The Improved Man
Essay.

by Robert G. Ingersoll
(1890)

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll (Dresden Edition, 1900–1902), Volume 11.
Source: https://thegreatagnostic.com/works/the-improved-man/
Public domain. CC0 / Public Domain Mark 1.0.

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THE Improved Man will be in favor of universal liberty, that is to say, he
will be opposed to all kings and nobles, to all privileged classes.
He will give to all others the rights he claims for himself. He will
neither bow nor cringe, nor accept bowing and cringing from others. He
will be neither master nor slave, neither prince nor peasant—simply
man.

He will be the enemy of all caste, no matter whether its foundation be
wealth, title or power, and of him it will be said: "Blessed is that man
who is afraid of no man and of whom no man is afraid."

The Improved Man will be in favor of universal education. He will
believe it the duty of every person to shed all the light he can, to the
end that no child may be reared in darkness. By education he will mean
the gaining of useful knowledge, the development of the mind along the
natural paths that lead to human happiness.

He will not waste his time in ascertaining the foolish theories of
extinct peoples or in studying the dead languages for the sake of
understanding the theologies of ignorance and fear, but he will turn his
attention to the affairs of life, and will do his utmost to see to it
that every child has an opportunity to learn the demonstrated facts of
science, the true history of the world, the great principles of right
and wrong applicable to human conduct—the things necessary to the
preservation of the individual and of the state, and such arts and
industries as are essential to the preservation of all.

He will also endeavor to develop the mind in the direction of the
beautiful—of the highest art—so that the palace in which the mind
dwells may be enriched and rendered beautiful, to the end that these
stones, called facts, may be changed into statues.

The Improved Man will believe only in the religion of this world. He
will have nothing to do with the miraculous and supernatural. He will
find that there is no room in the universe for these things. He will
know that happiness is the only good, and that everything that tends to
the happiness of sentient beings is good, and that to do the things—and
no other—that add to the happiness of man is to practice the highest
possible religion. His motto will be: "Sufficient unto each world is the
evil thereof." He will know that each man should be his own priest, and
that the brain is the real cathedral. He will know that in the realm
of mind there is no authority—that majorities in this mental world can
settle nothing—that each soul is the sovereign of its own world, and
that it cannot abdicate without degrading itself. He will not bow to
numbers or force; to antiquity or custom. He, standing under the flag of
nature, under the blue and stars, will decide for himself. He will not
endeavor by prayers and supplication, by fastings and genuflections, to
change the mind of the "Infinite" or alter the course of nature, neither
will he employ others to do those things in his place. He will have no
confidence in the religion of idleness, and will give no part of what he
earns to support parson or priest, archbishop or pope. He will know that
honest labor is the highest form of prayer. He will spend no time
in ringing bells or swinging censers, or in chanting the litanies
of barbarism, but he will appreciate all that is artistic—that is
beautiful—that tends to refine and ennoble the human race. He will not
live a life of fear. He will stand in awe neither of man nor ghosts. He
will enjoy not only the sunshine of life, but will bear with fortitude
the darkest days. He will have no fear of death. About the grave, there
will be no terrors, and his life will end as serenely as the sun rises.

The Improved Man will be satisfied that the supernatural does not
exist—that behind every fact, every thought and dream is an efficient
cause. He will know that every human action is a necessary product,
and he will also know that men cannot be reformed by punishment, by
degradation or by revenge. He will regard those who violate the laws
of nature and the laws of States as victims of conditions, of
circumstances, and he will do what he can for the wellbeing of his
fellow-men.

The Improved Man will not give his life to the accumulation of wealth.
He will find no happiness in exciting the envy of his neighbors. He will
not care to live in a palace while others who are good, industrious and
kind are compelled to huddle in huts and dens. He will know that great
wealth is a great burden, and that to accumulate beyond the actual
needs of a reasonable human being is to increase not wealth, but
responsibility and trouble.

The Improved Man will find his greatest joy in the happiness of others
and he will know that the home is the real temple. He will believe in
the democracy of the fireside, and will reap his greatest reward in
being loved by those whose lives he has enriched.

The Improved Man will be self-poised, independent, candid and free.
He will be a scientist. He will observe, investigate, experiment and
demonstrate. He will use his sense and his senses. He will keep his mind
open as the day to the hints and suggestions of nature. He will always
be a student, a learner and a listener—a believer in intellectual
hospitality. In the world of his brain there will be continuous summer,
perpetual seed-time and harvest. Facts will be the foundation of his
faith. In one hand he will carry the torch of truth, and with the other
raise the fallen.—The World, New York, February 28,1890.
