The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-12-13
EVOLUTION OF MORAL LAW
Synthetic Study of the Evolution and Gradual
Development of Moral Law
Paper Before Chautauqua Circle By Mr. L. L. (Optmo'

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obtaining in the human family
today.
But there must have been a
psychological moment, in the far
distant past, when the creature
ceased to be only animal, and be-
came partly man. And simultane-
ously with this physical change,
there must. also, have been u men,
tai change. The new creature be-
came less an instructive and more
a reflective animal.
Being Heretofore impelled in its
motions by instinct, and governed
by the rule of might, the new
creature began now to respond to
the impetus of a more highly de-
veloped brain organ. With the
passing centuries came a clearer
perspective of his relation to his
fellows. The primordial law of
physical force became secondary to
the actuating energy of higher,
moral law. And to-day, that per-
son, or that nation, is less moral,
and predominantly more animalis-
tic. that depends most upon force
to attain its ends. True. there are
individuals, and nations, upon
whom moral suasion has little or
no effect: with such, civil law, or
the law of force is necessary. /
speak of civil law as the law OF
force, because it is so defined.
Webster says, that" civil law is, in
general, a rule of being or of con-
duct, established by an authority
able to enforce its will" And
maintain, that it was through the
administratione@of of civil law that
man gained his first tangible con-
ception of the proper attitude to
be maintained by him towards his
fellows.
Thou shalt not steal" had not
it's origin in the belching thunders
of Sinai. That law is as old as
property, and has been enforced
by brute beasts. with a blow of the
paw, a stroke of the hoof, wound
with the teeth; and these towering,
relentless walls are eloquent evi-
dence that the advanced animal
must, even yet, use a measure of
force, to protect his person and
his property. And until, in the
fuller processes of evolution, man
kind shall have attained those sub
lime intellectual heights where any
baseness, either of thought or OF
action, will prove repugnant to
him, such measures must be
adopted.
Moral law, then, 1 hold to be
the product of that higher grade
of intelligence which, more than
his physical form, differentiates
the human of to-day from the
purely animal of both yesterday
and to-day. Also, in our teach
ings, by precept or example, OF
both. civil law has precedence over
moral law. We enforce obedience
of the child by threat of punish
ment, and by punishment more Of
ten than by moral suasion.
As chemistry leads us at once tt
the question of the ultimate consti
tuition of matter. and we learn thai
the atom and the ether are meta
physical conceptions; as biology
conducts US at once to the origin
of life, and we learn that every
science is rooted in philosophy; 81
does civil law lead us to a NOR,
comprehensive contemplation O.
moral law. And as we teach sci
ence before we teach philosophy
and as instruction in physics hal
precedence over instruction il
metaphysics; so, also, by either
precept or example. we are mad,
cognizant of the existence of civi
law before it dawns upon oul
growing intelligence that there il
a superior law which to observ.
. will cause US to, at all times, main
tain towards our fellows a righ'