Last and First Men · Chapter
III: The Zenith of the Second Men explained
This chapter describes the rise and zenith of the Second Men, a species that surpassed the First Men in intellect and longevity.
What happens
This chapter describes the rise and zenith of the Second Men, a species that surpassed the First Men in intellect and longevity. They discovered the remains of the First Men's stone library in Siberia, which provided historical insight but also a sacred text that resonated with their own intuitions. The Second Men achieved a world-community and sought to remake themselves into a nobler pattern, but were oppressed by the brevity of life and a craving for spiritual union. Their sexual morality evolved into novel forms, including group marriages. However, they faced natural disasters, including a glacial epoch, plagues, and a dangerous overgrowth of the brain, until a stable variety emerged in North America. The chapter ends with the Second Men at their zenith, having established a worldwide but 'medieval' society without mechanical power.
Themes in this chapter
Human Nature and Evolution
The chapter explores the Second Men's attempt to remake themselves, their physiological evolution, and their social and sexual institutions.
Suffering and Redemption
The Second Men are oppressed by the brevity of life and a yearning for spiritual union, and they find meaning in the gospel of the Divine Boy.
The Limits of Knowledge
The Second Men's science and philosophy are described as unintelligible to readers, and they recognize the limits of their own understanding.
Characters to notice
- The Second Men
The focus of the chapter, describing their intellectual achievements, social institutions, and physiological evolution.
- The First Men
Their remains and library are discovered by the Second Men, providing historical insight.
- The Patagonians
Mentioned as having been baffled by the prophet's last words, which the Second Men found meaningful.
- The Narrator
The narrator provides the account of the Second Men's history and characteristics.
Key passages
“Not until after they had passed beyond the best work of the First Men in science and philosophy did the Second Men discover the remains of the great stone library in Siberia.”
The Second Men only found the First Men's stone library after they had already surpassed them intellectually.
Highlights the advanced state of the Second Men's knowledge.
“The present type of human being, it was recognized, was but a rough and incoherent natural product. It was time for man to take control of himself and remake himself upon a nobler pattern.”
The Second Men believed that humanity was an imperfect natural creation and that they should consciously redesign themselves.
Shows their ambition for self-directed evolution.
“The most precious gift that a lover could bring to the beloved was not virginity but sexual experience.”
In their culture, sexual experience was valued more than chastity as a contribution to spiritual and sexual union.
Reflects their unique sexual morality.