New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
sT1-prEs IN HUMAN EVOLUTION.

vi. 34S Macmillan & co.
sECULARIsM Its Progress and Its Morals BY
John NJ Bonham PIP. xiv, Ss6 H. T. fu'ha'"
Sons.
Both these books aim 10 treat OF human socie!
as evolutionary. but the result in the two cases
"a far from, being the same. Mr.. Bonham merely
threshes the old straw Of Positivism. lie mas
few new names for things. He emphasizes the
so-called conflict between science and religion ana
himself takes the attitude Of champion oi
science But the figures which he has labeled
Metaphysics and Theology are In reality flgmeh's
Of his own imagination. Mr. KIDD complains
that this attitude Of antagOnism toward religion
IS characteristic Of men Of science AS 10 every
other matter in the world they adopt the correct
method of accepting the facts and seeking their
meaning But as soon they come to religion
they cease TO consider 1t in its actual aspect
relative to the other affairs Of life and begin
10 wrangle over the question whether 1t Is true
IN itself or of Divine origin or not. With the
truth OF religion or its Divine character the stu
dent Of life has nothing 20 do But the mere
fact that 1t exists and has always received an
excessive share Of attention from mankind Is all
,nnortant Ever since history began to be
written there have arisen at intervals those VINO
proclaimed the approaching reimbursement OF
man from superstition. In general these apos'eS
of irrelgjon have been few in any one age
though
the vast silent majority has moved onward
steadily as needless of the cutlery as II no such
thing as scepticism ever existed If discoveries
were made which necessitated REIMBURSEMENT
NJ former doctrines the changes We're made as
required and the new opinions were gradually
taken up into the common life OF humanity
AS for the individual. the progress of the race
cannot be called unmixed good il each man
had his own way. uninhuenced by others. I'M
touched nv his environment he would probably
care nothing for improvement. The actual re-
suit of civilization has been TO increase the
eens:bility Of mankind to misery while only
meagre success has been attained in removing the
causes of unhappness. a given man among the
moor NAV not be as badly housed as meagrelv
clothed or as Ill fed as another in the
same social position some ages ago. But
ne is in position to feel adversely more acuteiy'
Reason would seem to teach him. as well as
those more fortunate than ne 10 look only after
themselves In the pages Of certain rash writers
on socialism 1t does actually urge reprisa!s by
the individual against corporations synoica'es
and the Ike, the ground tnat these nave Only
the law, not right. on their side. But men as
social beings measure their acts by some
standard which they rightly deem above reason
They act against their own personal interests III
behalf Of others. They suffer pr!Nauons even
death, in preference 10 d'sopeyIHs d law 80
+beir dea tn the race lives. And among those who
are fortunate there Is always division between
the faction that would nationally pursue its own
advantage and the faction which sympathiZes
With tho woes of the people at large. The latter
faction tends always to increase. while us oppo-
nent as regularly decreases In the race OF 'he
misery OF the masses. From the point OF view OF
reason II is impossible to account FOR move
ment like that which throughout Chrls'ehdo"
brought about the emancipation OF saves anu
which is now gradually doing away with the
slave-trade in Africa. To the best mlhds oi
antiquity the bondage OF many TO comparatively
few seemed indispensable 90 the poiltical ana
Intellectual and physical needs of all. What
data could reason itself product OF evolution
find in evolution for verdict against slavery?
To the owners of slaves, the reply of reason was
ALWAYS satisfactory. But throughout the world
there grew up party which perss'entiy iaporeu
for the bondmen and the bondwomen VINO couid
do nothing for their own freedom Inc most
startling instance in all history or the lndVloudi
welfare of classes in power suoordinated 10 'he
wish of the people against the dictates OF
National selfshness IS fforded by the frehch
Revolution The victory Of the populace Tor the
.,roe he;nr at least was complete Yet at the
outset never was populace more helpless. hao
the classes in power listened TO reason as 1t pre-
sar,ed IN them merely the baldest arguments Of
the,r own self-preservation and their own COM
fort as classes and as individuals. they might
have indefinitely prolonged the subsection or
those whose voices were heard from beneath
But there were thOse-and their numbers steadily
Crew-who were deaf to the voice OF selfish
reason. who could hear only the cry OF the op-
n pressed and who affirmed the rights OF humanity
N at the cost Of their destruction. II the IN
di,idua, reason is the final arbiter between man
ha
than death for ones country. Life which can
never be restored Is given up for a society which
nitilessy uses all the persons Of which 1t Is com
posed in order to perpetuate itself
On every hand, as we'll now as formerly this
subiection Of the person to the impersonal but
organized multitude is the most impressive fact
of human life 1t means misery and death 70
the individual, but progress for the race. In
ideals which are not merely beyond his reason
but contradictory to it, the man finds gratifica-
tion for the losses to which he himself Is SUD-
feet, Yet for him these ideals are mpossi-
be He dies that others may live. lie con-
dennis the present that others TO come after MIN
NAV glory in the future. Yet he knows that he
has had the enjoyment OF realities which were
The ideals Of those who went before him, and
that these realities were not satisfactory to him.
Reason tells him that those who follow him
will feel the same defect in that which Is now
his hone There Is then. for the conditions Of
human progress no sanction In reason. The
sanction is beyond reason. and man embodies 1t
IN that which he worshps. II is because he Is
a religious animal, not because he is a rational
animal, that he contributes to the advance OF his
kind. When reason convicts him OF failure
faith comes to raise new hopes within him. II
is against his own intellect that the man fights
for the good Of society. "As in Calderon's tragic
story the unknown figure which, throughout
life. ia everywhere in conflict with the individual
whom 1t haunts lifts the mask at last to disclose
TO the opponent his own features, so here under
meath these religious phenomena We see man
throughout his career engaged in a remorseless