The reasoning here appears as unassailable as it is obvious. If, as the
writer goes on to say, we see a rabbit panting in the iron jaws of a
spring trap, and in consequence abhor the devilish nature of the being
who, with full powers of realizing what pain means, can deliberately
employ his whole faculties of invention in contriving a thing so
hideously cruel; what are we to think of a Being who, with yet higher
faculties of thought and knowledge, and with an unlimited choice of
means to secure His ends, has contrived untold thousands of mechanisms
no less diabolical? In short, so far as Nature can teach us, or
'observation can extend,' it does appear that the scheme, if it is a
scheme, is the product of a Mind which differs from the more highly
evolved type of human mind in that it is immensely more intellectual
without being nearly so moral. And the same thing is indicated by the
rough and indiscriminate manner in which justice is allotted--even if it
can be said to be allotted at all. When we contrast the certainty and
rigour with which any offence against 'physical law' is punished by
Nature (no matter though the sin be but one of ignorance), with the
extreme uncertainty and laxity with which she meets any offence against
'moral law,' we are constrained to feel that the system of legislation
(if we may so term it) is conspicuously different from that which would
have been devised by any intelligence which in any sense could be called
'anthropopsychic.'
The only answer to these difficulties open to the natural theologian is
that which is drawn from the constitution of the human mind. It is
argued that the fact of this mind having so large an ingredient of
morality in its constitution may be taken as proof that its originating
source is likewise of a moral character. This argument, however, appears
to me of a questionable character, seeing that, for anything we can tell
to the contrary, the moral sense may have been given to, or developed
in, man simply on account of its utility to the species--just in the
same way as teeth in the shark or poison in the snake. If so, the
occurrence of the moral sense in man would merely furnish one other
instance of the intellectual, as distinguished from the moral, nature of
God; and there seems to be in itself no reason why we should take any
other view. The mere fact that to _us_ the moral sense seems such a
great and holy thing, is doubtless (under any view) owing to its
importance to the well-being of our species. In itself, or as it appears
to other possible beings intellectual like ourselves, but existing under
unlike conditions, the moral sense of man may be regarded as of no more
significance than the social instincts of bees. More particularly may
this consideration apply to the case of a Mind existing, according to
the theological theory of things, wholly beyond the pale of anything
analogous to those social relations out of which, according to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account