to human wants； and must therefore both now and ever be man's
inferiors。
〃This is all very well。 But the servant glides by imperceptible
approaches into the master； and we have come to such a pass that；
even now； man must suffer terribly on ceasing to benefit the
machines。 If all machines were to be annihilated at one moment； so
that not a knife nor lever nor rag of clothing nor anything
whatsoever were left to man but his bare body alone that he was
born with； and if all knowledge of mechanical laws were taken from
him so that he could make no more machines； and all machine…made
food destroyed so that the race of man should be left as it were
naked upon a desert island； we should become extinct in six weeks。
A few miserable individuals might linger； but even these in a year
or two would become worse than monkeys。 Man's very soul is due to
the machines； it is a machine…made thing： he thinks as he thinks；
and feels as he feels； through the work that machines have wrought
upon him； and their existence is quite as much a sine qua non for
his； as his for theirs。 This fact precludes us from proposing the
complete annihilation of machinery； but surely it indicates that we
should destroy as many of them as we can possibly dispense with；
lest they should tyrannise over us even more completely。
〃True； from a low materialistic point of view； it would seem that
those thrive best who use machinery wherever its use is possible
with profit； but this is the art of the machinesthey serve that
they may rule。 They bear no malice towards man for destroying a
whole race of them provided he creates a better instead； on the
contrary； they reward him liberally for having hastened their
development。 It is for neglecting them that he incurs their wrath；
or for using inferior machines； or for not making sufficient
exertions to invent new ones； or for destroying them without
replacing them； yet these are the very things we ought to do； and
do quickly； for though our rebellion against their infant power
will cause infinite suffering； what will not things come to； if
that rebellion is delayed？
〃They have preyed upon man's grovelling preference for his material
over his spiritual interests； and have betrayed him into supplying
that element of struggle and warfare without which no race can
advance。 The lower animals progress because they struggle with one
another； the weaker die； the stronger breed and transmit their
strength。 The machines being of themselves unable to struggle；
have got man to do their struggling for them： as long as he
fulfils this function duly； all goes well with himat least he
thinks so； but the moment he fails to do his best for the
advancement of machinery by encouraging the good and destroying the
bad； he is left behind in the race of competition； and this means
that he will be made uncomfortable in a variety of ways； and
perhaps die。
〃So that even now the machines will only serve on condition of
being served； and that too upon their own terms； the moment their
terms are not complied with； they jib； and either smash both
themselves and all whom they can reach； or turn churlish and refuse
to work at all。 How many men at this hour are living in a state of
bondage to the machines？ How many spend their whole lives； from
the cradle to the grave； in tending them by night and day？ Is it
not plain that the machines are gaining ground upon us； when we
reflect on the increasing number of those who are bound down to
them as slaves； and of those who devote their whole souls to the
advancement of the mechanical kingdom？
〃The vapour…engine must be fed with food and consume it by fire
even as man consumes it； it supports its combustion by air as man
supports it； it has a pulse and circulation as man has。 It may be
granted that man's body is as yet the more versatile of the two；
but then man's body is an older thing； give the vapour…engine but
half the time that man has had； give it also a continuance of our
present infatuation； and what may it not ere long attain to？
〃There are certain functions indeed of the vapour…engine which will
probably remain unchanged for myriads of yearswhich in fact will
perhaps survive when the use of vapour has been superseded： the
piston and cylinder； the beam； the fly…wheel； and other parts of
the machine will probably be permanent； just as we see that man and
many of the lower animals share like modes of eating； drinking； and
sleeping； thus they have hearts which beat as ours； veins and
arteries； eyes； ears； and noses； they sigh even in their sleep； and
weep and yawn； they are affected by their children； they feel
pleasure and pain； hope； fear； anger； shame； they have memory and
prescience； they know that if certain things happen to them they
will die； and they fear death as much as we do； they communicate
their thoughts to one another； and some of them deliberately act in
concert。 The comparison of similarities is endless： I only make
it because some may say that since the vapour…engine is not likely
to be improved in the main particulars； it is unlikely to be
