The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-01
a Remarkable Article in the Yale
Review Upon the One Element That
Defies Analysis in a "Mechanical
Universe of Physics and Chemistry"
By JOHN BURROUGHS
, JOHN BURROUGHS,
In the Yale Review.

structiYe FORMS and behold 1t translated into
pure energy. need disturb no one.
The puzzle or the contradiction appears when
we try to think of being part of nature,
having his genesis in her material forces who
Is yet able to master and direct nature, re.
Versing her processes and defeating her ends
opposing his will to her fatalism. his mercy to
her cruelty--in short, being who thinks,
dreams. aspires, loves truth, Justice, goodness
and sits In Judgment upon the very gods he
worshlps Must he not bring new rorco. an
alien power? Can a part be greater than the
whole! Can the psychic dominate the physical
out OF which 1t came? Again we have only to
enlarge our conception of the physical-the
natural--or make faith measure up to tho
demands OF reason. Our reason demands that
the natural order be all-incusive. Can our
faith In the divinity Of matter measure up to
this standard? Not till we free ourselves from
the inherited preJudices which have grown up
from our everyday struggles with gross mat
ter We must follow the guidance of science
ill we penetrate this husk and see its real
mystical and transcendental character, as
Tyndall did.
When we have followed matter from mass to
molecule from moecule to atom, from atom to
eectron and seen it In effect de-materialized-
seen 1t in it's fourth ethereal, had almost
said spiritual state-when we have grasped
the wonder Of radio.activity, and the atomic
transforms tons that attend it, we shall have a
conception of the potencies and possibilities OF
matter that robs scientific materialism of most
OF It's ugliness. or course, deductions OF
science can satisfy our longings for something
Kindred to our own spirits in the universe. But
neither our telescopes nor our microscopes re-
veal such reality Is this longing only the re.
suit Of our inevitable anthropomorphism or ia
1t the evidence Of things unseen, the substance
OF things hoped for, the prophecy Of our kim
ship with the farthest star? Can soul arise out
or soulless universe?
Though the secret Of life is under our feet
yet how strange and mysterious 1t seemsl It
draws our attention away from matter. 1t
ar arises among the inorganic elements like
visitant from another sphere. It is q new thing
in the world. Consciousness is new thing
yet huxley nakeH$ft one of his trinity of real
Nies-nlatter. energy, and consciousness. We
not see the divinity they emoody. We call
that sacred andtdtvne which is far off and un.
atta!nable.
Life and mind are so Impossible Of explana-
ton In terms OF matter and energy that 1t Is
not to be wondered at that mankind has 80
long looked upon their appearance upon this
earth as miraculous event But until science
opened our eyes we did not know that the
celestial and tile. terrestrial are one and that
we are already lin the heavens among the
stars. When we .emancipate ourselves from
the bondage ofFwont and use, and see with
clear vision our relations to the Cosmos all
our ideas OF materialism and spirituaism are
made over, and we how the two are one:
how life and death play into each others hands
and how the whole truth of things cannot be
compassed by any number of finite minds
When we are bold enough to ask the cues.
lion, Is life an addition to matter, or an eyolu
tlon from matter? how all these ,,ltra-scien.
tific theories about life as a separate entity
wilt and fade away If We know ANYTHING
about the ways OF creative energy we know
that they are not as our ways; we know Its
processes bear no analogy to the linear and
external doings of man. Creative energy yorls
from within; it identifies itself with, and is in.
separable FROM the elements in which n xvorlrs
iui Know that IN this very statement am ideal.
1Zlng the creative energy, but my reader will.
trust, excuse this inevitable anthronomor
phism The way Of the creative energy 10 the
way OF evolution. When we begin to introduce