Our Priests’ Teachings

As to the doctrine of the Circles it may briefly be summed up in a single maxim, "Attend to your Configuration." Whether political, ecclesiastical, or moral, all their teaching has for its object the improvement of individual and collective Configuration—with special reference of course to the Configuration of the Circles, to which all other objects are subordinated.

The Circles' doctrine can be summed up in one rule: "Attend to your Configuration." All their teaching, whether political, religious, or moral, aims to improve individual and collective Configuration. Of course, the Configuration of the Circles receives special attention, and all other goals take second place to it.

It is the merit of the Circles that they have effectually suppressed those ancient heresies which led men to waste energy and sympathy in the vain belief that conduct depends upon will, effort, training, encouragement, praise, or anything else but Configuration. It was Pantocyclus—the illustrious Circle mentioned above, as the queller of the Colour Revolt—who first convinced mankind that Configuration makes the man; that if, for example, you are born an Isosceles with two uneven sides, you will assuredly go wrong unless you have them made even—for which purpose you must go to the Isosceles Hospital; similarly, if you are a Triangle, or Square, or even a Polygon, born with any Irregularity, you must be taken to one of the Regular Hospitals to have your disease cured; otherwise you will end your days in the State Prison or by the angle of the State Executioner.

The Circles deserve credit for stamping out the ancient heresies that led men to waste energy and sympathy. Those heresies encouraged the vain belief that conduct depends on will, effort, training, encouragement, praise, or anything other than Configuration. Pantocyclus first convinced mankind that Configuration makes the man. He was the illustrious Circle mentioned above who put down the Colour Revolt. For example, if you are born an Isosceles with two uneven sides, you will certainly go wrong unless you have them made even. To have your sides made even, you must go to the Isosceles Hospital. Similarly, if you are a Triangle, Square, or even a Polygon born with any Irregularity, you must have your disease cured. You must be taken to one of the Regular Hospitals for that treatment. Otherwise, you will end your days in the State Prison or be killed by the angle of the State Executioner.

All faults or defects, from the slightest misconduct to the most flagitious crime, Pantocyclus attributed to some deviation from perfect Regularity in the bodily figure, caused perhaps (if not congenital) by some collision in a crowd; by neglect to take exercise, or by taking too much of it; or even by a sudden change of temperature, resulting in a shrinkage or expansion in some too susceptible part of the frame. Therefore, concluded that illustrious Philosopher, neither good conduct nor bad conduct is a fit subject, in any sober estimation, for either praise or blame. For why should you praise, for example, the integrity of a Square who faithfully defends the interests of his client, when you ought in reality rather to admire the exact precision of his right angles? Or again, why blame a lying, thievish Isosceles when you ought rather to deplore the incurable inequality of his sides?

Pantocyclus traced all faults or defects, from the slightest misconduct to the most wicked crime, to imperfect Regularity of the body’s shape. If not present from birth, the irregularity was perhaps caused by a collision in a crowd. Perhaps it came from too little exercise or too much. Even a sudden change in temperature might shrink or expand some overly sensitive part of the body. So, that distinguished Philosopher concluded, no sensible judgment could find either good or bad conduct worthy of praise or blame. Why, for example, praise the honesty of a Square who faithfully defends his client’s interests? Instead, you ought really to admire the perfect precision of his right angles. Or why blame a lying, thieving Isosceles? Instead, you ought to mourn the unequal lengths of his sides, a defect that cannot be cured.

Theoretically, this doctrine is unquestionable; but it has practical drawbacks. In dealing with an Isosceles, if a rascal pleads that he cannot help stealing because of his unevenness, you reply that for that very reason, because he cannot help being a nuisance to his neighbours, you, the Magistrate, cannot help sentencing him to be consumed—and there's an end of the matter. But in little domestic difficulties, where the penalty of consumption, or death, is out of the question, this theory of Configuration sometimes comes in awkwardly; and I must confess that occasionally when one of my own Hexagonal Grandsons pleads as an excuse for his disobedience that a sudden change of the temperature has been too much for his Perimeter, and that I ought to lay the blame not on him but on his Configuration, which can only be strengthened by abundance of the choicest sweetmeats, I neither see my way logically to reject, nor practically to accept, his conclusions.

