But we have not time at present for entering upon so vast a subject. Let
this reference suffice to show that it has not been passed over or
forgotten in my theory of the genesis of Humanity. In an account of the
evolution of the religious sentiment, its first appearance as coeval, or
nearly so, with the beginnings of the ethical process would assume great
importance. We have here been concerned purely with the ethical process
itself, which we have found to be--as Huxley truly says in his
footnote--part and parcel of the general process of evolution. Our
historical survey of the genesis of Humanity seems to show very forcibly
that a society of Human Souls living in conformity to a perfect Moral
Law is the end toward which, ever since the time when our solar system
was a patch of nebulous vapour, the cosmic process has been aiming.
After our cooling planet had become the seat of organic life, the
process of natural selection went on for long ages seemingly, but not
really at random; for our retrospect shows that its ultimate tendency
was towards singling out one creature and exalting his intelligence.
Now we have seen that this increase of intelligence itself, by entailing
upon Man the helplessness of infancy, led directly to the production of
those social conditions that called the ethical process into play and
set it actively to work. Thus we may see the absurdity of trying to
separate the moral nature of Man from the rest of his nature, and to
assign for it a separate and independent history. The essential
solidarity in the cosmic process will admit of no such fanciful
detachment of one part from another. All parts are involved one in
another. Again, the ethical process is not only part and parcel of the
cosmic process, but it is its crown and consummation. Toward the
spiritual perfection of Humanity the stupendous momentum of the cosmic
process has all along been tending. That spiritual perfection is the
true goal of evolution, the divine end that was involved in the
beginning. When Huxley asks us to believe that "the cosmic process has
no sort of relation to moral ends," I feel like replying with the
question, "Does not the cosmic process exist purely for the sake of
moral ends?" Subtract from the universe its ethical meaning, and nothing
remains but an unreal phantom, the figment of false metaphysics.
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