NATURE OF THE MODERN STATE
which is the distinguishing mark of the ideally excellent
human being; and where there is not at least a consider-
able degree of non-attachment in activity, the ideal society
of the prophets cannot be realized. A desirable social
order is one that delivers us from avoidable evils. A bad
social order is one that leads us into temptation which,
if matters were more sensibly arranged, would never arise.
Our present business is to discover what large-scale social
changes are best calculated to deliver us from the evils of
too much power and of too mucb passive and irresponsible
obedience. It has been shown in the preceding chapter
that the economic reforms, so dear to 'advanced thinkers,*
are not in themselves sufficient to produce desirable changes
in the character of society and of the individuals composing
it. Unless carried out by the right sort of means and in the
right sort of governmental, administrative and educational
contexts, such reforms are either fruitless or actually fruitful
of evil. In order to create the proper contexts for economic
reform we must change our machinery of government, our
methods of public administration and industrial organiza-
tion, our system of education and our metaphysical and
ethical beliefs. With education and beliefs I shall deal in
a later section of this book. Our concern here is with
government and the administration of public and industrial
affairs. In reality, of course, these various topics are
inseparable parts of a single whole. Existing methods of
government and existing systems of industrial organization
are not likely to be changed except by people who have
been educated to wish to change diem. Conversely, it is
unlikely that governments composed as they are to-day
will change the existing system of education in such a
way that there will be a demand for a complete overhaul
of governmental methods. It is the usual vicious circle
from which, as always, there is only one way of escape—
through acts of free will on the part of morally enlightened,
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