The Unpopular Review, Number 19: July-December 1918Various
History
The Unpopular Review, Number 19: July-December 1918
Various
American periodicals
Although Fiske was as thoroughly convinced of Evolution as Spencer was,
he did not stop at its demonstration within the limits which Spencer
imposed upon himself, but followed it into the fields of the spirit, as
illustrated by the titles of some of his essays: _The Idea of God_,
_Through Nature to God_, _Life Everlasting_, _The Origin of Evil_, _The
Unseen World_.
When, in the fifties and sixties, Science abolished the anthropomorphic
limitations of the Creator, it did not stop there, but abolished, for
the time being, _all_ the anthropomorphic qualities, including those
that have not necessarily any limitations at all. While the universe,
despite frequent inadequacy, disproportion and catastrophe, still
abounds in obvious beauty and happiness, Science for a time shut its
eyes to beneficence, and denied benevolence and even purpose. Fiske did
more than anybody else has yet done to restore them--to show that they
are corollaries of Evolution. He said, in his _Cosmic Philosophy_: "The
process of evolution is itself the working out of a mighty Teleology of
which our finite understandings can fathom but the scantest rudiments."
He did more just there than any modern philosopher, perhaps than any
philosopher, to show that this teleology is beneficent, and so to
restore the attitude of mind which it may not yet be too late to call
Faith in God and Immortality.
This attitude of mind, however, has received some impetus from new
phenomena now open to Psychical Research, but hardly yet as much new
impetus as the old one Fiske gave it with more limited materials.
The following passages indicate in brief what Fiske gave at length in
his _Idea of God_, _Destiny of Man_, _Origin of Evil_ and kindred
writings. Contrast them with the quotation from Spencer a page or two
back: This is the closing passage of _The Unseen World_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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