The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-01-28
PROGRESS.


directions is problematical. James Brce, IN
his suggestive address upon progress
concludes that while there has been great
material and political advancement ana
vast increase in knowledge, it is difficult 10
determine whether there has been progress
in intellectual power and moral excellence.
Mr.. Bryce, with his penetrating historic
insight. seems to leave this an open ques-
ton. To the overshadowing question, Has
happiness increased? he offers no DEFINITE
reply, and contents himself with the obser-
walton that happiness is so much matter
of temperament, depending upon pnyslo-
logical conditions which may be affected
by economic and social changes, that 1t
may be necessary to wait for some tune
before attempting to determine whether
modern life makes for happiness.
"Material progress may create expecta-
tons of happiness which cannot, SO far as
we can see, be realized. Thus an age OF
progress may be an age of discomfort. The
broad general question whether the sum OF
human happiness has increased or is in
creasing is the most difficult to treat scien-
tifically.''
When such a careful thinker as Mr..
Bryce approaches the investigation with
caution, it may be rash to assert with posi-
tiveness that men are displaying an in
crease in intellectual power, that they are
growing better in every way, and that the
masses are happier than they ever were
before. 1t may be said that intellectual
gifts are more widely diffused in these
days than formerly, owing to the spread
Of knowledge. The invention of printing
contributed wonderfully to this end. The
intellect of the day has the benefit OF the
garnered intellectual product of all the pre-
ceding ages, so that it has become difficult
FOR the most gifted modern to produce an
original thought. "By necessity" says
Emerson, ''hy proclivity and by delight
we quote"
1t is possible that the literary exuberance
of the age in which we live overtaxes the
mind It is impossible to read all of the
acceptable matter published. The intel
lect becomes confused by the wealth and
variety of the material set before it. To
know few books well is better than to read
a thousand specifically. The persons
who can quote the Bible and Shakespeare
fluently are becoming less numerous. We
are overwhelmed by the vast spawn OF the
press, and hence it may be that increase in
knowledge, so far from stimulating, has
weakened intellectual power. As to this
Mr.. Bryce remarks:
''Plato limited, though to be sure he put
the hint into the mouth of an Egyptian
sage, that the invention of writing had
weakened the powers of the human mind.
Without going SO far, we may we'll doubt
whether the intellectual excellence of an
age can be measured by the number Of
speeches or the amount of printed matter
it produces, and whether the incessant
reading of newspapers and magazines
tends, on the whole, to strengthen the
faculty of thinking
Is man better than he was in former
times? Has morality advanced along with
knowledge? The Greeks were probably
the most intellectual and polished people
of the ancient world; yet they were the
most licentious. This illustrious example
seems to support the assertion that educa-
ton does not necessarily promote morality
An accredited historian of morals observes
that it is one of the plainest facts of his.
tory that neither the individuals nor the
ages that have been most distinguished fol
intellectual attachments have been most
distinguished for moral excellence, ano
that high intellectual pnd material civil
cation has often existed with much de.
pravity:
"The agglomeration of men in great
cities, which are always the centres OIL
progress and enlightenment, is one of the
most important causes of material and in.
tellectual advance; but great towns are the
peculiar seed-plots of vice, and it is ex.
tremely questionable whether they produce
any special or equivalent efflorescence Of
virtue; for even the social virtues are
probably more cultivated in small popula.
tons, where men live in more intimate
relations"
The same writer remarks that while civ.
ilization is very favorable to the charitable
and social virtues, it is in general no,
equally favorable to the production Of
"self-sacrifice, enthusiasm reverence OF
integrity" There is sanction for the view