henceforward extensively modified at all。 This is too good to be
true： it will be modified and suited for an infinite variety of
purposes； as much as man has been modified so as to exceed the
brutes in skill。
〃In the meantime the stoker is almost as much a cook for his engine
as our own cooks for ourselves。 Consider also the colliers and
pitmen and coal merchants and coal trains； and the men who drive
them； and the ships that carry coalswhat an army of servants do
the machines thus employ！ Are there not probably more men engaged
in tending machinery than in tending men？ Do not machines eat as
it were by mannery？ Are we not ourselves creating our successors
in the supremacy of the earth？ daily adding to the beauty and
delicacy of their organisation； daily giving them greater skill and
supplying more and more of that self…regulating self…acting power
which will be better than any intellect？
〃What a new thing it is for a machine to feed at all！ The plough；
the spade； and the cart must eat through man's stomach； the fuel
that sets them going must burn in the furnace of a man or of
horses。 Man must consume bread and meat or he cannot dig； the
bread and meat are the fuel which drive the spade。 If a plough be
drawn by horses； the power is supplied by grass or beans or oats；
which being burnt in the belly of the cattle give the power of
working： without this fuel the work would cease； as an engine
would stop if its furnaces were to go out。
〃A man of science has demonstrated 'that no animal has the power of
originating mechanical energy； but that all the work done in its
life by any animal； and all the heat that has been emitted from it；
and the heat which would be obtained by burning the combustible
matter which has been lost from its body during life； and by
burning its body after death； make up altogether an exact
equivalent to the heat which would be obtained by burning as much
food as it has used during its life； and an amount of fuel which
would generate as much heat as its body if burned immediately after
death。' I do not know how he has found this out； but he is a man
of sciencehow then can it be objected against the future vitality
of the machines that they are； in their present infancy； at the
beck and call of beings who are themselves incapable of originating
mechanical energy？
〃The main point； however； to be observed as affording cause for
alarm is； that whereas animals were formerly the only stomachs of
the machines； there are now many which have stomachs of their own；
and consume their food themselves。 This is a great step towards
their becoming； if not animate； yet something so near akin to it；
as not to differ more widely from our own life than animals do from
vegetables。 And though man should remain； in some respects； the
higher creature； is not this in accordance with the practice of
nature； which allows superiority in some things to animals which
have； on the whole； been long surpassed？ Has she not allowed the
ant and the bee to retain superiority over man in the organisation
of their communities and social arrangements； the bird in
traversing the air； the fish in swimming； the horse in strength and
fleetness； and the dog in self…sacrifice？
〃It is said by some with whom I have conversed upon this subject；
that the machines can never be developed into animate or quasi…
animate existences； inasmuch as they have no reproductive system；
nor seem ever likely to possess one。 If this be taken to mean that
they cannot marry； and that we are never likely to see a fertile
union between two vapour…engines with the young ones playing about
the door of the shed； however greatly we might desire to do so； I
will readily grant it。 But the objection is not a very profound
one。 No one expects that all the features of the now existing
organisations will be absolutely repeated in an entirely new class
of life。 The reproductive system of animals differs widely from
that of plants； but both are reproductive systems。 Has nature
exhausted her phases of this power？
〃Surely if a machine is able to reproduce another machine
systematically； we may say that it has a reproductive system。 What
is a reproductive system； if it be not a system for reproduction？
And how few of the machines are there which have not been produced
systematically by other machines？ But it is man that makes them do
so。 Yes； but is it not insects that make many of the plants
reproductive； and would not whole families of plants die out if
their fertilisation was not effected by a class of agents utterly
foreign to themselves？ Does any one say that the red clover has no
reproductive system because the humble bee （and the humble bee
only） must aid and abet it before it can reproduce？ No one。 The
humble bee is a part of the reproductive system of the clover。
Each one of ourselves has sprung from minute animalcules whose
entity was entirely distinct from our own； and which acted after
their kind with no thought or heed of what we might think about it。
These little creatures are part of our own reproducti