What I Believe by E. M Forster

Introduction to What I Believe
E. M. Forster is an individualist and liberal thinker. He is an artist, finds difficult to adjust with the changing world. He does not believe any organized religion or social or political creed. He is a democrat. He is not a hero – worshipper. He does not believe in Great Men or Gospels. Respect for the individual, love, tolerance and sympathy had been the cherished ideals of democratic principles. He observes that the world is changing from bad to worse. Violence, cruelty plus racial religious persecution dominate the world. This essay is the honest confession of the Personal Faith. It guides his life. In other words, he follows the dictates of his conscience. He is truly a secular democrat. He does not claim to be a member of any religion or sect. This essay throws light on his personality.

Summary
E. M. Forster begins ‘What I Believe’ with a note of clean confession. He does not believe in Belief. Most of the creeds are militant. The world is full of religious or racial persecution. He admits that Faith is a mental starch. He differs from the world.

He believes in personal relationships. The world is surrounded by violence and cruelty. We must love people and trust them. Reliability is the basis of personal relationships. It is not a matter of contract. It is a matter for the heart. without natural warmth, reliability is impossible. Most men possess this warmth. Politicians want to keep the faith.

Personal relations are despised today. We are urged to get rid of them. We are told to dedicate ourselves to some movement or cause. He halts the idea of the causes.

Democracy is not a beloved Republic really. It is less hateful than another form of government. The individual is important. All types of individuals make civilization. There is no division of people between bossers and bossed. He is the admirer of ordinary people. They get a chance in democracy. They are creative in their private lives. They are confined to their domestic work. Only democracy allows them to express themselves.

Democracy allows criticism and allows varieties of expression. Public criticism can check scandals. He believes in The Freedom of Press. (the press is not – free from lies and vulgarity) Parliament is sneered as a Talking Shop. He values parliament because it criticises and talks. Its chatter gets wide exposure.

The police and the army represent force. They represent the Government. All society rests upon force. All the great creative actions and decent human relation occur during intervals. We need not get habituated to Force. Force or Violence is the ultimate reality on our earth.

No form of Government or Christianity will bring peace to the world. No change of heart will occur. It is a wrong presumption that we cannot improve. What is good in people is their insistence on creation. Their belief in human values and loyalty creativeness alerts the people when violence sleeps. In order to escape the trials, we need not turn to hero-worship. Hero worship is a dangerous vice. It is a minor merit of democracy. It cannot produce Great Man. Democracy can produce different kind of small men with varieties. A hero is an essential part of dictatorship.