The Philosopher.docx
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The Philosopher.docx
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ThePhilosopher
GeorgeBernardShaw,byG.K.Chesterton
ThePhilosopher
Ishouldsupposethat CæsarandCleopatra marksabouttheturningtideofBernardShaw’sfortuneandfame.Uptothistimehehadknownglory,butneversuccess.Hehadbeenwonderedatassomethingbrilliantandbarren,likeameteor;butnoonewouldaccepthimasasun,forthetestofasunisthatitcanmakesomethinggrow.Practicallyspeakingthetwoqualitiesofamoderndramaare,thatitshouldplayandthatitshouldpay.Ithadbeenprovedoverandoveragaininweightydramaticcriticisms,incarefulreaders’reports,thattheplaysofShawcouldneverplayorpay;thatthepublicdidnotwantwitandthewarsofintellect.Andjustaboutthetimethatthishadbeenfinallyproved,theplaysofBernardShawpromisedtoplaylike Charley’sAunt andtopaylikeColman’sMustard.Itisafactinwhichwecanallrejoice,notonlybecauseitredeemsthereputationofBernardShaw,butbecauseitredeemsthecharacteroftheEnglishpeople.Allthatisbravestinhumannature,openchallengeandunexpectedwitandangryconviction,arenotsoveryunpopularasthepublishersandmanagersintheirmotor-carshavebeeninthehabitoftellingus.Butexactlybecausewehavecometoaturningpointintheman’scareerIproposetointerruptthemerecatalogueofhisplaysandtotreathislatestseriesratherastheproclamationsofanacknowledgedprophet.Forthelastplays,especially ManandSuperman,aresuchthathiswholepositionmustberestatedbeforeattackingthemseriously.
FortworeasonsIhavecalledthisconcludingseriesofplaysnotagainbythenameof“TheDramatist,”butbythegeneralnameof“ThePhilosopher.”Thefirstreasonisthatgivenabove,thatwehavecometothetimeofhistriumphandmaythereforetreathimashavinggainedcompletepossessionofapulpitofhisown.Butthereisasecondreason:
thatitwasjustaboutthistimethathebegantocreatenotonlyapulpitofhisown,butachurchandcreedofhisown.Itisaveryvastanduniversalreligion;anditisnothisfaultthatheistheonlymemberofit.Theplainerwayofputtingitisthis:
thathere,inthehourofhisearthlyvictory,therediesinhimtheoldmeredenier,themeredynamiterofcriticism.Inthewarmthofpopularityhebeginstowishtoputhisfaithpositively;tooffersomesolidkeytoallcreation.Perhapstheironyinthesituationisthis:
thatallthecrowdsareacclaiminghimastheblastingandhypercriticalbuffoon,whilehehimselfisseriouslyrallyinghissyntheticpower,andwithagravefacetellinghimselfthatitistimehehadafaithtopreach.Hisfinalsuccessasasortofcharlatancoincideswithhisfirstgrandfailuresasatheologian.
ForthisreasonIhavedeliberatelycalledahaltinhisdramaticcareer,inordertoconsiderthesetwoessentialpoints:
WhatdidthemassofEnglishmen,whohadnowlearnttoadmirehim,imaginehispointofviewtobe?
andsecond,Whatdidheimagineittobe?
or,ifthephrasebepremature,Whatdidheimagineitwasgoingtobe?
Inhislatestwork,especiallyin ManandSuperman,Shawhasbecomeacompleteandcolossalmystic.Thatmysticismdoesgrowquiterationallyoutofhisolderarguments;butveryfewpeopleevertroubledtotracetheconnection.Inordertodosoitisnecessarytosaywhatwas,atthetimeofhisfirstsuccess,thepublicimpressionofShaw’sphilosophy.
1.NowitisanirritatingandpatheticthingthatthethreemostpopularphrasesaboutShawarefalse.Moderncriticism,likeallweakthings,isoverloadedwithwords.Inahealthyconditionoflanguageamanfindsitverydifficulttosaytherightthing,butatlastsaysit.Inthisempireofjournaleseamanfindsitsoveryeasytosaythewrongthingthatheneverthinksofsayinganythingelse.Falseormeaninglessphrasesliesoreadytohishandthatitiseasiertousethemthannottousethem.Thesewrongtermspickedupthroughidlenessareretainedthroughhabit,andsothemanhasbeguntothinkwrongalmostbeforehehasbeguntothinkatall.Suchlumberinglogomachyisalwaysinjuriousandoppressivetomenofspirit,imaginationorintellectualhonour,andithasdealtveryrecklesslyandwronglywithBernardShaw.Hehascontrivedtogetaboutthreenewspaperphrasestiedtohistail;andthosenewspaperphrasesareallandseparatelywrong.Thethreesuperstitionsabouthim,itwillbeconceded,aregenerallythese:
firstthathedesires“problemplays,”secondthatheis“paradoxical,”andthirdthatinhisdramasaselsewhereheisspecially“aSocialist.”Andtheinterestingthingisthatwhenwecometohisphilosophy,allthesethreephrasesarequitepeculiarlyinapplicable.
