The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-17
Joseph Cooks Argument ON Life
and Immortality.

Joseph Cooks Argument ON Life
and Immortality.
Utica n. Y. HEald.
The Utica lectures Of Joseph Cook
have presented . glimpse Of the light
which biology throws upon the questions
Of life and the soul. His exposition Of
bioplasm and the distinction between
matter and the force which directs and
CO. ordinates its operations, was very
clear. His auditors were made familiar
with the facts which prove that . power
exists giving form and activity TO matter,
and that science has been able neither 10
grasp that power nor to show why and
how il operates, Not the most audacious
scientist has yentured 10 explain how 4
bioplait seemingly identical in the one
case produces the eagle,in another a lion,
in another = man or IN oak or 4 palm.
This something must be different from
everything which We know "a matter.
That different entity or influence is
called life. We must stop there. Life Is
the opposite OF the inertness which lies
At the basis Of the definition Of matter.
Il differs not only from matter with which
II il connected but also from all that men
call mechanism. The logic Of this atgu-
ment Il irrefragable. The cause Of the
marvellous workings Of the bioplast, de.
serves 8 name, for the facts are the most
eloquent expeditions OF recent science.
The step Is 3 separate n which a.
sumes that that this life had 4 beginning,
that the succession OF cause and effect
has not always been the same IS at ptes.
ent. Nj. Cook ridicules e~tfectually the
doctrine that life began by 3 f~ortuitous
combination Of angles, BY some swirl Of
iceberg or Jest Of ERE. Spontaneous gen.
Grafton Is no less 3 miracle than the ex.
is,ence Of q personal Creator. The in.
exorable necessity Of a bridge from the
nothing 10 the something dsfes science,
II bathyblus we're all that Haekel
claimed, the need would exist to explain
whence came bathybius with all its csea.
tive potencies.
The bioplsst proves the existence Of
life by its operations. Here is the argu.
ment from design in 4 new form. 1t
stops, howeyer,a at secondary stage. MIS-
terious "a are the results Of bioplasm,
they carry the mind back to some power
above Il, 10 q cause adequate TO produce
the biopla.m. Mr.. Cook seems TO pause
here. he contents himself with proving
the existence Of life, that is vegetable, an.
imal, human life. The mind which fol.
lows him thus far is compelled 10 reach
out for the great Cause Of life itself.
And this reaching IL above the sphere
into which science has yet ventured TO
penetrate, or even 10 challenge. Eyo-
luton las never met the question Of the
beginning Of existence. Science begins
only with life existing.
"Does death end ALI" The inquiry re-
lates not to the race but to the individual.
It il not settled by proving that life is not
the harmony which must end when the
harp Is destroyed, but is the harper who
may survive although his harp Is shatter.
ed into 4 million atoms. The bioplasm
and its continuous miracles prove the
existence Of life: They demonstrate the
succession OF organization. They certify
tina, the race will exist after the indivi.
dual, a. it has existed before him. But
II this argument proves that death does
not end all, Il Il in the same sense that
the birth OF the individual did not begin
all. Inthe bioplast Is found atorce which
precedes the matter which It directs and
co. ordinates /; therefore it will survive
after the organization in which 1t dwells
and which il co.ordinates, il dissolved.
The conclusion is logical. But then the
argument Of existence alter death Is bas.
ed upon personal life before the birth Of
the individual. This Is Q radical
difficulty with the argument Of Mr.. Cook.
He does not try to meet it
He does not seem 10 recognize It. Il must
be admitted that science has not yet
devised an argument for Immortality
better than the Intellectual aspirations OF
Socrates, more satisfactory than the
analogy OF nature, more conclusive than
the adaptation Of the soul to possibilities
which il does not here enjoy.
In his first lecture indeed, Mr.. Cook
constructs an argument which leaves all
life on the same plane. Proceeding from
like bioplasts, whether bird or beast,
vegetable or human soul, all existences
have the same title to future continuance,
for they have the same record OF previous
duration. His contrasts between the
nerves and the soul, between the automa-
tic and the influential arcs, are striking
illustrations OF scientific analysis. But
he il driven 10 concede that instinct may
be immortal. He follows his logic TO Its
legitimate results. But again his train
Of thoughts does not separate the
individual instinct from the general quail.
ity Of instinct. 1t ia the latter that all
BIZ. suggestions intimate may be i'm
mortal.
This is the logical difficulty into
which be throws his hearers. Life be-
cause pre-. existent must be continuous,
il really his thesis. He maintains 1t with
rare force and richness Of illustration.
But he permits his visions Of continuous
lie to drown out the individual The
personal question remains. Although
life continues, what does science say
about my personality after the dissolution
ofits present body? That personal pro-
blem Nj. Cook does not directly meet.
The survival oil instinc. hAs been held
by many Hacute souls," as Mr.. Cook
styles them. II Is 30 important part Of
any other system. II must become q
radical part Of the system which these
lectures embody. The kinship Of all lie
Is one oil the leading features Of Nj. Cooks
teachings. Some light he conveys TO bis
auditors upon the mysterious phenomena
which surround rs and are part Of our
selves. BE points out the problems with
which science isdealing. BE shows very
clearly some OF the limitations Of science.
With few Of the phrases Of religion be
ye. enlists all the result Of recent inyea.
legations into the service Of theism. The
influence Of his discussions must be 10
show tina, science has is difficulties and
IL unsolyed problems nc less than relig-
lon, and that to science no less than to
religion an all wise Creator IL an abso.
lute logical necessity, the condition Of
any system, the starting point Of all In
yasti1atfon and %reasoninR,