Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-10-08
Socialism From a
Metaphysical Point Of View
ALTRUISM AS A FACTOR IN
EVOLUTION.
BY W. c. Il. RANDOLPH.

BY W. c. 3. RANDOLPH.
Evolution may ne defined as that
grand sweep of all things from primal
and invisible causes to the adequate
consequences-fro the germ to the
full grown organism, from the simple
to the compound or complex. AS the
objective world presents to our Wis
ion a pleasing variety of objects in
all conceivable and even inconceiva-
able combinations, so is it also in
the world of causes or forces. Evo-
luton is carried forward by millions
of causes, in the man, but as the
largest fractions a thing can be divi-
ded into are halves, thus it is that
the evolution forces in their largest
differences, are divided into two-in-
dividualistic and collective or altru-
istic.
Evolution seems to be 4 process Of
the abstract or impersonal becoming
concrete or personal, at one part of
its grand career and then for the con-
crete and impersonal to again be-
come abstract and impersonal-plus
individuality and Immortality, thus
gained for all its parts.
This is the Great Wheel of Nature.
a circle constantly revolving and re-
turning unto its source. Ideas and
principles have tendency to become
> as We say real, that we realize or use
! them when they evolve themselves
onto our plane of existence as insti-
tutions, laws, customs, machines, de-
vices, etc.
But that part of evolu lion just now
, referred to as ideas becoming objec-
titled is the result of the conscious
effort of intelligent humanity to pic
ture forth in living forms the forces
of evolution as they are felt by indi-
+ vidual intelligence. We, as thinking
entities putting our ideas into prac-
tice, building. inventing, etc, are DO
ing nothing different to that which is
done on what we may call the uncon-
scious-to us-planes OF nature.
At the beginning of system of
5 worlds the whole plan of the work be-
gun is projected in detail 10y Divine
, location into the most subtle order of
; matter first, and then presses on into
all forms of matter with which that
! particular scheme of evolution is to
? deal.
And as soon as thinking entities
| are evolved, their own thought power
, and individual choice of the quality
I of their acts becomes a factor in the
: accelerating or retarding of evolu-
, ton. Now the first half of evolution
f from the general to the particular is
} carried on mainly by what may be
! termed the great individualizing
f force which tends always to get ideas,
; forces and principles to say and feel
r II am" The abstract is to become
, the concrete-cOncrete only means
gotten together, organized. Number
ia the abstract becomes definite
ligure-an integcr, etc. This Il am"
force tends toward the center-it is
the process of receiving. not giving
1t means thinking and doing for ones
self in order to become a self. AS Il
man thinketh, so is he. Human
thought is staggered by such an ex-
preston as this-a principle, by think
ing of itself, becomes what it was
not before, a Self" But that is
probably very near the facts.
With the object of bringing forth
selves, it is obvious that evolution
will be best promoted by acts that
are in their very nature selfish. Acts
of this character, at that stage of
evolution, will be considered good"
just because they promote that part
of the general evolutionary scheme
All those acts and desires which are
universal and sacrifcial, will be bad"
for that stage of progress, as they
point backward on the road from
which the impersonal force has pro-
ceeded, rather than toward its imme-
date aim, that is, it is a hindrance to
the work then going on.
This plan of evolving the separate
and individual out of the general and
! then back to the impersonal is sew
/ eral times repeated, and with all va
r rieties of life, SO that we find an in
finite variety of lives and all possible
stages of progress on the same globe
at the same time. As we might ex.
press it, one class of entities going
dawn toward Individuality and anoth.