large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb_44
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb
English
6138
Our epoch has invented machines which would have appeared wild dreams to the men of past ages, and of those machines we have as yet _made no use_. They are called "labour saving" machines—a commonly used phrase which implies what we expect of them; but we do not get what we expect. OUR REPOCH HAS INVENTED MACHINES WHICH WOULD HAVE APPEARED WILD DREAMS TO THE MEN OF PAST AGES AND OF THOSE MACHINES WE HAVE AS YET MADE NO USE THEY ARE CALLED LABOR SAVING MACHINES A COMMONLY USED PHRASE WHICH IMPLIES WHAT WE EXPECT OF THEM BUT WE DO NOT GET WHAT WE EXPECT
 service of a few rich men. The experiment of a civilized community living wholly without art or literature has not yet been tried. The past degradation and corruption of civilization may force this denial of pleasure upon the society which will arise from its ashes. If that must be, we will accept the passing phase of utilitarianism as a foundation for the art which is to be. If the cripple and the starveling disappear from our streets, if the earth nourish us all alike, if the sun shine for all of us alike, if to one and all of us the glorious drama of the earth—day and night, summer and winter—can be presented as a thing to understand and love, we can afford to wait awhile till we are purified from the shame of the past corruption, and till art arises again amongst people freed from the terror of the slave and the shame of the robber. Meantime, in any case, the refinement, thoughtfulness, and deliberation of labour must indeed be paid for, but not by compulsion to labour long hours. END TO PRODUCE FOR THE SERVICE OF A FEW RICH MEN THE EXPERIMENT OF A CIVILIZED COMMUNITY LIVING WHOLLY WITHOUT ART OR LITERATURE HAS NOT YET BEEN TRIED THE PAST DEGRADATION AND CORRUPTION OF CIVILIZATION MAY FORCE THIS DENIAL OF PLEASURE UPON THE SOCIETY WHICH WILL ARISE FROM ITS ASHES IF THAT MUST BE WE WILL ACCEPT THE PASSING PHASE OF UTILITARIANISM AS A FOUNDATION FOR THE ART WHICH IS TO BE IF THE CRIPPLE AND THE STARVELING DISAPPEAR FROM OUR STREETS IF THE EARTH NOURISH US ALL ALIKE IF THE SUN SHINE FOR ALL OF US ALIKE IF TO ONE AND ALL OF US THE GLORIOUS DRAMA OF THE EARTH DAY AND NIGHT SUMMER AND WINTER CAN BE PRESENTED AS A THING TO UNDERSTAND AND LOVE WE CAN AFFORD TO WAIT AWHILE TILL WE ARE PURIFIED FROM THE SHAME OF THE PAST CORRUPTION UNTIL ART ARISES AGAIN AMONGST PEOPLE FREED FROM THE TERROR OF THE SLAVE AND THE SHAME OF THE ROBBER MEANTIME IN ANY CASE THE REFINEMENT THOUGHTFULNESS AND DELIBERATION OF LABOUR MUST INDEED BE PAID FOR BUT NOT BY COMPULSION TO LABOR LONG HOURS
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