In theory, this doctrine is beyond question, but it has practical drawbacks. Suppose you are dealing with an Isosceles, and the rascal argues that his unevenness makes him unable to stop stealing. You reply that, for that very reason, he cannot help being a nuisance to his neighbours. So you, the Magistrate, cannot help sentencing him to be consumed, and that ends the matter. But in minor domestic troubles, consumption, or death, is out of the question. In such cases, this theory of Configuration can sometimes be awkward. I must admit that occasionally one of my own Hexagonal Grandsons offers an excuse for his disobedience. He argues that a sudden change in temperature has been too much for his Perimeter. He says I should blame not him but his Configuration. And his Configuration can only be strengthened by plenty of the finest sweets. I can neither see a logical way to reject his conclusions nor a practical way to accept them.

For my own part, I find it best to assume that a good sound scolding or castigation has some latent and strengthening influence on my Grandson's Configuration; though I own that I have no grounds for thinking so. At all events I am not alone in my way of extricating myself from this dilemma; for I find that many of the highest Circles, sitting as Judges in law courts, use praise and blame towards Regular and Irregular Figures; and in their homes I know by experience that, when scolding their children, they speak about "right" or "wrong" as vehemently and passionately as if they believed that these names represented real existences, and that a human Figure is really capable of choosing between them.

For my part, I find it best to assume that a good, stern scolding or punishment has some hidden, strengthening effect on my Grandson's Configuration. Though I admit I have no grounds for thinking so. In any case, I am not alone in finding this way out of the dilemma. Many of the highest Circles, serving as Judges in law courts, praise and blame Regular and Irregular Figures. And I know from experience that these Circles speak just as fiercely and passionately when scolding their children at home. They talk about "right" or "wrong" as if they believed these words stood for things that really existed. And they speak as if a human Figure could really choose between the two.

Constantly carrying out their policy of making Configuration the leading idea in every mind, the Circles reverse the nature of that Commandment which in Spaceland regulates the relations between parents and children. With you, children are taught to honour their parents; with us—next to the Circles, who are the chief object of universal homage—a man is taught to honour his Grandson, if he has one; or, if not, his Son. By "honour", however, is by no means meant "indulgence", but a reverent regard for their highest interests: and the Circles teach that the duty of fathers is to subordinate their own interests to those of posterity, thereby advancing the welfare of the whole State as well as that of their own immediate descendants.

The Circles constantly pursue their policy of making Configuration the central idea in everyone's mind. So they reverse the Commandment that governs relations between parents and children in Spaceland. In your world, children are taught to honour their parents. In ours, a man is taught to honour his Grandson, if he has one, or otherwise his Son. Only the Circles receive greater honour, as the chief objects of everyone's respect. However, "honour" by no means means "indulgence", but a deep respect for the descendants' highest interests. The Circles teach that fathers must put the interests of future generations before their own. By doing so, fathers advance the welfare of the whole State as well as their own immediate descendants.

The weak point in the system of the Circles—if a humble Square may venture to speak of anything Circular as containing any element of weakness—appears to me to be found in their relations with Women.

The Circles’ system seems to me to have a weak point. I say this if a humble Square may dare to suggest that anything Circular has any weakness. That weak point lies in the Circles’ relations with Women.

As it is of the utmost importance for Society that Irregular births should be discouraged, it follows that no Woman who has any Irregularities in her ancestry is a fit partner for one who desires that his posterity should rise by regular degrees in the social scale.

Discouraging Irregular births is of the utmost importance to Society. So no Woman with any Irregularities in her ancestry is a suitable partner for a man who wants his descendants to rise through the social ranks in regular steps.

