The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-08
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alto work. tts.t- ANS 30 hiu frum time 30
,lms ll.as rut h't.i ~ tnrurrraiton In
thos.. trrr'-.- NAM ~ hes lt-a- hsv"
fpini T. g.. m arr,L-- p4hl-l"I 900 -,"~-,
and ha," since t--n hruught tos-'h~t m
thr~~ publ shot volumes ~ ---ay- There
renamed. however. q numisr ~ oh-"rva-
,inns ana reflections. sou'- ~ vhi'h ~"
suthor d''ms important, whil" ottsr- AZ"
regarded hy him a. relatively TRIVIAL IL l.
th.-, Facfs and 'omRsHi., ur rather n
hrgr part 81 tem. Nhich re -"t forth N
the hppk '-for" "a.
On. - ~. most interesting paT-'rs in
tho Vollm. d. N. i-uulttmat- one. which
undertake. 80 answer ne I-rprNing que--
tion, What should The -c-ptc ssv to 10
~lsvers' T. b.. a. IN" author points out. no
reply To sav that one ought always 20 L.
sncrr. Tor th"r- - such q thing a. a blatant
and misch,rVnu- rincruty. a. well a. a
tolerant. ~ wisely retinrnt sincerity lh-
rial question is. WhCh kim Of SlncerN
should H. cNhihIiad, and w. need no
philosopher 10 teach H. that "" should
he guided hy circumstances. chief among
which Is tho mental callhrr and moral con
dtion 81 ouf tn~'erlurutor III" agno-tic
L. cautioned not To- proved invariably on
tho assumption that IN all cases "A SECULAR
creed may with sdNantsg. forthwith W.
plac. the creed distinguished a. sacred,
II IA not true that he expectation ~ a system
OF natural ethics viii sufiC. To- produce the
required -~elf-con'rol on the part ~ all 'hns"
10 whom y l. expoundcd Tn. assumption
presuppnsc- q general intellsenc" caPahl"
81 -cmg M" hsuetcIal nutcom. of CERTAIN
mode- If conduct currently recognized
a. right. and III. evtl outcome ot opposite
modes - conduct. " also presuppo-rs
that. having perceived the good results 81
this Kind and tho had results ~ that kind
Of conduct. mon will adopt the On" and
70 ct the other A. "A matter 81 fact, I'll"
average intellect cannot grasp a demon
s%traiion, even when he matter u concrete,
and still le-- when the matter IL abstract
II canno, haar IN mind The successive
propositions. hut collap-es under the weight
OF them t-fpr" reaching IN. conclusion
Dogmatic teaching alone IL effective with
such an Intellect. and even this often fails.
Thus the dogma Honesty Is the best policy
l. commonly imperative On the thief. since
he ALWAYS eNIscts To e-raTe detection
Again The hops that average men NAV
- swayed bv tho contemplation of adj
vantage To society L. utterly utopian. In
the minds of those who form III. slum
population and most ~ those immediately
above them will arise m" thought, ! don't
care a damn fur society A. the other end
al the social scale, among those whose
lives alteruat" between clubrooms and
game preserves. tl'm will ari-e. II not 40
coar~ely expressed. "A thought, vet the
thought. SOCIETY," a. Il i serves my pur-
pose very well. and that's enough for me
Ethical teaching. however conclusive. has
no effect on natures which have made lit
tie approach toward harmony with II "
follows that the agnustIc who thinks that |
IL ran provid. forthwith adequate guid.
lnce for the mass of mankind hv SITTING /
forth a natural code of right conduct. duly t,
tllust rated, l. under AN Illusion.
Dies this amount To saving that IN" old
freed should he left IN posss--ion' Mr.
spencer answers that. unfortunately. tho |
religious creed spears To tr scarcely more |
operative than the ethical creed would he. |
cit needs but 10 glance over the world and
contemplate The do,ng- Of -o-call-d Chris
tians everywhere 10 ie amazed al the
incNec,iv.ne>s Of the current theology
Herr and 'h"re are -pmc superior ma
turrs on whom the religious sanctions
and r~rprohations - far reinforce natural
promp,ings n to have beneficial effects
On the whole. however. 'some' hing rud.lv
analogou. To- ~" Law IN III. physical world
that attraction varies iuv.r-alv a. the
square 81 tho distance. seems To void IN The
moral world =, hat pro, mate pleasures
and pans. even 'riri1g. influence actions
more than imm"asurahly greater pleasures
and pains that ar" r"mot" - II "" recall
the transgrc>-ions ~ adul'"ratIng trades
men, hnlS-i agents. dishonest Law ver- and /
corrup, huGncicf-, tn Sav nothing ~ thieves |
and murderer, We -e-' that m. alternative |
prospects, - eternal tortur" and eter-
nal bli-s SWAY mankind hut little. Ill
grounded. th"r"for'. ~ NAV Il" Inc agno--
to- hope hat ~ system 90 natural ethics
will A. once yi"'i good guidance. Mr.
Spencer would not ac,,p' Tho inferenc"
that endeavorS ~ substitute such a system
for tho ruIerna'ural system. with it, I~n-
al,ies and rev apis, Would luJur" m" av"rag.
mar He L.. indeed, di-TV~"l =" think that
such a suh-titutipu might h"n"t' IA" aver
age man by showing the agreement l-twcen
the naturally derived sanctions and mO-t
Of tho-- sanctions supposed to 10 super
naturally derived There are even. IN oar
author opinion, Ca-'S which present -
tho agnostir pIslti," r-ason- for expressing
his own changed l-'lirf -MhIe Cn IA"
great mas of p""pl" he ourrnt creed
spp.arS To- 10 i-u"n 'iallv operative to a
very small iegr-. Il nj all. Their" are not a
few on whom y - dlsastrou-lv operative,
causing hv - threats great misery To
some who sr" Sensitive and hav" active
imAginatI ons, ih" prospect 81 eternal tor
ture come homa with teri. hl" effect NUM-
k@l- -! them "nu'Iuu" throughout III" Ia h"
troubled about 't"Ir future fate and IN
old age when Tagging vitality brings mnr
81 i--- mental depression. thus depression
takes the -haI- IT f"ar~ ronrcruiHg endless
punishment y" l+ presently borne Mr.
Spencer thmk- that 'o al such persons m"
man who has rrIrH'cd 'li~ dreadful cr'ed
mas rightly gi," reasons FOR doing he Ike
'Pr,ntmE rut ~" blispr"Iuy of surprising
thai the power m,ulr.''d N fifty million
sum. With rn"Ir attendant worlds. has a
na' IT- ~a.rh % q human i-rug W. should
snr.nk rom vih horror