The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-30
IMMORTALITY.
The Problem Solved at Last PhiIo-
sOphically.
New York Times.

New YORK lines.
The Concord School of Philosophy
has been scoffed at by ignorant per
sons knowing nothing of the I'M
thinkable and caring little for the
vague. 1t has, however, Just earned
the gratitude and admiration of the
entire world by furnishing a conclu-
Sive demonstration of the Immortality
of man. This demonstration may be
found in the course Of a recent lecture
delivered at Concord by one w. T. II.
Harris, who is one of the most pro-
found philosophers of the great Vest
man whose name is reverenced in
Oshkosh and ShebOygan, and who is
reVerenced in Cincinnati and Chicago
almost as much as if he were success
full pork person.
Mr.. Harris is as eloquent as he is
able and learned. The following par
agraph, taken from mis- lecture, is sim
ply wonderful. 1t is as clear and
limpid as the writer's own Mississip-
pi, and it breathes the sweet low mu-
sic of the saw-mill or the steam cal
Hope:
'If man were not immortal there
would be a break in the chain OF be-
ings that reaches from the pure eX-
ternal passive up to the pure active,
and hence the external elevation of
the second person into equality with
the first person would he impossible,
and therefore the first person would
not know himself in the second,
hence there would be no self-actiVity
at ali, and consequently, also, no de-
riyative or finite being. But this is
imposSible."
1t may be objected that Mr.. Harris
does not say whether he means the
| first and second persons singular or
plural. This, however, is no objec-
ton worth noticing, since Mr.. Harris
argument would have precisely the
same force whatever might be the
number of the two persons to whom
he refers. That something would
break-as he forcibly remarks-if
man is not immortal is perfectly true.
Man is unquestiOnably immortal, if
the first man knows himself, and that
he rather thinks that ne does is
plainly implied by Mr.. Harris.
Man, according to Mr.. Harris,
reaches from the pure external and
passive up to the pure active. The
same is true of lime, and this fact I'M
doubtedly strengthens the argument.
Pure external lime may be passive
when dry, but when it is
brought into contact with water
it reaches up to the pure
active-or, in other words, it boils
| and bubbles in the active process of
shaking. A Concord philosopher be-
fore dinner may be externally passive,
but put him at a table spread with
the oatmeal Of Eastern philosophy
and the roast pork OF Western platoon
ism, and he will instantly illustrate
the meaning of pure activity. If man
reaches from the pure actice, even the
wayfarlng man, though transcen-
dentalist, would know that he was i'm
mortal. This position is absolutely
impregnable, and it is difficult to
see how those who do not believe in
Immortality can now avoid throwing
up the argumentative sponge.
In regard to Mr.. Harris assertion that
without self-activity there would be
mo derivative or finite being" there is
room for difference of opinion. If this
be true, how does Mr.. Harris account
for the existence of Worcestershire
sauce, or how does he explain the pre-
valence of areas of depression in the
lake region. These great formative
facts, containings, as they unques.
tionably do, the germs of overthere.
ness, certainly do coeXist with deriva
tive and finite beings, as well as with
whitewash, and yet are apparently
without any self-activity whatever
This, however, is merely a profound
philosophic speculation, having nc
necessary connection with mans i'm
morality. 1t is because Mr.. Harris
has so brilliantly demonstrated the
immortality of man that he deserves
more gratitude and admiration than
have ever before been lavished upon
any philosopher.