Society And its Purpose
Book 4 - Psychological Laws and the End of Civil Societies
CHAPTER 15
The two political systems of RESISTANCE and MOVEMENT
647. A human spirit that has obtained contentment of its capacity is at rest. Hence, a peaceful state of rest in civil society must naturally result from the principle we have established that `governmental wisdom must work to procure contentment of spirit for the governed'.
648. But we are faced immediately with a specious objection which, although not solid (as we shall soon see), merits very careful, detailed examination by political philosophers. This examination is necessary to justify and complete the doctrine of contentment as the purpose of governmental wisdom. The objection comes from decent people, who fervently support the progress of humanity and whose intentions I accept as truly human and beneficent.
649. They argue: `Progress can be made only through movement. But in a political administration where all spirits are fully content, movement is no longer possible. Progress, therefore is impossible.' They conclude that the aim of a wise government's enactments is not to content the spirit of all the citizens but to sow disquiet, because disquiet is the mother of activity and consequently of advancement.
650. To many others, equally decent because of their benevolent disposition towards humanity, this argument seems totally absurd. They argue: `Progress which keeps the human spirit constantly discontent and restless is not beneficial. If human desires go unfulfilled, the people are continually unhappy. This is clearly an abuse of the word "progress". Some people may be happy to restrict the word solely to good, but evil as well as good makes progress in human reality, where incessant corruption goes hand in hand with ceaseless generation, as in nature itself. While some nations move rapidly to corruption and dissolution, others emerge strong and rich from the ruins like a new green plant sprouting from detritus.
Dying and emerging nations are certainly in motion, because nothing is static in this world. And movement to ruin is as rapid as that towards glory. History teaches that nations in their final stages do not simply move; they hurl themselves into the abyss, while new-born nations rise, even if slowly, to the heights of long-lasting glory. Movement therefore is one thing; progress, understood in a right sense, is another.' They conclude: `We are opposed to disordered movement; we want progress in good. This good, if we are not mistaken, is simply the promotion of contentment and repose of spirit; it consists in nothing else. However, this state of contentment of spirit is never fully achieved in society; consequently there is need for progress towards it.'
651. We see therefore that people who desire the good of humanity follow opposite paths and fight irreconcilably for two directly opposed political systems, movement, as it is called, on the one hand; resistance on the other. The reader will notice that I have disregarded minor points and kept to the fundamental theory of the two groups, and that I have presented their systems in the most favourable light.
Let us examine the systems and see how they relate to our theory.