The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-10-25
5 CHAU TAUQUA. ):
THE LIMITATIONS OF THE HUMAN MIND.
BY MEMBER OF CLASS C.

and are vast. Far be it from me to deny TINS
statement or underrate the great force found in
the mind of man. most willingly admit that
the development of the human intellect, during
the present century, has been amazing. What
mighty deeds has it not wrought in discoveries, +
in inventions, in philosophy, IN literature; III
short, in every art and SCIENCE those vast powers
have been working by steady process until
the whole race has been lifted to higher Level.
Minds which indeed way be called vast have
been created; minds which prove the greatness
and power of the Almighty Creator; minds
which rise far above the ordinary human IN
| tellect as the Chimborazo, the Lorato OF Nevada
the Mont Blanc, the Dhavaagiri and Mount Ev-
erett rise majesticay above the common hill
tops.
! There are men whose minds are so vast tllaC
they can successfully apply themselves to any
subject; men who possess by intuition, IKE fas-
cal, what other men are compelled to acquire by
a tedious and slow process, and oft repeated
| training: men who can begin where others nave
left off: many sided men, born never to die, VINO
have but to choose their avocatiOn in order to be
clothed with immortality.
| But while this is a fact that cannot be success
fully denied. it is equally true that the human
mind. however vast it may appear, IS ana
defined within very narrow boundaries. NO
man. however richly endowed, has ever pos
sessed capacity to distinguish himself ana I'LL
mortaliZe his name with equal facility IN every
branch of art and science. 1.-The universal GEM
us,, has not been born yet nor need you look for
him in the future. The Greeks were the most
versatile people that ever lived but even they
; had to apply their great gifts diligently to one
, task if thew wished to gain distinction. few
. men of wonderful gifts might attain emlnence Ill
two or three departments but there were no
, great men among them who could truly lay
claim to the title of universal genius. The range
of the human mind is limited, and within its
strict boundaries man must make MS cholce.
He must either be farmer, mechanic. mer-
chant, sailor, musician or poet. philosopher
y or an artist He cannot be all, and in most cases
y he has to make his choice between two or three
of these pursuits and spend his life accordingly.
= lam aware that there are few men like Mich
, ael Angelo, Shakespeare. Agassiz and Gladstone
- who have gained we'll deserved distinction In
. three or four different departments OF science or
~ art. But this variety of endowments in one man
- is the exception not the rule. The Creator, VINO
. distributes the talents, does wisely and we'll IN
this as everything else, because such a llml
tatjOn is necessary to the adjustment OF society
and gives us choice, liberty and responsibility
We must also bear in mind that mar has &c
spend half of his life in acquiring the necessdr!
- knowledge of knowing how to begin his investl
CATION and that although his career may be eve
so brilliant he is liable at any moment to Wlthe
I'd and die like the fragrant flowers of an untlmel
at frost And even if he reaches old age, his facu
ne ties will soon begin to decay, and he will end nj
life as he began-in childhood. Remembering
Also that all Investigations have to be carrle
on within the scope of reason. with the aid .
is imperfect instruments. Scanty resources. ahdth
IS, dim light of past ages it ought TO De cohci's'
W evidence that the human mind is fenced "iIhi
lily narrow and impossible boundaries; and that il
mt order to satisfy our desire for knowledge. an
settle the difficult problems which confront us
ry we must look for a better light than that whlc
Ter is found in the mind of man.
ad admit that the human mind has taken gre3
he strides forward and wonderful discoveries nav
lid been made: and the sciences have been steadll
m. progressing until it seems as if every myStef
ar should he solved But after all. what does ma
he know? What do we know about our little WOrlt
its origin. its history. and the matter OF Whlch
he is composed? What is life: Who eXplalne
ed why the seed sprouts in the ground ana nrlhs
he forth fruit of its kind? What does man kno
ug- about Jupiter. Saturn. Mars Uranus the MOO
er- the Sun and the millions of worlds in that ne
ula of which our solar system is but small ira
ton? And of the countless millions OF other va
systems which constitute the Floating islands
in the immensely of space? What phiosoph'
i0S has given us code of morals or a religion TN
'0u will satisfy the wants of mankind?
y. Look from Plato to Kant, and you will not III
VI it. Goto the more modern Hegel, Renan. Stua
Mills. Butcher. and you will find plenty
ioh beautiful, mystical phrases where the meaning
hol difficult to understand and hard to interpre
'e" and altogether far above the comprehension
'ho the common intellect of man. Comte tried WI
uio his famous "Positivism, but failed. Indeed, tt
EoS knowledge of man is very imperfect. and WIN
i the powers of the human mind in all its so-call
anu yastness can discover of truth is but drop col
pared to the UNEMPLOYED ocean. And therefor
lbs has He who is the source of all truth, given III
W light in his unrevealed word. that we need q
"' walk in darkness.
'"n WhOsOever will diligently search for the tru
Oh" by the aid of that light he shall find 1t.
} be ~
still