The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-16

This has been called the golden age Of
science. It is pointed out that traditions,
legends. and theories are giving way every
year to statements based on careful OBJ
servatiou and recorded facts. The scientific
method. at first used only in the sphere Of
material things. is now applied to art, his
tory. criticism, and matters social and re-
ligious. The nineteenth century. like every
other in the history Of the world. has asked
PIato's question What is TRUTH" and has
returned a new answer. 1t is this: What
soever can be proved"
This is. perhaps. the greatest possible
proof that we are living in marvellous
age OF transformation. Until the beginning
Of the present century, little heed was
given to the necessity OF absolute proof.
Authority. rather than investigation, was
regarded as the best reason for belief. Men
we're continually told that there were
things which they were not expected to
understand. that the senses were untrust-
worthy. and the human reason was utterly
Inadequate to the perception Of truth. 1t
is only within one generation that the de-
mand for proof Of any unusual story has
/ become general and honest doubt been
/ looked upon as creditable.
3 But there is a danger in this new way OF
] thinking albeit it is less serious than that
I OF credulity. It appears when the scien-
/ ti6e method is applied to psychological.
moral. and social problems. The scientific
mind is slow TO understand that the laws
/ which govern human development are not
/ precisely similar 10 those which govern the
evolution Of the animal; and that there is
lust as much difference between the higher
law Of morality and that OF self-interest
that there is between the life Of a frog
lodyte. and that OF the higher animals. In
] a word il sometimes fails to recognize the
infinite possibilities Of progress. This world
is sim in the making, and nobody knows
what may happen in the future, when the
development of the human being along
moral and Intellectual lines shall have
reached its next stage. It is just as great
q mistake FOR the bigoted scientist TO as
4 sumo that evolution has ceased, and he
has discovered all the laws there are. as
fer the religious fanatic to assert that there
/ never was any evolution and that a GER
tain number Of people are predestined TO
20 TO heaven. and all the others to be cast
into outer darkness. We know that the
family relation is higher. more in accord
auce with some divine ideal, than savage
nrorniscuity: that the tribal standard Of
duty is higher than that Of the unattached
nomad. that thoroughly civilized govern
meut is better FOR the governed than the
primitive tribal Justice; and it is logical to
suppose that as man has evolved from one
OF these stages TO another. he Will evolve
as time goes on a higher and higher form
OF civilization. preserving individual free
dom while uniting more and more closely
the interests Of ali members Of society.
Some scientific pessimists have argued
that because there are degenerates in our
day teyen whole classes Of people with
standards OF living which might be called
decadentl. society as a whole IS decaying,
and that no further progress is possible. 1t
is not necessary to assume this. 1t is quite
possible that the civilization Of the future
may 20 back and borrow some OF the feat
urrs Of the savage tribe. Some primitive
communities are governed by laws most
emInenuy correct from moral point OF
Wow. and others, by twisting these same
laws the wrong way. have made for them
selves customs utterly barbsrous- The lat
ter are the degenerates OF the savage
world. For example, a community 10
which every man. woman, and child be-
lieyes in obeying the dictates Il conscience
is generally comfortable place to live in;
but n the nature becomes warped and the
conscience morbid. the condition Of things
is anything but pleasant 1t WON ~
correct to state that obedience
best impulses was the cause OF sue. ..- AZ
|. happy state OF things: the cause lay in a
. disordered condition of the mind and
nerves.
Evolution has not ceased, and altruism
. is as genuine motive for human action as