Last and First Men · Chapter
III: A Racial Awakening explained
The narrator describes the unique social and mental organization of the Last Men, centered on the sexual group as the basis of a super-individual group-mind.
What happens
The narrator describes the unique social and mental organization of the Last Men, centered on the sexual group as the basis of a super-individual group-mind. This group-mind, achieved through telepathic unity, enables a racial consciousness that transcends individual experience. The chapter explores the nature of this group-mind, its role in shaping a religious racial purpose, and the society's anarchic yet harmonious structure, culminating in an attempt to convey the modern vision of existence that guides their collective striving.
Themes in this chapter
Humanity and the Other
The Last Men's group-mind and racial purpose distinguish them from all other species, including the Martians, highlighting the theme of human uniqueness and the relationship with other forms of intelligence.
Spiritual and Philosophical Aspiration
The racial purpose is described as essentially religious, and the narrator discusses the modern vision of existence that guides their striving, blending scientific and mystical elements.
Society and Collective Identity
The chapter details the social organization of the Last Men, based on group-minds and a democratic yet bureaucratic system, emphasizing collective identity over individual.
Characters to notice
- The Last Men
The narrator's species, characterized by a group-mind and a racial purpose.
- The Martians
Mentioned as having a racial mind that failed to transcend individual minds, serving as a cautionary example.
- The First Men
Referenced in the context of tragic art and their limited experience of the 'cold beauty'.
- The Second Men
Mentioned as having sought the experience of 'cold beauty' deliberately.
- The Fifth Men
Also mentioned as seeking the experience of 'cold beauty' deliberately.
- The Seventh Men
The winged Seventh, who happened upon the experience while in the air but with cramped minds.
Key passages
“The source of the immense difference between ourselves and all other human races lies in the sexual group, which is in fact much more than a sexual group.”
The key distinction of the Last Men is their sexual group, which serves as the foundation for a higher mental unity.
Introduces the central concept of the group-mind.
“They planned as the basis of the super-individual a small multi-sexual group.”
The designers of the Last Men intentionally created a small group with multiple sexes to serve as the foundation for a collective mind.
Explains the design behind the group-mind.
“Ours is thus in a sense the most democratic of all societies. Yet in another sense it is extremely bureaucratic.”
The society of the Last Men is both democratic, with decisions made by telepathic conference, and bureaucratic, with a College of Organizers whose suggestions are rarely rejected.
Describes the paradoxical nature of their social structure.