2.Totaketheplaysfirst,thereisageneraldispositiontodescribethattypeofintimateordefiantdramawhichheapprovesas“theproblemplay.”Nowtheseriousmodernplayis,asarule,theveryreverseofaproblemplay;fortherecanbenoproblemunlessbothpointsofviewareequallyandurgentlypresented. Hamlet reallyisaproblemplaybecauseattheendofitoneisreallyindoubtastowhetherupontheauthor’sshowingHamletissomethingmorethanamanorsomethingless. HenryIV andHenryV arereallyproblemplays;inthissense,thatthereaderorspectatorisreallydoubtfulwhetherthehighbutharshefficiency,valour,andambitionofHenryVareanimprovementonhisoldblackguardcamaraderie;andwhetherhewasnotabettermanwhenhewasathief.ThisheartyandhealthydoubtisverycommoninShakespeare;Imeanadoubtthatexistsinthewriteraswellasinthereader.ButBernardShawisfartoomuchofaPuritantotoleratesuchdoubtsaboutpointswhichhecountsessential.Thereisnosortofdoubtthattheyoungladyin ArmsandtheMan isimprovedbylosingherideals.ThereisnosortofdoubtthatCaptainBrassboundisimprovedbygivinguptheobjectofhislife.Butabettercasecanbefoundinsomethingthatbothdramatistshavebeenconcernedwith;Shawwrote CæsarandCleopatra;ShakespearewroteAntonyandCleopatra andalso JuliusCæsar.AndexactlywhatannoysBernardShawaboutShakespeare’sversionisthis:
thatShakespearehasanopenmindor,inotherwords,thatShakespearehasreallywrittenaproblemplay.ShakespeareseesquiteasclearlyasShawthatBrutusisunpracticalandineffectual;buthealsosees,whatisquiteasplainandpracticalafact,thattheseineffectualmendocapturetheheartsandinfluencethepoliciesofmankind.ShawwouldhavenothingsaidinfavourofBrutus;becauseBrutusisonthewrongsideinpolitics.Oftheactualproblemofpublicandprivatemorality,asitwaspresentedtoBrutus,hetakesactuallynonoticeatall.Hecanwritethemostenergeticandoutspokenofpropagandaplays;buthecannotrisetoaproblemplay.Hecannotreallydividehismindandletthetwopartsspeakindependentlytoeachother.Hehasnever,sotospeak,actuallysplithisheadintwo;thoughIdaresaytherearemanyotherpeoplewhoarewillingtodoitforhim.
3.Sometimes,especiallyinhislaterplays,heallowshisclearconvictiontospoilevenhisadmirabledialogue,makingonesideentirelyweak,asinanEvangelicaltract.Idonotknowwhetherin MajorBarbara theyoungGreekprofessorwassupposedtobeafool.Aspopulartradition(whichItrustmorethananythingelse)declaredthatheisdrawnfromarealProfessorofmyacquaintance,whoisanythingbutafool,Ishouldimaginenot.ButinthatcaseIamallthemoremystifiedbytheincrediblyweakfightwhichhemakesintheplayinanswertotheelephantinesophistriesofUndershaft.Itisreallyadisgracefulcase,andalmosttheonlycaseinShawoftherebeingnofairfightbetweenthetwosides.Forinstance,theProfessormentionspity.Mr.Undershaftsayswithmelodramaticscorn,“Pity!
thescavengeroftheUniverse!
”Nowifanygentlemanhadsaidthistome,Ishouldhavereplied,“IfIpermityoutoescapefromthepointbymeansofmetaphors,willyoutellmewhetheryoudisapproveofscavengers?
”Insteadofthisobviousretort,themiserableGreekprofessoronlysays,“Wellthen,love,”towhichUndershaftreplieswithunnecessaryviolencethathewon’thavetheGreekprofessor’slove,towhichtheobviousanswerofcoursewouldbe,“HowthedeucecanyoupreventmylovingyouifIchoosetodoso?
”Insteadofthis,asfarasIremember,thatabjectHellenistsaysnothingatall.Ionlymentionthisunfairdialogue,becauseitmarks,Ithink,therecenthardening,forgoodorevil,ofShawoutofadramatistintoamerephilosopher,andwhoeverhardensintoaphilosophermaybehardeningintoafanatic.
4.AndjustasthereisnothingreallyproblematicinShaw’smind,sothereisnothingreallyparadoxical.Themeaningofthewordparadoxicalmayindeedbemadethesubjectofargument.InGreek,ofcourse,itsimplymeanssomethingwhichisagainstthereceivedopinion;inthatsenseamissionaryremonstratingwithSouthSeacannibalsisparadoxical.Butinthemuchmoreimportantworld,wherewordsareusedandalteredintheusing,paradoxdoesnotmeanmerelythis:
itmeansatleastsomethingofwhichtheantinomyorapparentinconsistencyissufficientlyplaininthewordsused,andmostcommonlyofallitmeansanideaexpressedinaformwhichisverballycontradictory.Thus,forinstance,thegreatsaying,“Hethatshalllosehislife,thesameshallsaveit,”isanexampleofwhatmodernpeoplemeanbyaparadox.Ifanylearnedpersonshouldreadthisbook(whichseemsimmeasurablyimprobable)hecancontenthimselfwithputtingitthisway,thatthemodernsmistakenlysayparadoxwhentheyshouldsayoxymoron.Ultimately,inanycase,itmaybeagreedthatwecommonlymeanbyaparadoxsomekindofcollisionbetween
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