A first book in organic evolutionShute, D. Kerfoot (Daniel Kerfoot)
Science
A first book in organic evolution
Shute, D. Kerfoot (Daniel Kerfoot)
Evolution
There are many religions in the world, and many creeds
of the one great religion of christendom. They differ in many of the
transcendental doctrines that they teach, and in many of the rules of
conduct that they prescribe for their adherents; but they all contain as
their most fundamental and vitally important basis the double assertion
that there is a soul of the universe, and that this soul makes for
right conduct. The assertion may be thickly overlaid with superstitions
and petty rites by the untrained and dull intelligence of low races,
as in the Eskimos; or it may attain a high degree of development and
perfection, as among the Jews. The refinement and beauty of the double
conception are more and more enhanced with social evolution. Just
in proportion as civilization advances, and men come to reason more
carefully and entertain wider views of life, just to that extent do they
come to value more highly the essential truths of religion, while they
attach less and less importance to many superficial details. It is of
vastly greater moment to us that there is a cosmic soul in the universe
that makes for righteousness than that this soul is threefold or onefold
in its transcendental nature. Also of vastly more moment to us is a
belief in this soul than any opinions we may entertain about eating meat
on Friday or listening to attractive music on Sunday. A thoughtful mind,
penetrated with the conviction of the truth of evolution, entertains
views on all subjects pertaining to man, very different from those held
by one not familiar with the great theory. His conceptions of the first
Adam are profoundly modified by a flood of facts. If this flood sweep
him on irresistibly, and equally profoundly modifies his conceptions of
the second Adam, can it not be seen that even this is a fact of small
significance compared with that other fact of overwhelming importance,
viz.: the fact of the existence in the universe of a cosmic soul that
makes for righteousness? Man is essentially a religious animal, and
there is a very substantial philosophical basis for his religion.[23]
His religion may be highly colored with emotion, or it may be coldly
philosophical. When Herbert Spencer speaks of the eternal Power in the
universe which makes for righteousness and is manifested in every event
of the universe as the Unknowable, does he not do what Holy Writ has
already done? “Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” When
Carlyle speaks of the Universe as in very truth the star-domed city of
God, and reminds us that through every crystal and through every grass
blade, but most through every living soul, the glory of a present God
still beams, he means much the same thing that Mr. Spencer does when
he speaks of a Power that is inscrutable in itself, yet is revealed
from moment to moment in every throb of the mighty rhythmic life of
the universe. The only difference is that Mr. Spencer speaks in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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