The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-06-06
SOCIAL EVOLUTION.

thoughtful, but more popular champion
here in America, is on. The deep learn
ing and scholarly methods OF Drummond,
Balfour and Kidd are having profound
effect in the old world; and no new men
OF real ability are rising up in the Utili-
tartan party. The idea that man is
law unto himself, that he can and must
find the standard of conduct absolutely in
his own reason and incinations has had
its brief vogue, and the passing bell is
tolling it's requiem. Kidd's work on
Social Evolution is a book that everyone
should read. 1t is work Of profound
thought. 1t views man as a reasoning
being whose highest development can
only be attained in association with his
fellow men. In this association his rea-
son and his social efficiency are being
continually developed and increased. But
Mr.. Kidd points out "that man is also
subject to psychological law which ap-
pears to be as inherently associated with
life as the law Of gravitation is with mat
ter--the law of retrogression." The up
ward progress of man demands con-
slant struggle, self-denial, self-sacri-
flee. But ever there is fighting against
this condition the tendency to retrogres-
sion, which leads man to use his reason
to evade the natural condition OF progress
to avoid effort, and choose ease, to obtain
qualification by satisfying his instincts,
and yet evade the consequences when
these are burdensome; to have the maxi
mum of ease and comfort, with the mimi
mum of effort and sacrifice.
Mr.. Kidd points out how progress, be-
fore man came on the scene, was secured
by the fact that the anterior forms Of life
obeyed implanted instincts which made
for the end which the process of evolu-
ton was working out.
The two laws, OF progress through
effort, and retrogresson through the eva
sion OF effort, are fighting out the battle in
man.
Philosophy has always strlven to show
that the true standard of, and sanction
for, conduct, is to be found in enlfghten-
ed self interest. But the world, not skill
ed in dialectics, but drawing from the
fountains OF experience and conscious
ness, has ever instinctively felt that the
safe standard was not there, and the
Unitarian philosopher has toiled in
vain. 1t is clear that ii the world be
al nj sNf ;af,
and effect, and ii man possesses in reason
the power to suspend the process, or to
escape its effects, bis reason will not furn-
ish any effective sanction for submitting
to what is onerous or disagreeable.
The procession OF history and the social
phenomena OF the religious systems Of
mankind drive Mr.. Kidd to the concu-
sion that these latter have been 1.-THE
subordinating factor in human evolu-
tion." ut is their function to supply the
ultimate sanction for that effort and sac
rlfice necessary to the continuance Of the
process of evolution proceeding in society,
but which man, as reasoning creature
subject to the law of retrogression, is in
the nature of things, precluded from ever
finding in his own reason
MIR. Kidd puts this in brief, thus: "On
the one side we have the factor of human
reason, which being itself an element
contributing to efficiency and success, is,
other things being equal, necessarily
ever tending to be progressively develop
ed. But always only on one condition
for the process OF evolution in progress
having ultimately no sanction In the in
dividual's reason, the tendency of the
rational factor, ii uncontrolled, is always
eventually towards disintegration and
the arrest OF progress. On the other side
we have the complimentary factor in that
system of International belief with which
the life OF every social system is ultimate
ly united, the function OF which is to
provide the necessary sanction for effort
and sacrifice, without which the condi-
tions OF progress cannot continue" Mr..
Kidd argues that the willingness to sub
NIT to International sanction is part OF
mans nature. The sanction for submit.
ting to the eosmic process, he says, is in
man. 1t is beyond his reason, but it il
not beyond him. The author then lays
down the following fundamental princi
pies:
l. "All religion is essentially ultra
rational. No form of belief is capable O.
functioning as a religion in the evolution
OF society which does not provide sane
tions for conduct outside of and superior
to reason.
2. "The social system founded on
form of religious belief, forms an organi,
growth which is the seat of series O
historic phenomena unfolding themselves
in obedience to laws that may be enun
Grated.
3. 1.-THE process at work in human
society is always developing two inner
emily antagonistic but complimentary
tendencies, viz: ID The tendency re
curing the increasing subordination O
the individual to society, and (2) tn,
rationalistic tendency leading the indi
yidual at the same time to question, with
increasing insistence, the authority OF thu
claims requiring him to submit to a pro
cess of social order in which he has abso