The Open Court. a Fortnightly Journal, Devoted to the Work of Establishing Ethics and Religion Upon a Scientific Basis

The Open Court. A Fortnightly Journal, Devoted to the Work of Establishing Ethics and Religion Upon a Scientific Basis. Three Dollars per Year. Vol. I. No. 16. CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 15, 1887. J I Single Copies, 15 cts. SOME RELATIONS OF SCIENCE TO MORALITY aid of precisely the same intellectual powers and pro- AND PROGRESS. cesses as we do physical and chemical ones, viz., by BV G. GORE, LL.D., F.R.S. means of perception, observation, comparison, and in- Part I. ference, employed upon the whole of the evidence, by In an address delivered in Birmingham at the unveil- observing . facts, comparing them and drawing infer- ing of the statue of Sir Josiah Mason, Sir John Lub- ences, by analyzing,- combining and examining the evi- bock correctly remarked that it is not "merely in a dence in every possible way, and thus arriving at consis- material this point of view that science would benefit tent conclusions. What is right and good and what is nation. She will raise and strengthen the national as wrong and evil are determined by precisely the same surely as the individual character." In illustration of general mental methods as what is true. this statement I would gladly be permitted to make the But although in investigating moral questions we following remarks, with the object of showing that our must employ the usual intellectual processes we may moral character is being' strengthened by a general arrive at correct conduct in two ways, viz., either blindly recognition of scientific laws as a foundation of the or intelligently; blindly by trusting to our inherited and chief rules of moral conduct. acquired tendencies, and intelligently by the conscious It is commonly believed that moral actions are alto- use of our knowledge and intellectual powers. gether unaffected by scientific conditions; that science Morality is an art, consisting of rules which are to has little or connection it no with morality, that can be followed. At present it is in the empirical or dog- shed no light upon the questions of the freedom of the matic state, and has not arrived at the scientific stage or human will, the origin of sin and evil, etc., and that been hitherto recognized as being based upon funda- moral phenomena cannot be scientifically investigated, mental scientific principles. We obey certain rules be- but must be examined by other methods than those usu- cause they have been found to be good, because we are ally employed by scientific researchers. told to do so, or because it is the custom, and not be- While earnestly wishing not to disturb the cherished cause the rules are enforced by the divine authority of beliefs of other persons, I venture to say that moral immutable laws. phenomena have relations to physical and chemical Aloral phenomena are subject to the law of causation. ones, and are capable of being scientifically investigated, The affairs of this world appear to be governed not and that the chief rules of morality have a scientific by what we consider strict rules of justice, but by foundation. It is well known that the moral faculties necessity, i. e., by the fundamental principle of causation are capable of being strongly affected by a physical and the other great laws of science. According to the shock to the brain, by intoxicating liquors, drugs, etc., scientific view of universal causation, the present state and that by placing temptations before persons experi- of the universe is a consequence of all its past condi- ments may be made on their morality. That the physi- tions, and its future is all implicitly contained in the cal state of poverty is a source of crime, and that of present, and will be evolved out of it in accordance with wealth conduces to licentiousness, are also commonly the laws of indestructibility of matter and energy, and the known facts. equivalency of forces. Out of nothing, nothing alone The method of scientific research is alike in all sub- can come. We can not create anything, not even an idea. jects. All things are evolved. It has taken ages to evolve our The essential nature of truth, viz., universal consist- present state of knowledge. We are wonderfully con- ency, or agreement with all known truths, is the same stituted ; while each man is all important to himself, in all subjects, the chief mental powers employed in dis- and often acts as if he was the center of all things, he covering truth are also the same in all inquiries, in is but as an atom upon this great globe, and the earth morals as in physics and chemistry. There is no easy itself is only a minute speck in the universe, one amongst method or special faculty, call it "conscience" or what a hundred millions of worlds. we will, which enables us to infallibly arrive at truth in According to the law of causation, whatever is, moral questions; we investigate such problems by the under the given conditions, must be. Starvation forces 422 THE OPKN COURT. a man to steal, and our regard for the safety of our intelligence is extremely finite, and therefore whatever property compels us to punish him. Whatever is, also causes pain, unhappiness, or discomfort to sentient crea- must be, whether it agrees with our ideas of justice or tures, especially to ourselves, we, in the narrowness of not; if the number of paupers around us was doubled, our views, call an evil, and he who wilfully does an evil we should have to pay double poor-rate, whether we act is termed a sinner. A volcanic outburst on an helped to produce the increased pauperism or not. Af- uninhabited planet would not be considered an evil, flictions visit the saint as well as the sinner, and we have because it would not affect sentient creatures. We fear no choice but to remain upon this planet and accept pain as if it was always an evil, but it is usually a check this life with all its pains and penalties. to wrong conduct and is often of great good in warning All animals are as puppets subject to the great physi- us to take care of our life. The endurance of pain often cal powers of the universe. About fifteen hundred secures to us greater subsequent pleasure. Injuries and millions of human beings are carried through space benefits are alike due to natural agencies, and pain and upon the surface of this globe at a rate of about eighty evil are results of the same causes as that which is good thousand miles an hour, whether they are willing or and pleasant; the same cold atmosphere which kills the unwilling; and man is only one out of about three hun- feeble, invigorates the strong, the rain falls where we do dred and twenty thousand different kinds of living crea- not as well as where we do require it, the same wind which tures; he is also only permitted to live a limited number wafts a ship to port detains the outward bound. All of years, and his body is then compelled to return as evil and good is relative, and that which is a curse to one dust to the earth from whence it came. The great man is often a blessing to another; money is a blessing to number and variety of diseases and accidents to which the wise, but often a curse to the foolish. he is subject, show the narrow limits of his power of The Scientific basis of Rules of Morality. resistance to natural influences. No one but a person ignorant of science would deny Less important matters must yield to greater ones. the supremacy of scientific laws over the existence and By the unavoidable laws of nature, less important actions of mankind, or that the principles of science con- objects are obliged to yield to greater, life of all kinds stitute a foundation of rules of human conduct. The is ruthlessly sacrificed when more serious interests are at laws of nature are the commands of God, and are cer- stake. The wholesale destruction of human life and tainly a basis of moral as well as of physical guidance; happiness by earthquakes, famines, volcanoes, storms the first rule of righteousness, " That zee should do unto and floods, takes place utterly regardless of the suffer- another as zee would have him do unto us under like, ings and cries of mankind. The preservation of human circumstances" is manifestly based upon the great law life is of less importance than the proper adjustment of of causation, viz, that " the same cause always produces terrestrial forces and the operation of great natural laws. the same effect under like conditions;" and if this law By a single earthquake in Java about thirty-two thou- was uncertain the rule would be unsafe. Herein lies a sand persons were killed and multitudes injured, rend- fundamental and scientific basis of morality, which every ered homeless and insane; during famines in India, mill- teacher of that subject will probably have to study. ions of human beings have died in an entirely helpless The Scientific basis of Life and Consciousness. state by the fearful process of starvation, and the simple list That our existence depends upon physical and chem- of earthquakes, floods, and famines within historic times ical circumstances, is admitted by all intelligent persons; would fill a volume. "In Japan earthquakes occur at the no one will deny that air and warmth are necessary to rate of two a day." (Nat //re, Vol. XX XIV, p.

Load more