more definite fields. It is still subject to irruptions of a type that the normal scientist of today finds highly questionable51. Poets even and seers have their role in this experimentation52. But economics and sociology can only be made hard sciences by eliminating much of their living content. Knowledge has to be attained53 by any available means. Inquirers cannot be limited to passable imitations of the methods followed in other fields. It may be doubted if constructive sociology and educational science can ever be freed from a certain literary, aesthetic54 and ethical55 flavouring. We have to assume certain desiderata before we can get down to effective, applicable work. Yet it does seem possible to state the problem of adaptation in practical scientific terms.
It was not realised at first, and it is still not fully realised, how vague and unsuitable for immediate56 application the generous propositions of Socialism and World Peace remain, until further intensive and continuous research and elaboration have been undertaken. It is widely assumed that to profess57 Socialism or Pacifism implies the immediate undertaking58 of vehement59 political activities unencumbered by further thought. But the profession of Socialism or World Peace should commit a man to nothing of the sort. Socialism and World Peace are hardly more than sketches60 of the general frame of adaptation of which our species stands in need. “We are all socialists61 nowadays,” but all the same there is very little really efficient working socialism.
“All men are brothers “— we have echoed that since the days of Buddha62 and Christ — but Spain and China are poor evidence of that fraternity. We know we want these things quite clearly, but we have still to learn how they are to be got.
Man reflects before he acts, but not very much; he is still by nature intellectually impatient. No sooner does he apprehend63, in whole or in part, the need of a new world, than, without further plans or estimates, he gem10 into a state of passionate64 aggressiveness and suspicion and sets about trying to change the present order. There and then, he sets about it, with anything that comes handy, violently, disastrously65, making the discordances worse instead of better, and quarrelling bitterly with any one who is not in complete accordance with his particular spasmodic conception of the change needful. He is unable to realise that when the time comes I to act, that also is the time to think fast and hard. He will not think enough.
There has been, therefore, an enormous waste of human mental, moral and physical resources in premature66 revolutionary thrusts, ill-planned, dogmatic, essentially unscientific reconstructions67 and restorations of the social order, during the past hundred years. This was the inevitable68 first result of the discrediting69 of those old and superseded70 mental adaptations which were embodied71 in the institutions and education of the past. They discredited72 themselves and left the world full of problems. The idea of expropriating the owners of land and industrial plant, for instance (Socialism), long preceded any deliberate attempt to create a Competent Receiver. Hysterical73 objection to further research, to any sustained criticism, has been, and is still characteristic of nearly all the pseudo-constructive movements of our time, culminating in projects for a “seizure of power” by some presumptuous74 oaf or other. The meanest thing in human natures is the fear of responsibility and the craving75 for leadership. “Right” dictators there are and “Left” dictators, and in effect there is hardly a pin to choose between them. The important thing about them from our present point of view, is that fear-saturated impatience76 for guidance, which renders dictatorships possible. First there comes a terrifying realisation of the limitless uncontrolled changes now in progress, then wild stampedes, suspicions, mass murders and finally mus ridiculus the Hero emerges, a poor single, silly, little human cranium held high and adorned77 usually with something preposterous78 in the way of hats. “He knows,” they cry. “Hail the Leader!” He acts his part; he may even believe in it. And for quite a long time the crowd will refuse to realise that not only is nothing better than it was before, but that change is still marching on and marching at it — as inexorably as though there were no Leaders on the scene at all. Between the extremes of Right and Left hysteria, there remains79 a great under-developed region in the world of political thought and will, that we may characterise as “do-nothing democracy “. Out of the sudden realisation of its do-nothingness arise these psychological storms which give gangster80 dictators their opportunities. It is only gradually that people have come to realise that current democratic institutions are a very poor, slow and slack method of conducting human affairs which need an exhaustive revision, and that when one has declared oneself Anti-Fascist, Anti-Communist or both, one has still said precisely81 nothing about the government of the world. One is brought back to the unsolved problem of the Competent Receiver. It exercised Plato. It has been intermittently82 revived and neglected ever since.
