Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-30

AIoxpAr. DEcEMBER 80. Isas.
eEaterialist Egyptians Crime.

One OF the most curious Applications OF mate.
riarsm we nave noticed, comes from D..
Maudslev, in a disposition on "Medical Psy.
cholo.v" He arrues 10 show that crime is
bodily .sease OF the result Of il, spd, conse-
openly, that criminals are irresponsible. H
Celebrates philosophy of the "moral insanity
hv which clever lawyers have sought in the
courts, TO excuse and shield crime. His duo
trineis, thsi conscience or the moral sense de-
peads wholly on material organization, being
merely one OF the functions of this organization.
As the sense or conception of moral
obligation is wholly material in its origin
sud operations, physical disorder may dis.
turb, obscure, or destroy it, and thus trans
form men into criminals; or, to use this DR..
Maudsley's words, these physically disordered
people "go criminal as the insane go mad, be-
cause they can not help it," They are not ac-
couutable for their conduct, because the physi-
cal condition which produces an active con-
science has ceased TO exist. OF course, he ought
TO advocate a complete change of our criminal
laws; bur he seems to shrink from being logical
in this direction, aud leaves bis remarkable doc
trine to make its own way ia the world
Materialisn is the mother of a great many
odd theories aud specuations; but it requires
some hardihood 10 make this of it. Who
ever adopts this definition of conscience and the
philosophy Of crime based on il, may as well
relieve himself OF all embarrassment, at once,
by denying moral obligation and scofing at
conscience as an illusion Of superstitious igno-
rance. He should maintain boldly that there is
no distinction between good aud bad, and that
an actual relation OF the human being to the
supernatural is impossible, because there is no
such thing as the supernatural in all the UNI
verse. h should be logical and iusisr boldly
that our Individuality our functions oil mind
as well as body, our spiritual conceptions aud
aspirations, all begin and end withsour material
organization; and that belief i'll God is foolish
SUPERSTITION, or, perhaps, bodily disease. Ii
msteralsm were really the rue philosophy Of
man and The universe, it would be more logical
to maintain that no human being can be really
sound, healthy, and reasonable, until be gels
rid OF such foolish Illusions as conscience belief
in God, and all that, "soes criminal" and be-
cJmes q well developed materialistic philoso-
pheT, who regards 1t as weakness 10 believe
crime possible.
But we will not pursue the subject 10 this
way. Consider how Maudslev's noteworthy
Philosophy Of crime rebukes the public judy
ments Of notorious evil doors. Tweed, Fisk, the
New York murderers, and all Other offenders
WAC baye shocked and outraged both morality
aud decency, became what they are through
some disturbance OF their physical organization.
They "went criminal in this way, and ceased
to be responsible. Insiea of being moved to
denounce and punish such people, We should
pity and caress Them, give them soothing syrup,
and supply them nurses who can sing
sweet songs while administering appropriate
medicine. Don't blame them, for they
"went criminal and couldn't help it,"
Ofcourse this DR.. Maudslev is an English theo-
rzer, one Of those who believe il nothing but
the physical, and sec nothing else in any form
of life or in any phenomena of the universe.
He has no basis for morality or justice, save in
the fascinating conditions Of the physical organ
ization, and, therefore, thinks crime impossible
where these are uniayorable. He does not ex-
plain why the criminal is conscious of crime
aud usually eager 10 whiten his black conduct
BY means OF concealments, excuses, and alleged
jusifyins motives. This might embarrass his
argument and his chief aim is to develope a
theory aud do honor TO materialism.