The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-24
SAYS ANIMALS
ARE IMMORTAL

Immortal man." they used to say.
Now it is immortal animal
Prof Howison, of the University of
California, at Berkeley, Cal, argues
that, since intelligence is eternally ex-
istent, and since animals have intel
ligence, ergo the beast of the field is
immortal.
Furthermore, the professor thinks it
passing peculiar that any one in the
twentieth century should be startled at
the idea. For startled many We're. as
illustrated in the student audience
which gathered in his class of ethics,
where animal importantly was declar-
ed, and who fingered long thereafter
to discuss the sensation.
Those who are startled by the dec
laration, supposes Prof. Howfson, per-
haps are the least fitted to compre-
bend what is signified thereby, all that
it entails, on what it is founded. He
bases his argument for the immor-
tality of animal life on the same con-
siderations that he would use in de-
Tending the Immortality of mankind.
And these considerations are so COM
plicated, involving so many ramifica-
lions over so large a territory OF
science and philosophy that nothing
less than many volumes would be re-
quired to give it a sufficient statement.
But granting Immortality to man as
based on the fact that it is his intel
ligence that lives forever, what is
amazing in affirming that intelligence
in an animal is immortal?
1t is the result, says the venerable
philosopher, of the old religious super
stition that has it's foundation in such
languages as 1.-The beasts of the field
that perish And what is considered
commonplace by men who occupy their
minds in research among these lines
comes as striking innovation to other
classes of people, who are unaccustom-
ed to such study.
Wherever mind is found. the i'm
mutable, unchanging mind, the mind
which is not the result of processes,
but is part of that mind which is alb
solutely unchanging, and so makes
man responsible legally-wherever that
mind is found in ma nor beast. there
is immortality. To this mind death is
merely an experience, and like all
other experiences, serves simply to re-
more hindrances to the intellectual ia
Guilty.
Man is the mental superior of the
animal simply because a greater num-
Der of these hindrancee to intellection
have been removed. This removal of
hindrances constitutes evolution Not
in adding to but a taking away from. |
Animals are gifted with intellect. as
are men. The difference in tellect is
measured by the difference in the OBJ
stacleS to the free exercise of the in
telfectual faculty. With the increase
of intelligence comes an increase of
control a perfectionment of control
Has animal life the reflective faculty
of mind? Without doubt they have
Here is the basis for the argument of
their intelligence. For intelligence
must be there if the power of reflection
is present. Once it is granted that ami
mai life has intelligence the recognition
follows that it must exist eternany lust
as men will exist eternally. Are ami
mails capable of overcoming the obsta-
cles to the free exercise of the intel
lectual faculty?
The savant of California answers
yes, Which scouts the materialistic idea
OF the soul as product of matter.
Reverting to the sage of California, /
the religion of the Buddha was cited /
as an example of recognition given by
a great religious teacher to the lower
animals. Alone does the doctrine of
Buddha embrace a recognition of the
dignity of the lower order of animals.
The Buddhist forbears to slaughter
animals, be it for food, sport or scien- |
tific purposes; he discredits the theory