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Societies, no dull lectures about one's duty to one's neighbour, and no
tedious sermons about any subject at all. In those ideal days, he tells
us, people loved each other without being conscious of charity, or
writing to the newspapers about it. They were upright, and yet they
never published books upon Altruism. As every man kept his knowledge to
himself, the world escaped the curse of scepticism; and as every man kept
his virtues to himself, nobody meddled in other people's business. They
lived simple and peaceful lives, and were contented with such food and
raiment as they could get. Neighbouring districts were in sight, and
'the cocks and dogs of one could be heard in the other,' yet the people
grew old and died without ever interchanging visits. There was no
chattering about clever men, and no laudation of good men. The
intolerable sense of obligation was unknown. The deeds of humanity left
no trace, and their affairs were not made a burden for posterity by
foolish historians.

In an evil moment the Philanthropist made his appearance, and brought
with him the mischievous idea of Government. 'There is such a thing,'
says Chuang Tzu, 'as leaving mankind alone: there has never been such a
thing as governing mankind.' All modes of government are wrong. They
are unscientific, because they seek to alter the natural environment of
man; they are immoral because, by interfering with the individual, they
produce the most aggressive forms of egotism; they are ignorant, because
they try to spread education; they are self-destructive, because they
engender anarchy. 'Of old,' he tells us, 'the Yellow Emperor first
caused charity and duty to one's neighbour to interfere with the natural
goodness of the heart of man. In consequence of this, Yao and Shun wore
the hair off their legs in endeavouring to feed their people. They
disturbed their internal economy in order to find room for artificial
virtues. They exhausted their energies in framing laws, and they were
failures.' Man's heart, our philosopher goes on to say, may be 'forced
down or stirred up,' and in either case the issue is fatal. Yao made the
people too happy, so they were not satisfied. Chieh made them too
wretched, so they grew discontented. Then every one began to argue about
the best way of tinkering up society. 'It is quite clear that something
must be done,' they said to each other, and there was a general rush for
knowledge. The results wer