Now the Irregularity of a Male is a matter of measurement; but as all Women are straight, and therefore visibly Regular so to speak, one has to devise some other means of ascertaining what I may call their invisible Irregularity, that is to say their potential Irregularities as regards possible offspring. This is effected by carefully-kept pedigrees, which are preserved and supervised by the State; and without a certified pedigree no Woman is allowed to marry.

Now a Male’s Irregularity can be measured. But all Women are straight and therefore visibly Regular, so to speak. So we must find another way to identify what I may call their invisible Irregularity. This means the potential Irregularities of any children they might have. We do this through carefully kept family records, preserved and supervised by the State. No Woman is allowed to marry without a certified family record.

Now it might have been supposed that a Circle—proud of his ancestry and regardful for a posterity which might possibly issue hereafter in a Chief Circle—would be more careful than any other to choose a wife who had no blot on her escutcheon. But it is not so. The care in choosing a Regular wife appears to diminish as one rises in the social scale. Nothing would induce an aspiring Isosceles, who had hopes of generating an Equilateral Son, to take a wife who reckoned a single Irregularity among her Ancestors; a Square or Pentagon, who is confident that his family is steadily on the rise, does not inquire above the five-hundredth generation; a Hexagon or Dodecagon is even more careless of the wife's pedigree; but a Circle has been known deliberately to take a wife who has had an Irregular Great-Grandfather, and all because of some slight superiority of lustre, or because of the charms of a low voice—which, with us, even more than you, is thought "an excellent thing in Woman".

You might expect a Circle to take more care than anyone else to choose a wife with no family disgrace. After all, he is proud of his ancestry, and his descendants might someday include a Chief Circle. But that is not the case. The higher the social rank, the less care people seem to take in choosing a Regular wife. An ambitious Isosceles might hope to father an Equilateral Son. Nothing would persuade him to marry a woman with even a single Irregularity among her Ancestors. A Square or Pentagon, confident that his family is steadily rising, checks no further back than five hundred generations. A Hexagon or Dodecagon takes even less care over his wife's ancestry. But a Circle has been known to knowingly marry a woman with an Irregular Great-Grandfather. And all because her lustre was slightly greater, or because of the charms of a low voice. Among us, even more than among you, a low voice is thought "an excellent thing in Woman".

Such ill-judged marriages are, as might be expected, barren, if they do not result in positive Irregularity or in diminution of sides; but none of these evils have hitherto proved sufficiently deterrent. The loss of a few sides in a highly-developed Polygon is not easily noticed, and is sometimes compensated by a successful operation in the Neo-Therapeutic Gymnasium, as I have described above; and the Circles are too much disposed to acquiesce in infecundity as a Law of the superior development. Yet, if this evil be not arrested, the gradual diminution of the Circular class may soon become more rapid, and the time may be not far distant when, the race being no longer able to produce a Chief Circle, the Constitution of Flatland must fall.

As might be expected, such unwise marriages produce no offspring unless they result in outright Irregularity or fewer sides. But so far, none of these evils have been enough to discourage such marriages. The loss of a few sides in a highly developed Polygon is not easily noticed. Sometimes a successful operation at the Neo-Therapeutic Gymnasium makes up for the loss, as I described above. And the Circles are too willing to accept childlessness as a Law of higher development. Yet if this problem is not stopped, the gradual decline of the Circular class may soon speed up. The time may not be far off when the race can no longer produce a Chief Circle. When that happens, the Constitution of Flatland must fall.

One other word of warning suggests itself to me, though I cannot so easily mention a remedy; and this also refers to our relations with Women. About three hundred years ago, it was decreed by the Chief Circle that, since women are deficient in Reason but abundant in Emotion, they ought no longer to be treated as rational, nor receive any mental education. The consequence was that they were no longer taught to read, nor even to master Arithmetic enough to enable them to count the angles of their husband or children; and hence they sensibly declined during each generation in intellectual power. And this system of female non-education or quietism still prevails.

