The Whence and the Whither of Man: A Brief History of His Origin and Development through Conformity to Environment; Being the Morse Lectures of 1895Tyler, John M. (John Mason)
Religion
The Whence and the Whither of Man: A Brief History of His Origin and Development through Conformity to Environment; Being the Morse Lectures of 1895
Tyler, John M. (John Mason)
Evolution
But his powers are still in their infancy and the goal far above
him. What he is to become you and I can hardly appreciate. First of
all, the body will become finer, fitted for nobler ends. It will not
be allowed to degenerate. It may become less fitted for the rough
work, which can be done by machinery; it will be all the better for
higher uses. It is to be transformed, transfigured. The eye may not
see so far, it will be better fitted for perceiving all the beauties
of art and nature. It will become a better means of expressing
personality, as our personality becomes more "fit to be seen." It is
continually gaining a speech of its own. And will not the ear become
more delicate, a better instrument for responding to the finest
harmonies, and better gateway to our highest feelings? We may not
have so many molar teeth for chewing food, but may not our mouths
become ever finer instruments for speech and song? In other words,
the body is to be transfigured by the mind and become its worthy
servant and representative.
As we learn to live for something better than food and clothes, and
cease to pamper the body, it will become better and healthier.
Science will stamp out many diseases, and we shall learn to prevent
others by right living. And what a change in our moral and religious
life will be made by good health. What a cheerful courage and hope
it will give.
Man will become more intelligent. He will learn the laws of heredity
and of life in general. He will see deeper into the relations of
things. He will recognize in himself and his environment the laws of
progress. He will clearly discern great moral truths, where we but
dimly see lights and shadows.
But while we would not underestimate the value and necessity of
growth in knowledge, we must as clearly recognize that the intellect
is not the centre and essence of man's being. Knowledge, while the
surest form of wealth of which no one can rob us, and the best as
the stepping-stone to the highest well-being, is like wealth in one
respect: it is not character and can be used for good or evil. If my
neighbor uses his greater knowledge as a means of overreaching us
all, it injures us and ruins him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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