New-York tribune., 1896-02-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
DISEASES OF THE MORAL NATURE.


MORAL PATHOLOGY. BY Arthur E. & Giles 6ando M; d..
scheH Sc s F' co. v'' New-yofR: @ '0 Charles scTSner.
YOUTHFUL ECCENTRICITY A PRECURSOR or
CRIME BY Forbes Wins;owA D; :, .ndon a. o*In;' Pn
lO3. Funk & Wagnails.
1t would be a good thing for that world OF hn-
manity which lives in cities il 1t could get back
TO the unconscious morality OF other times
There would then be no need OF such BOOKS as
these. the titles Of which have just been given
They are much symptom of public ii-health
as the introspective novel The hea'thlest man
physically it is said is the one who does not
know from his feelings that he has any internal
organs and It may be said with equal truth that
the healthlest man morally apd mentally Is the
one who thinks and acts without being obliged to
ask himself WHY This fact should be most
obvious to those In whom self-questioning has
become disease because they are in a position
n corpare their present status with their past.
Thus there Is reason for imagining. even on the
part OF one VINO knows nothing about the matter
that Or Forbes Winslow may be wrong when ne
insists that parents should invariably give their
children a reason for their commands. People
obeyej the injunction 10 rest one day IN seven
much more readily in times when they were
simply told that 1t was wrong 10 do otherwise
than they do now when they are Piled with argu-
sake OF econonizing in the expenditure OF brain
tissue it would be a good thing If people did
without a reason everything which the expert
ence Of the race has shown can be done safely.
and reserved their logic for that untouched do
main on which humanity IS forever encroaching.
When reason enables men to discover something
new or TO reduce to certainty something uncer-
tain. It Is engaged in Its proper service. But
what benefit accrues from seeking reason for
observing the Ten Commandments?
To one who knows little or nothing about the
subject It must seem +, reason were a poor
refuge in all cases where hereditary tendency
gives an III turn to the individual life. The rea-
eoner may be quite sane on the given subject but
he is arguing with one who is by nature IN
cauable Of seeing things Just as they are at the
point I'm question. The case is all the worse IT
the person argued with IS otherwise sensible. be-
cause in that case he often seems perverse WheI
he IS merely Incapable Tho case must be the
same. too. with a person in whom mental or
moral defect has been caused. say. by a brain
fever IN childhood. But in the case of hereditary
defect the difficulty is complicated by the fac'
that neither parent nor child can be expected TO
argue from the data of normal life. because IL
IS lust these data which they both lack. In suSh
cases it must seem to the layman that Nadl-
tional habit of doing what is considered right
fOr example, lhe "li'dHi'"- ""'N' '"e -
days better corrective than all the reasoning
in the world Il is not the merit Of the observance
that Is healthfu but the uniformity that i gives
e. life.
Neither Dr. Giles nor DR.. Winslow is friendly TO
harsh methods Both advocate the use Of pain
language on the part # parents end teachers
The former wonders at parents who wrap UP
their words daint.ly in vague illusions and mys-
ferrous hints by which. indeed, in many cases
NOR. harm is done than good" while the latter
do.'inr with the sins # omission on the part OF
fhe r,ulDit declares that what is called, par eX-
cellencc the preaching Of vital goodness mas
dealt very lttle with the real life of ren. women
and children in detail day by day and hour oy
hour Conventional language, conventional
thought and conventional feeling have been ex-
cited and cultivated: but these are In many
Instances wholly Intellectual or inadequate for the
real battle Of life with the world the flesh ana
the devil! In all their varied anc ever varying
disguises temptations and deceptions