New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-18

Qerful contrast IN VI a0'o w o"N'
between the shelter of boughs and grass OF the
savage aud the mansion of the civilized man. Inc
whole range of civilized activities compared with
savage activities, presents series OF adjustments
not only exceeding those seen among lower races
of men IN variety and intricacy, but to which
lower races of men present nothing analogous.
Along with this greater elaboration of life pro-
duced by the pursuit of more numerous ends, there
is the increased duration Of life which constitutes
this supreme end.
The improved adjustment of acts TO ends which
further prolongation of life. moreover such as
further increased amount of life. Length OF life py
itself is not measure of evolution OF conduct pui
quantity of life must also be taken into account An
oyster NAV live longer than a cutte-ish but the sum
of vital activities during any gwen interval Is Tar
less in the oyster. So also worm, sheltered from en-
| emies by the earth it burrows through NAV nave
| greater longevity than many insects but one OF
these during its existence. arva and image. may
experience greater quantity of the changes which
| constitute life. 1t is the when we compare
| the more evolved with the less evolved among man
| kind. The difference between the lengths OF the
lives of the savage and civilized is true measure
of the differences between the fatalities OF their two
lives considered aggregates of thought, feeling
| and action. Hence we must estimate life by null
tiplying its length into its breadth. These consld-
| eratons lead to the ethical branch of conduct or
| that form which universal conduct assumes during
the last stage of its evolution, which Is displayed
by the highest type of being, when he IS forced oy
increase of number, to live more and more IN pres
ence of his fellows. Conduct gains ethical sanc'on
in proportion us the activities becoming less mill
tant and more industrial do not neccssitate mutual
injury or hindrance. but furthered by coopera-
ton and mutual aid. These implications of the
Evolution Hypothesis, adds the author. will be seen
to harmOnze with the leading moral ideas men have
reached by other methods. and different order
| of reasoning.
The ground is now prepared for touching the vital
point of Mr.. Spences ethical theory, in his defni-
| ton of good and bad conduct, the discussion of
| Which opens numerous views of pregnant import
| ance but of which we can here present only the
| most superficial outline
| The essential meaning of word, Mr. Spencer re-
| marks b. the commencement, is to be understood
by comparing its meanings in different connections
and observing what they have in common. Wespeak,
| for instance of knife, gun, house as good, or
| of a bad umbrella, or a bad pair of boots. The
characters indicated by the words good and bad are
| not intrinsic characters for apart from human
wants such things have neither merits dement's.
They are called good or bad according as they are
well or i'll adapted to achieve prescribed ends. The
good knife Is that will cut the good gun is one
that carries far and true; the good house is one
which affords the requisite comfort and accommo-
daiion. On the other hand, the badness Of the UNI
bea or the pair of boots is predcated of their fall
ure in fulfilling the ends of keeping out the rain and
protecting tho feet. 1t is the same when we pass
| from inanlmate objects to inanmate actions we
call the day bad in which the weather prevents us
from satisfying some of our desires good season
is one which has favored the production of valuable
crops Passing from hfeless things and actions to
| living ones we find the use of words in the same
sense The goodness or badness of a pointer or
hunter of a sheep or an OK refer, in the case to
the fitness of their actions for eecting the ends for
which they are used and IN the other case TO the
qualities of their flesh to support human life, and
crafty the pleasures of taste.
These instances of the meanings of good or bad
as otherwise used, illustrate their meanings
applied to conduct in its ethical aspects We use
the respective terms according to the greater or less
efficiency of the adjustment of acts to ends. In the
last analysis, the words good and bad have come to
be especially associated with acts which further
the complete living of others and acts which OBJ
struct their complete living. Goodness suggests.
above all other things the conduct of who aids
the sick in recovering normal vitality assists the
unfortunate in acquiring the means of maintaining
themselves defends those who are threatened with
harm In person, property, or reputation and aids
whatever promises TO improve the living of all his
fellows. The leading correlatlve term, badness, on
the contrary expresses the conduct of one, who in
carving on his own life damages the lives of
others by iniuring their bodies. destroying their
possessions, or otherwise invading their rights.
We thus perceive that the conduct to which we
apply the name good is the relatively more evolved
conduct and that bad is the name we apply to con-
duct which is relatively less evolved. Evolution,
reaches its limit when individual life is the great
est both in length and breadth, and hence, we re-
gard as good the conduct furtherng self-preserya-
ton, and as bad the conduct tending to self destruc
ton. In the last conclusion, the form of conduct
most emphatlcallv termed good is chat made possi
HE In an associated state which not only avoids
preventing the completion of life in others, but
tends to the furtherance of in all its members.
In considering moral phenomena as phenomena
of evolution Mr. Spencer treats IN succession Of the
physical view, the biological view, the psychology
eel view and the sociological view. Under the ply
steal view he remarks that every moment we pass
from mems perceived actions to the motives i'm
piled by them and are thus led to formulate these
actions IN mental terms rather than III bodily terms.
When we speak of any ones deeds with praise or
blame, we refer TO thoughts and feelings rather
than to the outer manifestations which reveal the
thoughts and feelings. Hence we lose sight of the
truth that actual conduct consists of changes
oqnzed by sight touch and hearing. But taking
the evolution point Of view, We have to deal with
the perceived elements considered a set of COM
bined motions. We thus find that conduct as it
passes TO its highest forms displays in increasing de-
grees the essential characters of evolution, and dis
PLAYS them in the greatest degree when II reaches
the highest form which call moral. Take for
instance the quality of increasing conference, which
is q trait of advancing evolution. The conduct OF
lowly-organized creatures is broadly contrasted
with that of highly organized creatures in having