Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/839

 SOCIAL CONTROL 825

offend nobody, will find that several of the forces that bind the units of society are equally available in forming social character in children. The skillful and persistent suggestion of moral example and expectation by a person of prestige, such as the teacher ; the holding up of ideals which are presented con- cretely and vividly, and are brought to bear upon the life of the pupil ; the awakening of nascent sympathy by good art ; the steady enlightenment of children as to the inevitable conse- quences of action surely with such resources it ought to be possible to meet the demand for moral education without call- ing back the priest !

IV.

Social reconstruction. If righteousness may not be taken for granted but is a social product, we may not assume a great and sudden increase of it, save as society can lay its hands on more effective instruments of control. Certain collectivists propose that the entire national production, now in charge of perhaps half a million private managers, should be intrusted to a gigan- tic administrative mechanism operating for the common benefit. We have but to note how complexity exposes private businesses to the slackness or dishonesty of agents and employe's, and to observe how public business gives scope to the peculating ring or the blackmailing boss, to be convinced that the centralized system will but pave the way for the most stupendous cor- ruption the world has seen, unless the then prevailing standard of moral character be much higher than it is today.

Hut this may not be presumed. Only appropriate means can achieve it. And since uplifting agencies must be provided, we may properly ask the Bellamyite, What fresh and powerful moral stimuli, what unused instruments of control, what new allies may society count upon to effect this great moral trans- formation? If collectivism, holding no new moral forces in the leash, merely commends us to agents already worked for all they .in worth, the immediate socialist state may safely be dismissed as a chimera.