The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16
TIE GREATEST OF QUESTIONS.
DcnSar That Philosophy Can ne su6sti-
nut ed for Religion.

-, s.. ps,,~,ov,
sute" a"r 'e"k'"''
,, TO TIE EDiron OF THE SYST ss vo a% npn
to.das, o. ,.,s.ns,I,n ia,,sr ~ n somewhat
m-uay IN interesting ,e.ter VI u ,s,,ar
unusual type. signed .verus" 1t is letter
provocative OF questions and suggestions.
hence the axcnse for this
"MoJer,. ,b;,nsonhv olvsv. doumatic
mouern pnhosopny. u"sye uos .n,ss
from sheer exhaustion. Why these criti-
cisms of religion and ts ministersP Is IL not
time ,h,t ,hasa ,,hiIosonhc,s admit that the
absolute" Is not of this world? Man does
not take kindly to pure alcohol. The abso-
lutte Ia M, avsr lima ENABLE properly. any
more ,han NV ,,,n ,,n atinn can form any
conception OF the terrestrial globe other than
us a small ball
,h,n .a % rei Is mere osao rSi 90 90 Of
thihe else There is WORKING aVeras0 Va
truth Heroes and heroics. good or oad' n-
evitahly commit suicide. Whatever exists
buman,,v,. >,o.Sa ,hat 4, "a noIished bald"
ns'i nm ueeus 'han 10 pVnsneu sr-
OF ali superhuities Religion forms no eH-
cations M ve.ntr,es and so forth. profane as
.ho" 49, alu :" ~ 80 ,,in;mum
.nns seem' mus' Ieaiy rrples.n' .ns .hnr. ia
no superfuous friction: At follows the line Of
least resis,ance ends in N resultant force. and
in fact. does everything that all other thin gs
nust do nccord;nS to re nhi,oaonbers
n ssen,s ~ thns nrocticaI rnnn "a n all ma
,ions or raceS sra dssnlw ra,iwinus and IL also
seems that such races or nations as were not
religious died out; otherwise they would be
annihiNtion for the sake ~ absolute truth
and life together with relative truth?
it would lie a pity 10 be extn gu sned merely
reflect in time that no great man or institu-
tion has ever thriven on logic: that II you
bring into Reconsideration the spirit OF the
The nhilosopbers teach the distribution Of
labor. The enforced specialization Of civiliza-
tion 1.-THE definite heterogeneityl, yet very
iilogically refuse to allow the prlest 20 pc
spec n.s,; he' e"ci oe HIS Wv" p'''
OnlV men who apprehend the emotions
can deal effectively with the sane ,philoso-
piers pardon the word II IL full OF meaning, 4.
All emotion seeks expression. 1t crystal
Lies into poetry. art. religion-the three
teachipa is M turallv in the hands Of experts
~-nyies,s poets, artists. and 30 forth Not
only does en0tion seek eSpress.oih n us' Who
eApItssi1n VI !. 10 a., no.om "au .amJ;no sea
conLrol INC acMons o, si'd H., hmn,nn nassions
are the upholdcrs OF our entire civilization.
Let the philosophers give ns suOstMn.s
for religiO Let them put IL into worrying
order, well organized, capable OF controlling
men a actions every moment OF the day anu
dark 1t is true as they say tnat t ,hey are are
uo oI ais U - s,h.t;.,,,s, a ,rwa one. HIT what
ny ooe 40 o,lor ia c,,rrsnt coin what II the
II tne lHist Moln 10 cuI un. S"'.. w, II II SelS
true one will not be accepted, what II IL 'en
to pieces for lack OF alloy . .,,o;on
let the philosophers eliminate reiiHon
from the so,ll and then attempt TO persuade
the wife that race-suicide IL wrong, the child
that lying y not advantageGnst that shg ivppcbina
that living il useini tne mop .'ia Az, nNar is
is crin'nal, or tne cleIk '''"' "'' VnpITAs.
not MS leRltmate prey
we" ''"N'.'
To TUE EpIroR OF THE SrS--Sir. Let me
remind the philosopher who signed himself
"Verus" to nm article on The Philosophy OF
Life in The Sun OF yesterday, that curing
the time of Louis XIV. and OF ' oltaire, religion
wes s,de-tracked and philosophy held sway.
60. ~ 49, -saI,e &c tbat axneriment are
told thus by Cary'e. t., Teal, ,r, =,
ms era sa zen ,in nr.,v n had Was chiefly
poprovsd and from those very ages which il &C
V"Ineu IN aas 81 Louis w we may say that It's
very power, It's rstcrsI strength. It's knowledge.
all that II had, were borrowed ,,,,,,,,,,or AND
,r,, o1nsn 1,Ins i,nn there was OF it's kind only.
except the NOMINATED windows, almost nothing
to the seen thereby ,,,,., i, .,,,r,,o,, ,,a,
None OF th0se ali no,n,. man none even Of
,so.. discoveries that nave the most subjected eI
,trnal n s,urc 10 his purposes. were made in that
sac
They invented simply nothing: not one of man >
virtues not one OF mans powers is due to them
IN ali these respects the age OF Louis Nv. is among
Considering the then position OF ansi.S, Is no,
singular that the aye OF louis ~ shou,u nav , p
what u Was-sn age w,tnon, az talent. an
a aTn Of shallow csarness Of polish self eonce
sceptic,sm and all forms OF perslnage.
Give Inc death stab to that horrid incubus
lure in HaFk stunning