Fourier
argued that there was a sublime destiny for mankind on this earth, that
the Creator was infinitely good, that all the instincts of our nature,
when not subverted by bad conditions, pointed towards that destiny, and
that humanity was on its way upward--that the past progress argued what
the future might be.
I give as illustrations, a few extracts from "The Social Destiny of
Man," by Albert Brisbane, page 269:--"Four societies have existed on
the earth--the savage, patriarchal, barbarian and civilized. Under
these general heads may be classed the various social forms through
which man has progressed up to the present day. _If four have existed
may not a fifth, or even a sixth, be discovered and organized?_
Common sense would dictate that there could, although the world has
entertained a different opinion."
Page 293: "If the barbarian asserts that the lash is the only means of
forcing the slave to labor, the civilized is not far behind him in his
reasoning, for he will assert with equal confidence that necessity and
want are necessary stimulants to industry. The barbarian is as ignorant
of the levers which civilization puts in play as is the civilized of
the powerful incentives to action which the groups and series will call
forth.
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