It is an intricate and difficult problem. To that I can testify because for more than half my life it has been my main preoccupation. The attack on this problem is, to begin with, a task to be done in the study and in the unhurried and irresponsible spirit of pure inquiry83. As the attack gathers confidence a taint84 of propaganda may easily infect it, but the less that constructive sociology is propagandist, the higher will be its scientific standing and the greater its ultimate usefulness to mankind. The application of the results of its researches is another business altogether, the business of the statesman, organiser and practical administrator85. And in spite of the paucity86 of disinterested87 explorers in this region of speculation88 and analysis, and in spite of the lack of effective discussion and interchange in this field (due mainly, I think, to the inadequate recognition of its immense scientific importance which forces its workers so often into a hampering89 association with politically active bodies) there does seem to be a growing and spreading clarification of the realities of the human situation. It is becoming apparent that the real clue to that reconciliation90 of freedom and sustained initiative with the more elaborate social organisation which is being demanded from us, lies in raising and unifying91, and so implementing92 and making more effective, the general intelligence services of the world. That at least is the argument in this book. The missing factor in human airs, it is suggested here, is a gigantic and many-sided educational renascence. The highly educated section, the finer minds of the human race are so dispersed93, so ineffectively related to the common man, that they are powerless in the face of political and social adventurers of the coarsest sort. We want a reconditioned and more powerful Public Opinion. In a universal organisation and clarification of knowledge and ideas, in a closer synthesis of university and educational activities, in the evocation94, that is, of what I have here called a World Brain, operating by an enhanced educational system through the whole body of mankind, a World Brain which will replace our multitude of unco-ordinated ganglia, our powerless miscellany of universities, research institutions, literatures with a purpose, national educational systems and the like; in that and in that alone, it is maintained, is there any clear hope of a really Competent Receiver for world affairs, any hope of an adequate directive control of the present destructive drift of world affairs. We do not want dictators, we do not want oligarchic95 parties or class rule, we want a widespread world intelligence conscious of itself To work out a way to that World Brain organisation is therefore our primary need in this age of imperative construction.
It is an immense undertaking but not an impossible undertaking. I do not think there is any insurmountable obstacle in the way to the production of such a ruling World Brain. There are favourable96 conditions for it, encouraging precedents97 and a plainly evident need. The various lectures, addresses and papers, collected here, few, thin and sketchy98 though they may seem, are all in their scope and measure contributions to this urgent research.
H.G. Wells
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1
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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constructive
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| adj.建设的，建设性的 | |
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organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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cerebral
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| adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的 | |
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adaptability
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| n.适应性 | |
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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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genetic
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| adj.遗传的，遗传学的 | |
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adolescence
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| n.青春期，青少年 | |
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inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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nucleus
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| n.核，核心，原子核 | |
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necessitates
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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metaphors
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| 隐喻( metaphor的名词复数 ) | |
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loyalties
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| n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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subconsciously
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| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
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explicitly
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| ad.明确地，显然地 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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cynically
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| adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地 | |
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ideological
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| a.意识形态的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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lamentably
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| adv.哀伤地，拙劣地 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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economists
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| n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 ) | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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experimentation
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| n.实验，试验，实验法 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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aesthetic
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| adj.美学的，审美的，有美感 | |
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ethical
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| adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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Buddha
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| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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disastrously
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| ad.灾难性地 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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reconstructions
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| 重建( reconstruction的名词复数 )； 再现； 重建物； 复原物 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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discrediting
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| 使不相信( discredit的现在分词 )； 使怀疑； 败坏…的名声； 拒绝相信 | |
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superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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embodied
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| v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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discredited
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| 不足信的，不名誉的 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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gangster
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| n.匪徒，歹徒，暴徒 | |
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81
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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82
intermittently
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| adv.间歇地；断断续续 | |
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83
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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84
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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85
administrator
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| n.经营管理者，行政官员 | |
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86
paucity
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| n.小量，缺乏 | |
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87
disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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88
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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89
hampering
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 ) | |
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90
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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91
unifying
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| 使联合( unify的现在分词 )； 使相同； 使一致； 统一 | |
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92
implementing
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| v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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93
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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94
evocation
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| n. 引起，唤起 n. <古> 召唤，招魂 | |
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95
oligarchic
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| adj.寡头政治的，主张寡头政治的 | |
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96
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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precedents
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| 引用单元； 范例( precedent的名词复数 )； 先前出现的事例； 前例； 先例 | |
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98
sketchy
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| adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的 | |
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