and other heads of states. But the longer humanity lived the
weaker grew the belief in this peculiar, God--given right of the
ruler. That belief withered in the same way and almost
simultaneously in the Christian and the Brahman world, as well as
in Buddhist and Confucian spheres, and in recent times it has so
faded away as to prevail no longer against man's reasonable
understanding and the true religious feeling. People saw more
and more clearly, and now the majority see quite clearly, the
senselessness and immorality of subordinating their wills to
those of other people just like themselves, when they are bidden
to do what is contrary not only to their interests but also to
their moral sense. And so one might suppose that having lost
confidence in any religious authority for a belief in the
divinity of potentates of various kinds, people would try to free
themselves from subjection to it. But unfortunately not only
were the rulers, who were considered supernatural beings,
benefited by having the peoples in subjection, but as a result of
the belief in, and during the rule of, these pseudodivine beings,
ever larger and larger circles of people grouped and established
themselves around them, and under an appearance of governing took
advantage of the people. And when the old deception of a
supernatural and God-appointed authority had dwindled away these
men were only concerned to devise a new one which like its
predecessor should make it possible to hold the people in bondage
to a limited number of rulers.



IV