Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-03-11
Science and Morality.
Goodwin Smith in Contemporary Re
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Italian disappointing that new
and mysterious plague is ravaging
his city, devotes himself to the pres.
ervation Of his fellow-citiZens, shuts
himself up with subject, takes his
observations, consjgns them to writ
ing, and feeling the poison in his
own veins, goes calmly to the hospi-
tai TO die. On the other hand "A man
between whom and great fortune
there stands a single life, takes that
life in such a way as to escape sus-
picion, gets possession of the fortune
and instead of a life of drudgery, to
which he would otherwise be DOOM
ed, passes his days in the healthy de-
velopment of all his faculties, in
the enjoyment of every pleasure, in
tellectual and social, as well as
physical amidst the troops of friends
and grateful dependents with which
his hospitality and munificence sur
rounds him, and, after an existence
prolonged by comfort, ease and i'm
munity from care, dies universally
honored and lamented. Why is the
first man happy and the second mis-
cradle ? Theism ON its own hypoth-
esis, has an answer ready. What is
the answer of Agnostic science ?
We must prefix an epithet, because
without is a distinction drawn be
tween science and Theism. A ra-
tional Theist maintains that Theism
is Science
We are likely to find the answer,if
anywhere, in the Data of Ethics"
by Mr.. Herbert Spencer-a book be-
longing to series which has earned
for its author, rom Darwin fnself
the title of tour great philosopher"
and which every one, whether he ac-
cepts its general conclusions or not,
will allow to exhibit powers of acute
criticism, and to be written in
most lucid and attractive style.
Mr.. Spencer commences, as might
have been expected, not with hui
manity, but with molluscs, and
treats men simply as the last Che
says the highest, but we have a cdU-
eat to enter against that phrase) of
the evolutionary series. His tests OF
right and wrong in the actions of
the most evolved of animals, as in
the case of the least evolved, are
pleasure and pain-pleasure denot-
ing that the action is favorable, pain
that it is unfavorable,to the vitality
of the organism. His supreme end
is Increased DURATION" together, if
we understand his phraseology cor
rectly, with increased intensity "of
life.n An authoritative conscience,
duty, virtue, obligation, principle,
end rectitude of motive, no more
enter into his definitions or form
parts of his system, than does the
religious sanction. OF that which
constitutes moral beauty, he has not
a word. Actions of a kind purely
pleasant are absolutely right. The
highest Instance of right conduct is
a mother sucking her child, because
"there is at. once to the mothers
qualification, and to the child's sat
isfaction of appetite, satisfaction
which accompanies furtherance of
life, growth and increasing enjoy.
meut." That the action is mere
performance of a function of nature,
involving the exertion of no high
quality, does not lower lis place in
the scale. Conduct, even the noblest
and heroic, which has any concomi-
tant of pain or painful consequence,
is, to that extent, wrong, and the
highest claim to be made tor such
conduct is that it is the least wrong
which under the conditions is posi-
bic. We need not shrink from the
hypothesis, or even commit oursel-
YES TO the rejection of it. Possibly
the conclusion ultimately reached
may be that man is nothing but the
highest mammal, and in that case
the hypothesis will be true. The
present question is, whether it at
fords a new basis for morality.
Applying the test then to the cases
mentioned, we find that the action
of the Italian physician is at least
partly wrong; it gives him pain, and
instead of prolonging or intensity
ing, terminates his own life; it is