The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-01-06
TIE PACIFIC
The True Basis of Morality.

Paformers. who are striving to dig away the foun-
dations of morality and religion now existing, and
70 lav another foundation. and to erect another
snnerstruction. that shall be the browning felicity
Of humanity. In striving to accomplish this, they
set aside the Bible as unworthy OF consideration
and Z" make no references whatever to the sup
posed will of God as a moral governor, or TO any
idea Of pleasing him" In order to spread their
sentislents. they publish a weekly, called The
National Reformer. Secular Advocate, and Free
thought Journal In addition to this, they scat
Ter \ multitude Of tracts over the land, and the
spostles of their doctrine are ever ready to make
addresses wherever audiences will assemble to
listen.
Their motto is, Clear pe oay, our read IS
onIeard."
one. of these tracts entitled, = True Basis Of
uoyalfy,1 by Annie Besaut, is before Us. Nor
alify is defined as, " Harmony NTH natural order;
phvxical meralty is harmony with all those laws,
obedience to which result is physical yigor and
moral morality j. harmony with all those laws
obedience to which results in moral vigor. This
definition really carries in it the whole gist of this
essay for if morality be harmony with law, the
trtlr basis of morality must necessarily be sought
for in the study OF law, as manifested in phe-
nomcna.'
The writrr is not satisfied with any basis OF
morality hcretsaknown, or with any law of NOR
aIity hereto discovered, and she asserts that " dur
ing the past ages of the world morality has been
based wholly on authority 1t has drawn Its sane
lions from the supposed will of the gods 1t mas
b.en rendered alluring by brides of heaven, and
enforced by threats of hell" Hence appears her
inter ignorance of the teachings OF the old philoso-
pliers. Says Plato, 4" Perfect virtue IS the highest
element of happiness, and would, if possessed as
100. H. aoura 1t - - The morally wrong can
never he truly expedient." 1T is always, and
under all circumstances. better to suffer an injury
than TO do one.7 Virtue is horsely the souls best
recompense."
Now the authority of the old philosophers was
only such as wise and good men always exercise
such as some men not very good nor very moral
as Voltaire and Tom Paine exercised over their
blowers: such as Charles BreadlGugh Is now eX-
ercising over his disciples. But this is evidently
not the sort of authority referred to by the writer
of the tract before us. She means authority en-
forced by rewards and penalties or, to use .hei
own words, morality /" has been rendered allurlng
by brides of heaven, and enforced by threats OF
hell"
Without admitting that the science of morality
has ever made any advance, she would begin tht
study anew for " authority and intention, or con
science both fail" Then she goes on to asser
that i" the true basis of morality is utility that Is
the adaptation of our actions to the promotion o
the general welfare and happiness, the endeavor Sc
to rule our life that we may serve and bless man
kind.'f
Now this was precisely Jeremy Benthamis theOr.
of morals but perhaps Annie Besant never hear'
of Jeremy Bentham. The theory is q beautiful
one but it has one radical defect. 1t cannot b
put into practice. Selfshness is the governing
principle in the world, and it will not listen to th
n doctrine of The greatest good to the creates
lumber" The same lack attached to the theorle
of morals promulgated by the ancient phllost
pliers. While a very few needed their precepi
and reformed their manners, the great mass II
, manned unaffected AS selfish and wicked as II th
philosophers had never taught a better way. Say
Macaulay, The boast of the ancient philosopher
! was that their doctrine formed the minds OF me
to Il high degree of wisdom and virtue.
But the truth is that, in those very matters
which alone they professed to do any good to maj
kind. * = = 3 they did nothing or wor'
, than nothing. They promised what was impra
f! ticable. + = + = + and they left it (l
worldly as wicked and as ignorant as they fouI
it." But the boast of these modern retormers
no less confident and arrogant than was mat
the ancient philosophers and their boast Will
as empty as was that of Voltaire who said tn
with one hand he would OVeEtuFOW tuo CuinSO
Christianity. which required the hands OF twel'
APOSTLES to build up Their motto, Clear the et
means {" d. the same thing that Voltaire attempts
to do sChristian morality has had its turn"
says the tract, /" and the present state of soclet
L. it's CRYING shame, its cruel suffering tell US tn
authoritative morality has failed" and SO the
reiormers, if they desire to construct a moran
which will bear all assaults mistaken, and viii
can maintain its ground against hostile CRITICS
must be content to give up their heaven-oo
theories. and to walk humbly in the path OF t
study of earth born phenomena they must follC
the scientific method, and must be able to demo
strate the solidity of every position they take III
This sentence, though written for the benefit OF o.
IS siders, is evidently designed to indicate the eoul
which these reformers are pursuing just as thou
the ancient philosophers, as we'll as those of
cent date, had not studied |" earth-born pheno
ena as thoroughly as themselves, or were l.
able to understand all the lessons which = ear
born phenomena " can teach.
To build up a morality which shall bless
world on the basis of utility, is as quixotic as v
the search after Eldorado or the Fountain
Youth" While they are putting forth mad efo
10 distroy the foundation of belief in God a
40 immortality as brought to light in the gospel,
truth remains that " other foundations can no n
Law than that already laid which is Jesus Chris