The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20

of stages whose differences are OILY
Of secondary Importance, and, on the
other hand. makes us regard the steps
from one century 20 another as CORE
spending TO some marked transition 81
thought. as If the world had been sudden
" precipi.lted into n new sphere of eS-
istence For some purposes a rough gen
eradication of this kind, that breaks al
stated intervals the continuity OF TIME
may perhaus be convenient. When. how
ever. we begin to look at things more
closely. we discover that it is impossible
thus TO cut through the historical con-
rection of events. as It were, with 4
Ratchet" We discover. for example. that
the characteristics of the eighteenth cen
fury were strongly marked only in one
period of IT; and that what We call the
spirit of the nineteenth century was bofh
some lime before the year 1901 and mas
never quite prevailed over other t7nden-
cies. At the same time there is an irnpor-
tant difference indicated by these Two
loosely used names. and, as it is always
easier to define things by contrast. it may
help us to make our subject more definite
10 consider what they mean
II is too late now to abuse the eight
zenith century" which had its good ard
evil. like other periods. 1t is commonly
conceived as the era of individualism and
ANALYSIS. the erG of logical enlightenment
and skeptical criticism; and again. as the
era of liberation from groundless supersd-
lions and fictitious claims of authority;
the era IN which mankind seemed for the
first time TO throw off the weight OF the
mast and to enter without fear upon the
enjoyment of their earthly heritage The
science Of Newton had given the last blow
70 the astronomy that made the earth the
centre Of the universe. 1t had undermined
and discredited the simple theology that
explained the whole material world rs
cosmos arranged for the supply of human
needs. At the same time, the progress of
biology was bringing man to a conscious
ness that IS a physical being he is only
primus inter pares in the animal kingdom.
and the decay Of religious belief was max
ing him realize his fnitude, the limits of
his natural existence. as. perhaps. he had
never done before, at least never since the
beginning Of the Christian era. Earth
seemed to be disconnected I'm heaven,
and the human race thrown upon its own
resources BY the new enlightenment all
powers. ecclesiastical or political, were
stripped of the mysterious sanctity that
had once invested them. THE nimbus
was taken away from the heads of the
gods and rulers of the world" Every au-
thority that claimed mans homage was
weighed in the scales of the understand
Inc. and. so weighed, every such authority
was found wanting. The State had come
to be regarded as only a collection Of in
divfduals who had agreed to live together
under n ruler deriving all his claims from
their consent. and invested with no d.
vine right to their allegiance. The Church
was no longer a sacred institution govern
ed by priests who held their commission di-
rectly from God. but only a sort Of spirit
ual police agency. IN ally Of the State in
the restraint of vice and crime. or, at best.
in Protestant countries, a society for mu-
tual Improvement. Men were free and
equal each standing face to face with
his fellows, admitting no superiority or
superstition Of hero worship in regard to
any one Of them. And the Deity. If his
existence were not denied tended TO be-
come mere Supreme Being" who wac
removed TO such a distance from mankind
thai he could hai lly be reached by their
reverence. still Jess by their love.
At the same tine. the influences which
in one point of view. seemed TO limit and
narrow human existence in another point
of view tended 10 Iiberate and enlarge it.
II they excluded the idea OF the infinite
from mans life, they emancipated him
from many degrading superstitions. which
in an earlier age had held hin all his life
time subject 10 bondage" And as the
pressure from above was lightened. the
individual seemed 10 become master OF
himself and of his destiny. II the king
could no LONGER say. 'L'Etat c'est moi, 80
the rights OF the subject We're indicated.
If the authority OF the Church was weak
cred. the bonds Of free enquiry we've
broken: II Imagination ceased to fiji men
with the awe and wonder OF higher pow
ers. the way was opened up for scientific
End industrial development II God was re-
garded as unknowable, the proper study
Of mankind was man" and that study
could now be pursued without fear CT
hIndrance. Poetry and religion might be
impoverished, the sense Of the binding
force of social relations might be weak
ened. but interest in the lettering OF
mans earthly condition was awakened
and with # came Il new desire for justice
TO all. new intolerance OF human suffer
ing and a new demand that the lot Of the
class which Is lillsl numerous and poor
should be made less wretched and inse-
cure And. toward the end OF the century,
new turn was given to it's leading
thought: for an effort was made TO dis
cover In the nature Of the individual him
self the equivalent OF those universal
powers, which the enlightenment had ban
ished from the external word and from
the life Of society. Rousseau carried indi-
viduaHsm to an extreme point, at which ii
became its own correction. and laugh,
men 10 find within their own souls the in
finite which they could no longer discover
without Rejecting in the FIRST instance
all social conventions as unjust iimita.
lions Of the natural man, and adopting the
prevailing theory Of the time that the
State is only the product Of contract be
tween independent persons, he yet discov
cred I'm the individual thus liberated from
all external pressure common reason,
and "a general VIII" which could reorgan
lie his life and bind him to his fellow me,
and to God. This great idea, which ap
pears In Rousseau rather as a stroke O.
insight. an intuition Of genius-lifting hin
above his first thoughts and insensibl,
changing their meaning-was Crashed h,
Kant rs the principle of new philosoph,
and worked out in comprehensive sys