New-York tribune., 1922-12-11
Brains Nunbed
By Our Morals,
Says DIR. Pitkin
Columbia Professor Defends
Average Citizen; Finds
Him Eihically Childish,
but Not Mentally Stupid
Sees Changed Era Coming
Prophesies individuals Then
viii Patronize Scientific
Experts Instead of Priests

The Man-in-the-Street, also known as
Mr. Average Citizen, found defender
last night IN DR.. Walter D. Pitkln, as
sociate professor Of philosophy at Co
iumbia University, fro mthe charge
made rather generally Of late that he
Is dumb.
Mr.. Pitkin. speaking 40 Cooper Union,
said the common man isn't stupid
only that his morals make him appear
that way.
The professor derided the recent OBJ
servations Of his fellow intellectuals
that the average Of intelligence IN tho
general population is deplorabiy low,
and took exceptions TO conclusions
based on intelligence tests, which, he
said, are incomplete and faulty. He
even denied pointblank that the human
race Is ga little brother TO tho ape"
''You hHve heard and read much
lately about the low intelligence OF
the public" he said. THE view pre-
walls widely In intellectual circles that
the common people are quite stupid.
That is a mistake.
Morals Childish, Not People
Tntelligent men have reasoned that
because our present-day moral codes
arc childish, the people who accept
them are childish. The real reason our
present ethical standards are childish
Is because throughout history mans
habits Of thinking and behavior have
been hxed In childhood and adolescence
through no fault OF his. The cause Is
chiefly that an overwhelming number
Of people In each generation are COM
peeled 70 assume adult responsibilities
before they are adults
Several -Men-In- -The-Stroet, who had
dropped In for the lecture. looked obvi-
ousiy relieved ct hearing this gallant
defense and listened intently to the end
Of the professors somewhat academic
dissertation on "The Morals Of To-
morrow"
The day Is sominH, be said By way
Of prophecy, when individuals facing
moral decisions will take them to seien-
ufe experts IN ohlce buildings for ad-
vice rtther than 20 their priests or
prophets In church studies. For, he
asserted, science Is to replnce the
church In prescribing the moral stand
ards Of tomorrow.
Defects OF Youth in Morals Now
~First we must overthrow existing
ideas based on adoleseent thinking" he
said. "Current moral formulas have
the defects Of youthful minds, too great
sensitiveness and too little analytical
"Romsnticism, in which the wish is
father 10 the thought, charaeterizes
much present moral thinking, as does
noeiodramaties. exemplihed In depend
ence on moral heroes, millenial eraS
and religious reviYals.
"a tendency TO simplify the world
70 dogma and formula is another char
acteristic. From Plato's time 70 this
we have had n score Of law givers who
have set up standards Of the 'one right
way 10 live and earn the appreciation
OF contemporaries and escape hell fre
All have been proposed by ehilolike
minds. They have set up, speaking
generally and In turn, justice, love
conscience, the brotherhood Of man and
reliance on political forms as guides
70 morals. All are Ineffective"
Two Ways for Future
Two ways must be followed TO es-
tabllsh proper moral standards In the
future. the speaker asserted. The first
/ is 10 extend the principle OF morai
education, 80 that teachers will con-
troll the life and not just ineuleate
precepts Of right living-a develop
ment Of which may be the combina-
tion Of school and family life. The
second Is 20 apply the theory pre-
ventive medicine to morals, 1. O., 70
utilize scientific teehniques 10 avert
damages 10 the fabric Of human re-
lationships.
"By one we will build up n resist:
ance in the individual against harmful
acts" no explained. "By the other we
Will remove the evil consequences, OF
NJ least minimize them. The second
remedy will make what we now know
as virtues unnecessary"
Thus, according 10 DR.. Pitkin, sell
ence is 70 be used to control human
nature through the teehniqucs Of psy-
ehology and medicine, arrange physical
environment through the teehniques Of
engineering and agriculture and re-
form social relationships through the
/ technique Of economies.
DR.. pitkin spoke before the Peoples
Institute Open Forum. He was intro
dueed by Everett Dean Martin, its d.
/ rector.