The Washington herald., 1921-04-19
PROGRESS AN ILLUsIONf
WERE THE ANCIENTs RIGHT

Is progress an nlusion7- was tn.
question that T. A. Johnstone
raised in his paper at the last mee1
ing Of the Society for Philosophical
Inquiry.
The idea that progress is the-S
ory which, as Prof. Bury, OF Cam
bridge, says Involves a synthesis
Of the past and prophecy of the fu-
ture.' is modern" he declared. The
ancient thinkers Of Greece and
Rome. such as Plato and Seneca. did
not regard man as slowly advancing
in a definite and desirable direction
or infer that this progress would
continue indefinitely and that a con-
dition Of general happiness will ui-
timately be enjoyed.
These ancients looked back 70 a
Golden Age in the past, since when
men had been slowly degeneratinc.
The Christian Church Of the Middle
Ages, with it's doctrine Of total de-
prsvity and its other worldly ideals,
had no place for the modern ideal
The great war has disillusionized
us with regard to some things, and
makes pertinent a re-examinAtion OF
this theory. Can we. on a prior
grounds or on a careful study OF
history. believe in this indefinite
progress towards universal peace
and happiness? May not such a
theory be an Illusion? The consti-
tuition OF mans nature makes him
untitled for such progress. He is
a creature OF opposing elements and
forces. In his individual life therS
is period OF growth followed by a.
period of decline. Is Il not reason 4
n IN
will always be the case in his larger
social and corporate history? The
most cursory review OF the past
shows great advances in the human
, march Of civilization, followed by
periods Of decline"
Material gains do not show real
| progress. Men are more comforta-
bic in their ways OF living: their
work is easier: their leisure longer:
! they are probably becoming health
I ier. They will be better animals
4 in the future. but will they know
more of literature, OF art. will they
be happier, will they attain uni-
/ versal peace? To all these ques-
tions experience suggests a mega
! tive. There is more knowledge in
| the world today than ever before,
but IL is in the minds Of the few.
/ II benefits the many in its practical
applications; but IL does not in
| crease their brain power. The in
| tellectual level 10 getting lower. and
I the art OF thinking is almost a lost
art. The progress OF the world is
mechanical. which will render life
| gradually less interesting"
TN morals we are deteriorsting,
as is evident to every one. while
4
piled we are losing happiness in,
stead OF Increasing Il. Our mate
rial and mechanical civilization IS
unfavorable to individual f-licityI
/ Happiness is OF the affections and
| its primary center is the home; but
our restless. superficial manner %
! life is unfRvorable TO emotional
depth. and we seem to be getting
away from the idea OF the home
| Eugenics will. after some ages, un-
doubtedly destroy the conception ot
! romantic love- the one greatest
source OF human happiness
"As TO universal peace at any
epoch OF the worlds history In the
future Il must be pronounced the
most gossamer-like Of all illusions.
Within even our lifetime a number
OF great. and several little, wars
have been fought. The greatest OF
all wars has not changed human
nature. Its horrors will soon be
forgotten. There will always be
occasions and causes for war. Per
haps the last war Of all will be
only the war that destroys our
world, or at least our civilization.
There may come a day when at the
hour when Macaulsy's New zeslan.
der 10 sketchinE the ruins OF St
Paul's 4 mild hammered Nongolisn
may be sketchinE the ruins Of the
United States Capitol"
j Sweet clover cured in the suY
contains more protein than thai
cured In the shade.
Y Waste moiAsses forms an effective
fertilizer for young sugar cane