One more warning comes to mind, though I cannot as easily suggest a remedy. This warning also concerns our relations with Women. About three hundred years ago, the Chief Circle decreed that women should no longer be treated as rational beings. The reason was that women lack Reason but have abundant Emotion. For the same reason, they were to receive no education of the mind. As a result, women were no longer taught to read. They were not even taught enough Arithmetic to count the angles of their husbands or children. Their intellectual abilities therefore noticeably declined with each generation. And this system of leaving women uneducated, or keeping their minds inactive, still continues.

My fear is that, with the best intentions, this policy has been carried so far as to react injuriously on the Male Sex.

I fear that, despite the best intentions, this policy has been taken so far that it has harmed men.

For the consequence is that, as things now are, we Males have to lead a kind of bi-lingual, and I may almost say bi-mental, existence. With Women, we speak of "love", "duty", "right", "wrong", "pity", "hope", and other irrational and emotional conceptions, which have no existence, and the fiction of which has no object except to control feminine exuberances; but among ourselves, and in our books, we have an entirely different vocabulary and I may almost say, idiom. "Love" then becomes "the anticipation of benefits"; "duty" becomes "necessity" or "fitness"; and other words are correspondingly transmuted. Moreover, among Women, we use language implying the utmost deference for their Sex; and they fully believe that the Chief Circle Himself is not more devoutly adored by us than they are: but behind their backs they are both regarded and spoken of—by all except the very young—as being little better than "mindless organisms".

As a result, under the present system, we Males must live a kind of bilingual existence. I might almost say we must live with two minds. With Women, we speak of "love", "duty", "right", "wrong", "pity", "hope", and other irrational, emotional ideas that have no reality. These fictions serve no purpose except to control women's excessive emotions. But among ourselves, and in our books, we use an entirely different vocabulary, almost a different language. "Love" then becomes "the anticipation of benefits". "Duty" becomes "necessity" or "fitness". Other words change in the same way. Moreover, when speaking with Women, we use language that shows the utmost respect for their Sex. Women fully believe that we adore them as devotedly as we adore the Chief Circle himself. But behind their backs, all of us except the very young regard and describe Women as little better than "mindless organisms".

Our Theology also in the Women's chambers is entirely different from our Theology elsewhere.

Our theology in the women's rooms is also entirely different from our theology elsewhere.

Now my humble fear is that this double training, in language as well as in thought, imposes somewhat too heavy a burden upon the young, especially when, at the age of three years old, they are taken from the maternal care and taught to unlearn the old language—except for the purpose of repeating it in the presence of their Mothers and Nurses—and to learn the vocabulary and idiom of science. Already methinks I discern a weakness in the grasp of mathematical truth at the present time as compared with the more robust intellect of our ancestors three hundred years ago. I say nothing of the possible danger if a Woman should ever surreptitiously learn to read and convey to her Sex the result of her perusal of a single popular volume; nor of the possibility that the indiscretion or disobedience of some infant Male might reveal to a Mother the secrets of the logical dialect. On the simple ground of the enfeebling of the Male intellect, I rest this humble appeal to the highest Authorities to reconsider the regulations of Female education.

My humble concern is that this double training, in both language and thought, places too heavy a burden on children. This is especially true when, at three years old, they are taken from their mothers’ care. They are taught to forget the old language, except when repeating it in front of their Mothers and Nurses. They must also learn the vocabulary and expressions of science. Already, I think I see a weaker grasp of mathematical truth today than our ancestors had three hundred years ago. Their minds were stronger. I say nothing of the possible danger if a Woman secretly learned to read. She might then share what she read in a single popular book with other Women. Nor do I discuss the possibility that some young Male, through carelessness or disobedience, might reveal the logical dialect’s secrets to a Mother. I base my humble appeal solely on the weakening of the Male mind. On that ground, I ask the highest Authorities to reconsider the rules for Female education.