The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-04-07

INC llISu0E pdiIS Vi IllS oOul, anu 10
just as strong as other such instincts,
e. g., the instinct of self-preservation.
But it is impossible that such an in
stinct exists which could not find its
satisfaction. Hence there must be
true and real happiness for man.
For if this natural instinct for hap
piness could not be satisfied,
a. Human nature would be built
on a contradiction, mans existence
would be without a purpose, and man
would be unhappier than the brute,
whose desires and strivings are not
after the infinite as with man. Even
a Darwinist could not give a salts
factory answer to the question:
What good has it been to man to have
survived his opponent in his strug-
gle for existence Survival of the fit
tesD? Shall his higher development
serve only to make man more I'M
happy?
b. Since we have proved the eX-
istence of God, this matter is still
palmer 1t can not be imagined that
the God of Truth should put into our
hearts lies and empty hopes; that
the good God could make cruel sport
of deception with his creatures; that
the wise God should have organized
the soul for perfect happiness and
filled it with the Unsuitable thirst for
happiness and then should destroy it.
Hence we must conclude that there
is such a happiness. But that this
ia, hit
only in the life beyond, in immortal
ity, is proved by the daily experience
of all men, the good and the bad, the
rich and the poor. True happiness
is not to be found in this world. No
Solomon or Alexander, no Goethe or
Bismarck was perfectly happy. Bis
marck once confessed to a company of
guests: Il hardly ever was a really
happy man in my life. If | add all the
sparse minutes of true happiness to-
gether, there will hardly be more than
twenty-four hours These happy
moments were when he shot his first
rabbit as young man, his family
life, but not politics. CSee TaeSliche
Rundschau, Feb, 1880.
That the man who wallows in the
mire of sin, drinks the cup Of pleasure
to the dregs, is not happy, is the COM
mon experience of ali worldings.
Theysknow that it is vanity of vani-
ties, and all is vanity" if they are
honest with themselves and others.
Without belief in God and the i'm
mortality of the soul we can under
~ ,I,l~ of
Schopenhauer's (11S60) pessimism
and the general suicide-philosophy of
Won Hartmann (T1906). According to
SchOpenhauer man in the conscious
ness of his misery is in reality the
most unhappy being, comparable to
manure cart in d rainy night, on
whose tongue hangs a stable lantern
consciousness to throw light on the
dreary picture.
Happiness consists in blowing out
the lantern, in extinction of life, in
Nirvana (The extinction or non-per-
Sonal existence of man after death
according to the doctrine of Bud
dhism). According to Won Hartmann
Fthe rougher and duller" being is
the more it approaches happiness.
He writes: Just think how com
fortably an OK or hog lives, almost
as though it had learned from
Aristotle to seek thoughtlessness and
Care-freenesS, instead like NAM to
chase after happiness. How much
more painful is the life of the sensi-
tive horse compared to the dull
hog :" (Philosophie DIES Unbe-
wussten-The Philosophy of the I'm
conscious-Sth ed, vol. H., p. 1922.
Whoever, therefore, is not able to
know the happiness of the bristle-
bearing animals dullness or the graft
fication of the horned cattle, will
draw from this consequence of in
fidelity the only reasonable conclu-
sion. There is an eternal life, and
he will confess with the great st. Au-
gustine (f430): Thou has made us
for Thyself, o God, and our heart is
restless till it rests in Thee"
y Besides this instinct for happi
ness there are other proofs for the
immortality of the soul, which | will
only allude to- There is first the spir-
ituality of the soul (Cf. No. SO, of this
series) and the justice of God. There
is no equalizing justice in this world.
The good and just must often suffer,
are oppressed and despised, whilst
the wicked prosper, have money
property, honors and enjoyments are
at their disposal. The proverb says:
"Petty thieves are hanged, the great
ones go free" So many monster law
suits and so little clearness, such
great crimes and often such small
punishments, so much bribery, cum
ming and cheating!
Vice is often so shameful, revolt
ing, daring, and insolent, virtue is
often gagged and down-trodden, that
one might be tempted to think:
There is no just God.
Certainly, if there were no eternal
retribution, that would be true.
Deus patiens est, quia aeternus est
God is patient because He is eter-
nal. says st. Augustine. God can
wait patiently because He has a
whole eternity to reward or punish
everyone according to his works, the