The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-13
SOME NEIT BoOKs.


keen interest II not with sympathy. owing to
IFS gift OF attractive exposition and the sins
csre bsnienity OF his aims and teachings We
refer to Mr.. LAURENCE GroSLvSD. whose Co
operative Commonwealth" was formerly re-
viewed at some !sni,'h in these columns. Tho
au' hor has now pub ished under the title OF
Our Destiny. an essay In ethics whose pur-
pose is 70 forecast the Influence OF nationalism
on morals and religion. BY nationalism Il
meant the American typo Of socialism. OF
which tho author is the most conspicuous ex-
FOUNDER and which lie believes will be the
future economic system In all civilized coun-
tries. innuGurated not by violence but by en-
thusiasm. Tho author agrees with Jules
Simon In Affirming that the nineteenth CEN
fury SO far has been nothing but
riddle. but his solution OF tho riddle
differs widely from the explanations
which hitherto have been nut forward.
1t will DO recalled shat Mallock In rs LILO
Worth LIVING" warns MS that the future will
be disastrous II We do not return to tho old be-
lief.. Morrison. In the Service OF Man.
prophcsies that It Will 10 glorious II vo will
only give up al religious notions while Pro!.
Graham. in The Greed OF Science gives MS
the reinsurance that our moral and religious
acquisitions will not be seriously Threatened.
Mr. Gronlund n.rives at conclusions oven more
cousoling and ennobling than those reached
By Prot. Grab am. He .lieves that socialism
a. he understands the socialistto state'-Wiii
virtually establish the Eirgdom OF heaven
upon earth. mainly by rendering all humanity
precious to each individual II Is also MS
conviction that socialism will evolve an ire
sistible belief n God and in immortality that
will satisfy all she instincts OF tho human heart
~ we'll a. tho most highly developed In
teliscts. Tue author holds. In other words.
that although at present it Is perhaps TACT
that M Majority OF those who nre called Social
lists are avowed atheists. yet atheism 10 not
An integral part OF socialism. but merely an
acoretion upon It. like tartar upon tho enamel
of the teeth. such mon are atheists not DO.
cause they are Socialists. but because they are
Frsnchmen and Germans. 1t Ia the aim OF this
essay to demonstrate that nattonaltsm. prop
erly conceived. Is eminently moral aud ieliR-
ious. Far from being a pessimist. the author
10 largely optimistic. and has in him the stead
fast faith that American socialism will give us
q profound conviction Of the presence OF God
in humanity and confer on mankind special
dignity. Ct to Inherit this world and the next.
i.
Tho author o. Our Destiny" begins by dis
cussing Mr.. Herbert spencer's Data OF
Ethics" which he thinks should rather be de-
scribed as the Data OF Selashness" or the
Data Of Animal Well being In Man." He then
proceeds to set forth data OF his own. from
which will be drawn tho inferences relating to
tho influence OF socialism on morality and re-
ligion These data are summed up rs follows:
"FulI- fedged moral ideas did not come down
from heaven: and II they had they could not
have been perceived. much less applied. by
man Tbey are growth conditioned by man 8
social and especially industrial relation. each
stase developing morality up TO certain
point: SO that men at the end OF antiquity AMI
OF the middle ages were morally as much
adjusted rs they could be to their re-
spective social requirements. There has
been II constant evolution OF these rela-
lions. and now We are on the threshold
Of their final development Hence our
present uncomfortable feeling; the social or
gauism may at present be said to be In its
teething period. Think OF the heartburnina
the,s must be within the bud when the full
blown rose Ia forming What anXieties. what
agitations what asperities amonR the atoms.
Mr. Gronlund goes on to argue that the fun
damental motive to morality is the Unborn In
clination to obedience In man. Man must al
all times obey something: he cannot obey what
he knows to DO a lie. nor what IL lower than
himself: he has further an innate intuition te
obey tho order OF the Cosmos. universal reason
and this becomes conscience In his own breast
Pleasure never can tell us which Is the
higher. which the lower function. but q,
tho most whether function Ia vel
per,ormed or not. From this 1t follows tina
morality concerns man only and does no
take In the beasts. as Mr.. Spencer would have
It do. "As we progress" continues Mr.. Gron'
lund. I'VE find that we are more and more
closely united to society, and at last all vii
como to acknowledge that our true self is oul
social sell. This. as matter OF course. vii
greatly influence our FREQ will Finally. the
end OF morals Is righteousness from one poin
OF view and the development OF our socia
self from the other. the outcome being In
tensest unity with our Kind. the organic unitJ
OF mon. This. tho summon bonunL does moi
end with tho death Of the individual"
n.
Let us SEQ now how Mr.. Gronlund would
from these data outline the future develop
mont OF morality in It's two principal divisions
of duty and love. Industry, loyalty, upright.
moss, these. according to the author. are the
three virtues which will be powerfully stimu-
latcd In = cooperative commonwealth. Labor
instead Of being moro or less avowsdly dc.
spissd. will be honored. Loyalty in all social
relations. instead OF being unremunerative
and secretly violated. will DO universally prac.
rised. Uprightnsss or integrity will DO far
moro easily attained In a sociallstfc state than
under the regime Of demand and supply, DO
cause there will be no temptation to b
dishonest Apropos OF the present ten
denotes Of trade. Mr.. Gronlund cite.
tho case OF draper IN England
who carried his conscience Into his shoI
and refused to commit tho current frauds 81
his trade. His business grew 40 unre
nunerative that twice he became bankrupt
so shat actually by his bankruptcy he inflicted
moro evils upon others than he would have In
ftcted upon his customers by committing tn,
usual trade dishonesties. Mr.. Herbert Spencer
has asked: What are accommodation bllli
but practically forgeries?" and Mr.. Gron
lund points out what q friGhful commentary
on commercial morality 10 involved In the
legal rule carrat cniplOr Not that the author
supposes the trading classes TO be intrinsical
ly worse than others. Few II any members o
tho community are FREQ from the immoralitl
incident to the socnl and economical frame
work. Let nationaIsm reverse the condition.
Of society. and 1t will become every mans in
terest to bo honest. When work Is NO longe
n tribute to physical necessity. but glad per
Torrance OF social Office when few hours o
ooreaa hla effort daily will secure nil necesBa