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theories； that my political life didn't in some way comprehend more
than itself； that rather perplexingly I was missing the thing I was
seeking。 Britten's footnotes to Altiora's self…assertions； her fits
of energetic planning； her quarrels and rallies and vanities； his
illuminating attacks on Cramptonism and the heavy…spirited
triviality of such Liberalism as the Children's Charter； served to
point my way to my present conclusions。 I had been trying to deal
all along with human progress as something immediate in life；
something to be immediately attacked by political parties and groups
pointing primarily to that end。 I now began to see that just as in
my own being there was the rather shallow； rather vulgar； self…
seeking careerist； who wore an admirable silk hat and bustled self…
consciously through the lobby； and a much greater and indefinitely
growing unpublished personality behind himmy hinterland； I have
called itso in human affairs generally the permanent reality is
also a hinterland； which is never really immediate； which draws
continually upon human experience and influences human action more
and more； but which is itself never the actual player upon the
stage。 It is the unseen dramatist who never takes a call。 Now it
was just through the fact that our group about the Baileys didn't
understand this； that with a sort of frantic energy they were trying
to develop that sham expert officialdom of theirs to plan； regulate；
and direct the affairs of humanity； that the perplexing note of
silliness and shallowness that I had always felt and felt now most
acutely under Britten's gibes； came in。 They were neglecting human
life altogether in social organisation。
In the development of intellectual modesty lies the growth of
statesmanship。 It has been the chronic mistake of statecraft and
all organising spirits to attempt immediately to scheme and arrange
and achieve。 Priests； schools of thought； political schemers；
leaders of men； have always slipped into the error of assuming that
they can think out the wholeor at any rate completely think out
definite partsof the purpose and future of man； clearly and
finally； they have set themselves to legislate and construct on that
assumption； and； experiencing the perplexing obduracy and evasions
of reality； they have taken to dogma； persecution； training；
pruning； secretive education； and all the stupidities of self…
sufficient energy。 In the passion of their good intentions they
have not hesitated to conceal fact； suppress thought； crush
disturbing initiatives and apparently detrimental desires。 And so
it is blunderingly and wastefully； destroying with the making； that
any extension of social organisation is at present achieved。
Directly； however； this idea of an emancipation from immediacy is
grasped； directly the dominating importance of this critical； less
personal； mental hinterland in the individual and of the collective
mind in the race is understood； the whole problem of the statesman
and his attitude towards politics gain a new significance； and
becomes accessible to a new series of solutions。 He wants no longer
to 〃fix up；〃 as people say； human affairs； but to devote his forces
to the development of that needed intellectual life without which
all his shallow attempts at fixing up are futile。 He ceases to
build on the sands； and sets himself to gather foundations。
You see； I began in my teens by wanting to plan and build cities and
harbours for mankind； I ended in the middle thirties by desiring
only to serve and increase a general process of thought； a process
fearless； critical； real…spirited； that would in its own time give
cities； harbours； air； happiness； everything at a scale and quality
and in a light altogether beyond the match…striking imaginations of
a contemporary mind。 I wanted freedom of speech and suggestion；
vigour of thought； and the cultivation of that impulse of veracity
that lurks more or less discouraged in every man。 With that I felt
there must go an emotion。 I hit upon a phrase that became at last
something of a refrain in my speech and writings； to convey the
spirit that I felt was at the very heart of real human progress
love and fine thinking。
（I suppose that nowadays no newspaper in England gets through a week
without the repetition of that phrase。）
My convictions crystallised more and more definitely upon this。 The
more of love and fine thinking the better for men； I said； the less；
the worse。 And upon this fresh basis I set myself to examine what I
as a politician might do。 I perceived I was at last finding an
adequate expression for all that was in me； for those forces that
had rebelled at the crude presentations of Bromstead； at the
secrecies and suppressions of my youth； at the dull unrealities of
City Merchants； at the conventions and timidities of the Pinky
Dinkys； at the philosophical recluse of Trinity and the phrases and
tradition…worship of my political associates。 None of these things
were half alive； and I wanted life to be intensely alive and awake。
I wanted thought like an edge of steel and desire like a flame。 The
real work before mankind now； I realised once and for all； is the
enlargement of human expression； the release and intensification of
human thought； the vivider utilisation of experience and the
invigoration of researchand whatever one does in human affairs has
or lacks value as it helps or hinders that。
With that I had got my problem clear； and the solution； so far as I
was concerned； lay in finding out the point in the ostensible life
of politics at which I could most subserve these ends。 I was still
against the muddles of Bromstead； but I had hunted them down now to
their essential form。 The jerry…built slums； the roads that went
nowhere； the tarred fences； litigious notice…boards and barbed wire
fencing； the litter and the heaps of dump； were only the outward
appearances whose ultimate realities were jerry…built conclusions；
hasty purposes； aimless habits of thought； and imbecile bars and
prohibitions in the thoughts and souls of men。 How are we through
politics to get at that confusion？
We want to invigorate and reinvigorate education。 We want to create
a sustained counter effort to the perpetual tendency of all
educational organisations towards classicalism； secondary issues；
and the evasion of life。
We want to stimulate the expression of life through art and
literature； and its exploration through research。
We want to make the best and finest thought accessible to every one；
and more particularly to create and sustain an enormous free
criticism； without which art； literature； and research alike
degenerate into tradition or imposture。
Then all the other problems which are now so insoluble； destitution；
disease； the difficulty of maintaining international peace； the
scarcely faced possibility of making life generally and continually
beautiful； becomeEASY。 。 。 。
It was clear to me that the most vital activities in which I could
engage would be those which most directly affected the Church；
public habits of thought； education； organised research； literature；
and the channels of general discussion。 I had to ask myself how my
position as Liberal member for Kinghamstead squared with and
conduced to this essential work。
CHAPTER THE SECOND
SEEKING ASSOCIATES
1
I have told of my gradual abandonment of the pretensions and habits
of party Liberalism。 In a sense I was moving towards aristocracy。
Regarding the development of the social and individual mental
hinterland as the essential thing in human progress； I passed on
very naturally to the practical assumption that we wanted what I may
call 〃hinterlanders。〃 Of course I do not mean by aristocracy the
changing unorganised medley of rich people and privileged people who
dominate the civilised world of to…day； but as opposed to this； a
possibility of co…ordinating the will of the finer individuals； by
habit and literature； into a broad common aim。 We must have an
aristocracynot of privilege； but of understanding and purposeor
mankind will fail。 I find this dawning more and more clearly when I
look through my various writings of the years between 1903 and 1910。
I was already emerging to plain statements in 1908。
I reasoned after this fashion。 The line of human improvement and
the expansion of human life lies in the direction of education and
finer initiatives。 If humanity cannot develop an education far
beyond anything that is now provided； if it cannot collectively
invent devices and solve problems on a much richer； broader scale
than it does at the present time； it cannot hope to achieve any very
much finer order or any more general happiness than it now enjo