The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-11-15

AAe ~ Va a. -
lures, recently delivered in Kansas
City, was Of a more speculative char
acter than the previous ones; and
while it is very doubtful whether the
world will ever reach the point where
competition will no longer be
beneicent factor in the business life
Of a nation, his dream Of that milleuial
day is worth reading. He said in part:
"The solution of the social question
should be by evolution, and not by
revolution. Society, like the lndi-
vidual, may proceed with safety ouly
step by step. In order that these
steps may be in the right direction, it
is necessary that practical and
realizable social ideal be constructed.
A scientifically constructed social
ideal is a light to modern society. 1t
is The pole star by which the mariner
on the sea Of modern social thought
may steer his vessel.
"There have been many attempts
in the past to project social ideal.
Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, Cam
PAMELA, Bacon, More, Bellamy and
many others have attempted to fore
cast what society is to become.
Some Of these attempts have been
partly successful. Plato and More
especially anticipated some Of the
results Of social development. But 10
their day knowledge of society was
not advanced, consequently their
ideals were spun from their imagina-
tion rather than built from the latent
possibility of society. Today we are
looking to the scientific study OF
society to protect an ideal which will
fall in the line Of possible future
progress. No one is able to foretell
in detail what society or any social
Institution is to become, but from
what is already known Of the course
of social development in the past, We
may safely predict the line which
future social progress will follow
"The future society exists poten.
italy in the present. We must there
fore seek to discover in existing
society the elements that are tC
mould the ideal. While it is unsafe
and nnscienti6c to draw an imaginary
picture Of future society, / think thai
what we already know Of socia
evolution enables US to see that there
are a few elements now revealing
themselves in social life which are tht
fundamental requirements Of an idea
humanity, and which / may call th'
formative elements of the social ideal
These are a high degree of socia
intelligence, perfected social organi
zation for the accomplishment o
social tasks, and the truly cooperative
spirit.
"By social intelligence | NEAR
THAT concensus Of individual intelli
gence which forms a public opinion,
public conscience, a public will, ant
IS manifested 10 law, institutions AMI
administration. Social intelligence
must be carefully distinguished from
the sum OF individual intelligences
The various members Of society ma.
be highly intelligent, but unless thei
| Intelligence is applied to social affair
there is no social intelligence. TIL
mind Of society is yet 10 an 1ndevel
oped state. TO This fact IS due th
commonly observed superiority Of 10
dividual enterprise, as compared will
social activity, IN the matter 0
economy, and yet the fact that W
have any social intelligence at all is
promise Of its continued development
untl the social mind is as highly de
veloped as that Of the mostantelligen
individual Ideally society 'Shoul
imagine itself az Individual, and be
coming fully conscious Of these inter
esls It should per,ue them NTH th
same indomIlab'e will With whic
the individual pursues It's intefe-ts
J Not Only lhi,, II must BE- gulded, d
he is guided, BY the social intellect
) armed with all the knowledge tba
AZ individuals combined, With S