The Mind in the Making: The Relation of Intelligence to Social ReformRobinson, James Harvey
Philosophy
The Mind in the Making: The Relation of Intelligence to Social Reform
Robinson, James Harvey
Civilization -- History; Social problems; Social psychology
We must look forward to ever new predicaments and adventures. _Nothing
is going to be settled in the sense in which things were once supposed
to be settled, for the simple reason that knowledge will probably
continue to increase and will inevitably alter the world with which we
have to make terms_. The only thing that might conceivably remain
somewhat stabilized is an attitude of mind and unflagging expectancy
appropriate to the terms and the rules according to which life's game
must hereafter be played. We must promote a new cohesion and
co-operation on the basis of this truth. And this means that we have
now to substitute purpose for tradition, and this is a concise
statement of the great revolution which we face.
Now, when all human institutions so slowly and laboriously evolved
are impugned, every consensus challenged, every creed flouted, as
much as and perhaps even more than by the ancient Sophists, the
call comes to us ... to explore, test, and, if necessary, reconstruct
the very bases of conviction, for all open questions are new
opportunities. Old beacon lights have shifted or gone out. Some of
the issues we lately thought to be minor have taken on cosmic
dimensions. We are all "up against" questions too big for us, so
that there is everywhere a sense of insufficiency which is too deep
to be fully deployed in the narrow field of consciousness. Hence,
there is a new discontent with old leaders, standards, criteria,
methods, and values, and a demand everywhere for new ones, a
realization that mankind must now reorient itself and take its
bearings from the eternal stars and sail no longer into the unknown
future by the dead reckonings of the past.[30]
Life, in short, has become a solemn sporting proposition--solemn
enough in its heavy responsibilities and the magnitude of the stakes
to satisfy our deepest religious longings; sporty enough to tickle the
fancy of a baseball fan or an explorer in darkest Borneo. We can play
the game or refuse to play it. At present most of human organization,
governmental, educational, social, and religious, is directed, as it
always has been, to holding things down, and to perpetuating beliefs
and policies which belong to the past and have been but too gingerly
readjusted to our new knowledge and new conditions. On the other hand,
there are various scientific associations which are bent on revising
and amplifying our knowledge and are not pledged to keeping alive any
belief or method which cannot stand the criticism which comes with
further information. The terrible fear of falling into mere
rationalizing is gradually extending from the so-called natural
sciences to psychology, anthropology, politics, and political economy.
All this is a cheering response to the new situation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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