The Damned Human Race.docx

The Damned Human Race.docx

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TheDamnedHumanRace

TheDamnedHumanRace

Didtodaysnewspapercontainaheadlineaboutpeople（Irish,Lebanese,Chilean）fightingsomewhereintheworld?

Mostlikely,itdid.Inthefollowingselection,MarkTwainconcludesthatthecombativean4cruelnatureofhumanbeingsmakesthemthelowestofcreatures,notthehighest.Withscathingirony,hesuppliesastartlingreasonforhumanswarlikenature.

Ihavebeenstudyingthetraitsanddispositionsoftheloweranimals（so-called）,andcontrastingthemwiththetraitsanddispositionsofman.Ifindtheresulthumiliatingtome.ForitobligesmetorenouncemyallegiancetotheDarwiniantheoryoftheAscentofManfromtheLowerAnimals;sinceitnowseemsplaintomethatthetheoryoughttobevacatedinfavorofanewandtruerone,thisnewandtrueronetobenamedtheDescentofManfromtheHigherAnimals.

InproceedingtowardthisunpleasantconclusionIhavenotguessedorspeculatedorconjectured,buthaveusedwhatiscommonlycalledthescientificmethod.Thatistosay,Ihavesubjectedeverypostulatethatpresenteditselftothecrucialtestofactualexperiment,andhaveadopteditorrejecteditaccordingtotheresult.ThusIverifiedandestablishedeachstepofmycourseinitsturnbeforeadvancingtothenext.TheseexperimentsweremadeintheLondonZoologicalGardens,andcoveredmanymonthsofpainstakingandfatiguingwork.

Beforeparticularizinganyoftheexperiments,Iwishtostateoneortwothingswhichseemtomoreproperlybelonginthisplacethanfurtheralong.This,intheinterestofclearness.Themassedexperimentsestablishedtomysatisfactioncertaingeneralizations,towit:

1.Thatthehumanraceisofonedistinctspecies.Itexhibitsslightvariations（incolor,stature,mentalcaliber,andsoon）duetoclimate,environment,andsoforth;butitisaspeciesbyitself,andnottobeconfoundedwithanyother. 

2.Thatthequadrupedsareadistinctfamily,also.Thisfamilyexhibitsvariations（incolor,size,foodpreferences,andsoon;butitisafamilybyitself）.

3.Thattheotherfamilies（thebirds,thefishes,theinsects,thereptiles,etc.）aremoreorlessdistinct,also.Theyareintheprocession.Theyarelinksinthechainwhichstretchesdownfromthehigheranimalstomanatthebottom.

Someofmyexperimentswerequitecurious.InthecourseofmyreadingIhadcomeacrossacasewhere,manyyearsago,somehuntersonourGreatPlainsorganizedabuffalohuntfortheentertainmentofanEnglishearl.Theyhadcharmingsport.Theykilledseventy-twoofthosegreatanimals;andatepartofoneofthemandlefttheseventy-onetorot.Inordertodeterminethedifferencebetweenananacondaandanearl（ifany）Icausedsevenyoungcalvestobeturnedintotheanacondascage.Thegratefulreptileimmediatelycrushedoneofthemandswallowedit,thenlaybacksatisfied.Itshowednofurtherinterestinthecalves,andnodispositiontoharmthem.Itriedthisexperimentwithotheranacondas;alwayswiththesameresult.Thefactstoodproventhatthedifferencebetweenanearlandananacondaisthattheearliscruelandtheanacondaisnt;andthattheearlwantonlydestroyswhathehasnousefor,buttheanacondadoesnt.Thisseemedtosuggestthattheanacondawasnotdescendedfromtheearl.Italsoseemedtosuggestthattheearlwasdescendedfromtheanaconda,andhadlostagooddealinthetransition. 

Iwasawarethatmanymenwhohaveaccumulatedmoremillionsofmoneythantheycaneverusehaveshownarabidhungerformore,andhavenotscrupledtocheattheignorantandthehelplessoutoftheirpoorservingsinordertopartiallyappeasethatappetite.Ifurnishedahundreddifferentkindsofwildandtameanimalstheopportunitytoaccumulatevaststoresoffood,butnoneofthemwoulddoit.Thesquirrelsandbeesandcertainbirdsmadeaccumulations,butstoppedwhentheyhadgatheredawinterssupply,andcouldnotbepersuadedtoaddtoiteitherhonestlyorbychicane.Inordertobolsterupatotteringreputationtheantpretendedtostoreupsupplies,butIwasnotdeceived.Iknowtheant.Theseexperimentsconvincedmethatthereisthisdifferencebetweenmanandthehigheranimals:

heisavariciousandmiserly;theyarenot. 

InthecourseofmyexperimentsIconvincedmyselfthatamongtheanimalsmanistheonlyonethatharborsinsultsandinjuries,broodsoverthem,waitstillachanceoffers,thentakesrevenge.Thepassionofrevengeisunknowntothehigheranimals.

Roosterskeepharems,butitisbyconsentoftheirconcubines;thereforenowrongisdone.Menkeepharemsbutitisbybruteforce,privilegedbyatrociouslawswhichtheothersexwereallowednohandinmaking.Inthismattermanoccupiesafarlowerplacethantherooster.

