I'm afraid we're losing our vigour as
individuals. It's all very well to be a good citizen, but it's more
important, don't you think, to be a man?"
"I quite see your point, Sir William," said Lashmar, his eyes
brightening as they always did when he found his opportunity for
borrowed argument and learning. "Clearly there's an excess to be
avoided; individuality mustn't be lost sight of. But I can make
absolutely no distinction between the terms Man and Citizen. To my
mind they are synonymous, for Man only came into being when he
ceased to be animal by developing the idea of citizenship. In my
view, the source of all our troubles is found in that commonly
accepted duality. He didn't exist in the progressive ancient world.
The dualism of Man and State began with the decline of Graeco-Roman
civilisation, and was perpetuated by the teaching of Christianity.
The philosophy of Epicurus and of Zeno an utter detachment from the
business of mankind--prepared the way for the spirit of the
Gospels. So, at length, we get our notion of Church and State--a
separation ruinous to religion and making impossible anything like
perfection in politics; it has thoroughly rooted in people's minds
that fatal distinction between Man as a responsible soul and Man as
a member of society.
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