Man is Born Free But Every Where He is in Chains Part 3

This is does not mean that society remains static and the social values and are changes, but so slow and imperceptible that they weave themselves into a pattern of life and thinking. A revolutionary social change leaves a trail of anti-revolutionary forces; after the French revolution anti-democratic forces became too strong to be subdued. 

So it is a natural tendency of man to adopt the beaten path and respect the time-honoured ways. These are the chains whose bite we do not fell but they do pin us down whenever we try to break them.In the world of materialism material wealth is not only the determinant of social status but also the means to survive. Every one is out to adjust his scarce means with unlimited demands. Otherwise also it may be a struggle for supremacy or a struggle for survival it remains a struggle.

So man has to give priority to economic gains and in this process sacrifices many social obligations. His actions become abnormal, his thinking corrupt and his interests selfish when a person is after economic gains. The saying "for a hungry man food is God" implies that he can sacrifice everything-decency, generosity, honesty, fellow feeling etc-for the sake of food.

Galsworthy's Skin Game pursuing material gains. It does not mean that economic chains tie us down to this level but they so monopolies our consciousness that we do not think of anything else. if we view it from another points of view we can say surplus wealth gives the means to develop and demonstrate better qualities of human beings. A labourer who earns his bread by labouring throughout the day cannot afford to attend and ailing friend unless he is prepared to go without meals.

A poor man cannot be charitable to a beggar because he himself is reduced to greater poverty. There are exceptions but exceptions to any other things except economic gains; we ignore our natural bend of mind, we forget about our suitability for it. We are so fettered by economic considerations that we can enjoy no freedom. Fatalists consider man a puppet in the hands of fate. It plays with human beings as a cat plays with mouse before killing it. Despite man's best efforts to escape, the hounds of fate hunt him down.

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