Catsarelooseintheirmorals,butnotconsciouslyso.Man,inhisdescentfromthecat,hasbroughtthecatsloosenesswithhimbuthaslefttheunconsciousnessbehind（thesavinggracewhichexcusesthecat）.Thecatisinnocent,manisnot.

Indecency,vulgarity,obscenity（thesearestrictlyconfinedtoman）;heinventedthem.Amongthehigheranimalsthereisnotraceofthem.Theyhidenothing;theyarenotashamed.Man,withhissoiledmind,covershimself.Hewillnotevenenteradrawingroomwithhisbreastandbacknaked,soaliveareheandhismatestoindecentsuggestion.ManisTheAnimalthatLaughs.Butsodoesthemonkey,asMr.Darwinpointedout;andsodoestheAustralianbirdthatiscalledthelaughingjackass.No!

 ManistheAnimalthatBlushes.Heistheonlyonethatdoesitorhasoccasionto.

Attheheadofthisarticleweseehowthreemonkswereburnttodeathafewdaysago,andapriorputtodeathwithatrociouscruelty.Doweinquireintothedetails?

No;orweshouldfindoutthatthepriorwassubjectedtounprintablemutilations.Man（whenheisaNorthAmericanIndian）gougesouthisprisonerseyes;whenheisKingJohn,withanephewtorenderuntroublesome,heusesared-hotiron;whenheisareligiouszealotdealingwithhereticsintheMiddleAges,heskinshiscaptivealiveandscatterssaltonhisback;inthefirstRichardstimeheshutsupamultitudeofJewfamiliesinatowerandsetsfiretoit;inColumbusstimehecapturesafamilyofSpanishJewsand（butthatisnotprintable;inourdayinEnglandamanisfinedtenshillingsforbeatinghismothernearlytodeathwithachair,andanothermanisfinedfortyshillingsforhavingfourpheasanteggsinhispossessionwithoutbeingabletosatisfactorilyexplainhowhegotthem）.Ofalltheanimals,manistheonlyonethatiscruel.Heistheonlyonethatinflictspainforthepleasureofdoingit.Itisatraitthatisnotknowntothehigheranimals.Thecatplayswiththefrightenedmouse;butshehasthisexcuse,thatshedoesnotknowthatthemouseissuffering.Thecatismoderate（unhumanlymoderate:

sheonlyscaresthemouse,shedoesnothurtit;shedoesntdigoutitseyes,ortearoffitsskin,ordrivesplintersunderitsnails）man-fashion;whensheisdoneplayingwithitshemakesasuddenmealofitandputsitoutofitstrouble.ManistheCruelAnimal.Heisaloneinthatdistinction.

Thehigheranimalsengageinindividualfights,butneverinorganizedmasses.Manistheonlyanimalthatdealsinthatatrocityofatrocities,War.Heistheonlyonethatgathershisbrethrenabouthimandgoesforthincoldbloodandwithcalmpulsetoexterminatehiskind.Heistheonlyanimalthatforsordidwageswillmarchout,astheHessiansdidinourRevolution,andastheboyishPrinceNapoleondidintheZuluwar,andhelptoslaughterstrangersofhisownspecieswhohavedonehimnoharmandwithwhomhehasnoquarrel.

Manistheonlyanimalthatrobshishelplessfellowofhiscountrytakespossessionofitanddriveshimoutofitordestroyshim.Manhasdonethisinalltheages.Thereisnotanacreofgroundontheglobethatisinpossessionofitsrightfulowner,orthathasnotbeentakenawayfromownerafterowner,cycleaftercycle,byforceandbloodshed.

ManistheonlySlave.Andheistheonlyanimalwhoenslaves.Hehasalwaysbeenaslaveinoneformoranother,andhasalwaysheldotherslavesinbondageunderhiminonewayoranother.Inourdayheisalwayssomemansslaveforwages,anddoesthatmanswork;andthisslavehasotherslavesunderhimforminorwages,andtheydohiswork.Thehigheranimalsaretheonlyoneswhoexclusivelydotheirownworkandprovidetheirownliving.

ManistheonlyPatriot.Hesetshimselfapartinhisowncountry,underhisownflag,andsneersattheothernations,andkeepsmultitudinousuniformedassassinsonhandatheavyexpensetograbslicesofotherpeoplescountries,andkeepthemfromgrabbingslicesofhis.Andintheintervalsbetweencampaigns,hewashesthebloodoffhishandsandworksfortheuniversalbrotherhoodofman,withhismouth.

ManistheReligiousAnimal.HeistheonlyReligiousAnimal.HeistheonlyanimalthathastheTrueReligion,severalofthem.Heistheonlyanimalthatloveshisneighborashimself,andcutshisthroatifhistheologyisntstraight.Hehasmadeagraveyardoftheglobeintryinghishonestbesttosmoothhisbrotherspathtohappinessandheaven.HewasatitinthetimeoftheCaesars,hewasatitinMahometstime,hewasatitinthetimeoftheInquisition,hewasatitinFranceacoupleofcenturies,hewasatitinEnglandinMarysday,hehasbeenatiteversincehefirstsawthelight,heisatittodayinCrete（asperthetelegramsquotedabove）hewillbeatitsomewhereelsetomorrow.Thehigheranimalshavenoreligion.Andwearetoldthattheyaregoingtobeleftout,intheHereafter.Iwonderwhy?

Itseemsquestionabletaste.

Manist