New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
av Jseob Gould sehurnnan. IL. D.

Ss already been described in these col
,,,,,s It is this presentation Of the
s,.storo we are now to consider. 1t may,
% course. be necessary 10 allude TO oth2r
features and to develop other imphca-
t;ons But an earnest effort will DC
made 10 assign nothing 10 socialism
which the socialists themselves would
not regard either as an essential part OF
tho system or a necessary deduction
from It,
There are some doctrines regarded by
sociaIists as a part of their confession OF
faith which cause much perpleXity TO
critics otherwise sympathetic. These
doctrines do not seem TO be logical or
necessary part of the system. And they
arc dogmas of the most colossal magni-
tude-dogmas unverif1ed and unverif-
able. And. still worse. they are of such
an abstract and metaphysical character
that man who is not an expert in
metaphysics or the philosophy Of his
tory could scarcely be expected TO under
stand them, much less TO accept or adj
vocate them.
THE MATERIALisTIc CONCEPTION.
One of these colossal dogmas is the so
called materialistic Interpretation of his
tory. We are gravely assured that this
is 'the foundation of socialism This
dogma is lauded as one of the greatest
discoveries Of modern times Yet ii is as
old as philosophic thinking, for it is
merely a special form of materialism.
The dogma was presented to the social
lists by Karl Marx. a descendant of
Jewish rabbis for many generations.
Marx inherited the ancestral bent for
subtle dialectics and rash speculation.
In his youth Hcgels philosophy, the
most speculative system Of modern
times was in the ascendent in Germany,
and Marx became an adherent of the
school When the reaction against
Hegelianism came Marx went with the
left wing to materialism. His dogma of
the materialist Interpretation Of history
is a crude attempt to explain the de-
velopment of mankind by the Grass old
doctrine of materialism set forth in the
new and strange light Of Hcgel's dialec-
tics
The materialistic conception OF history
is neither better nor worse than any
other system Of materialistic philosophy.
Materialism is d mode Of thought whica
makes a certain appeal to the ignorant
and to the half-educated. 1t has always
been discarded by the deepest thinkers,
and is to-day without serious advocates.
In the marts Of thought it is silent, or if
il lifts its voice no one regards it,
TRIUNE NATURE OF MAN.
Man has bodily organism. but he is d
mind and spirit. Any theory Of man
which takes account only of the body
ignores his real nature and essence. And
Marks theory that the course of human
history has been governed by the modes
in which men satisfy their bodily wants
ignores the great truth that man lives
not by bread alone. Starvation and
bread riots have indeed shaped the
course Of human history; but so have re-
ligious faith and moral ideals. and pOliti-
cal aspirations and legal institutions. AMI
scientific truths and phiIosophc specula-
tions. And the socialist philosopher who
sits down to explain the course of human
history must recognize that these intel
lectusl. moral, religious and political elc-
ments have al least as real and substan-
tive a place in the human economy as
tho desire Of food and drink and shelter
and bodily comforts and the economic
Institutions TO which they give rise.
While Marks antecedents and personal
history explain his adoption of material
ism, II is none the less regrettable that
he should have bound socialism in such
mean and narrow swaddling clothes. 1t
has proved a. veritable nightmare on the
minds and hearts Of working men in all
parts of the world who have been fasci-
mated by Marks dream of a cooperative
industrial commonwealth.
DOCTRINE OF CLASS STRUGGLE.
Another Of the colossal dogmas put
forward by socialists as an integral part
Of socialism is the doctrine of class
struggle The whole history Of man
kind" as Engels put 1t in the introduc-
tion to the Communist Manifesto,
has been a history Of class struggles,
contests between exploiting and e%-
plotted, ruling and oppressed classes" "
When the socialists are charged with
making unworthy appeals 10 passion ana
stirring up class hatred they reply that
they are merely formulating law OF
social development for whose existence
they are no more responsible than New
ton was for the law of gravitation. The
economic foundations of society, they
say. involve class divisions; conse-
quently. class struggles. And in these
struggles the ruling class has always
asserted it's own interests. Nay. more
The prevailing system of political IN
stitutions, Of law. of morality even. are
all determined by these class struggles
and settled In the interests Of the eX-
plotting class In the present stage of
social development the conflict culmi-
mates and exprer@c3 itself in the antago-
nism between the wage paying and the
wage paid classes. The former class the
capitalists, dominate in their own IN
terests not only our industries, but our
schools and churches and institutions ~
government And the socialists openly
assert that the legislative, executive ana
judicial powers OF government are con-
trolled by the capitalists, as also the po-
lice and military forces. Glass legislt'
lion In the interests of the employing
class has been enacted. while workers
have begged in vain for protective iesiS-