Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07
Science Aids Civilization
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arouse among normal people are proof
that mankind has gone q lori way to-
ward wiping out the cannibalisttc In
stinct and will probably succeed In
completely eliminating 1t.
Incest, which cannot be discussed
fully In ley publication such as this,
Is more firmly intrenched than canni-
balism, but nevertheless 1t also is being
slowly subordinated. Records show that
even savage tribes have many taboos
against it and frequently punish 1t with
death. In higher states OF civilization
everywhere 1t is regarded with horror.
Mankind's Chief Fight.
Therefore, the chief fight which man
kind faces today is against the crime
Of murder This leaning toward muir
der is much more common than Is real
lied by decent, gentle-mannered people.
Every one Of us has in his makeup
little of the sadist. This is why o
moving picture audience Is immediately
aroused to interest when the great tight
scene Is flashed on the screen and men
struggle pr1mitiyely in an effort to kill
each other. The sadistic instinct is also
at the base Of a number of strenuous
sports, through which it finds mild
expression and q safe outlet. Under
the old rules, for instance, foot ball re-
leased much Of the deeply hidden desire
to injure which turks In many men.
The gentlest souls in the world may
them coming to the surface under the
pressure Of circumstances. A woman
know, who is one of the finest, most
tender-hearted persons of my acquaint-
ance, went one night to a prize fight.
It would have been my guess that she
would either have tainted or would
have rebelled ut remaining at the Tight
when it became bloody and brutal.
But such did not turn out to be the
case. The combat was between a big,
strong man and a smaller. younger,
weaker one. The smaller man made a
brave fight and took his punishment
heroically. When his face was cut, one
eye closed, a tooth knocked out and one
ear lacerated he was still gamely stick
ing on. At this point the woman jumped
to her feet and cheered him. She was
completely lifted out of herself. She
was urging him to stand up and receive
even more brutal blows than he had
already taken, but she had no realiza-
ton either Of what she was doing or
why she was dong 1t. Deep in her ma
ture was a fear born of her own physical
weakness, and her encouragement to
the weaker man to 60 on, not to accept
defeat, was actuated by the fact that
she had mentally put herself in his
place. She was fighting with her back
90 the wall.
But though the instinct to injurs is
present in almost every one and is so
strong in some atavistic types that they
actually injure for the pleasure of It,
fhnrc lie M %0a,hf Tint avian fhiS-Sha
most stubborn of all bestial instincts
is gradually being weakened by the
forces which are building up civiliZa-
ton.
Progress Through Years.
Though retarded in his upward climb,
and sometimes under the blows of war,
pestilence or famine, actually losing
ground which 1t takes him several CEN
turtles to regain, the human being is
slowly crawling toward the light. He
has evolved to his present state from
lowly beginnings, and the very power
for growth which that implies is guar
anty that he will grow to even larger
spiritual stature. even though it Nmay
not be possible for us to observe any
appreciate biological or psychological
change in one century or even 10. We
much remember that hundred thou
sand years are almost nothing In the
infinity of time. Furthermore, we
must remember that this tendency to
injure and to destroy is capable of
serving socially valuable ends when it
is directed against structures and
usages which are evil.
Some occult force In the world-we
cannot exactly define it-makes for
progress. This force is represented In
religion, law. education. science, bust
ness and many other institutions. One
Of its manifestations Is the power of
physical growth. The mere instinct to
grow all inherent in even the lowest
forms Of life Is amazing. A striking
example of this lies in q recent state;
ment Of Prof. Carrel, who has devoted
many years of research TO experiments
in keeping animal cells alive. He says
that If the small group of cells which he
has kept alive in his laboratory during
the last Is years had been allowed to
grow and reproduce without hindrance
they would In that short time have be-
come a mass as large as our universe
itself. This gives us a vivid indication
of the vast energy back OF all lie.
Has Spiritual Side.
Nor Is that energy all physical; 1t
also has its spiritual side. Even in the
comparatively short period of recorded
history we can observe groups OF people
here and there yearning Tor Detter
things, for higher plane OF living, but
unable to pull themselves up to this
plane until some great spiritual leader
rises to show them the way. When such
q leader does appear many Of them fol-
low him eagerly. The Oriental religious
leaders, Confusius and Buddha, per-
formed this service. Christ Is the COM
paratively modern outstanding example.
1t IS noticeable In all upward move
rnents that men set for themselves an
unattainable goal. They strive for
something for which they have a need
within themselves. and though they may
not achieve it. in the effort to do so
thew take q long step forward. Pro-
hibition is an example of this straining
toward an ideal Men and women would
like to feel that they could say to them
selves. 1--WE shall never again have
drunkards; we shall eliminate all
temptation to excessive drinking"
government business, asking an audi