Theism in the Light of Present Science and Philosophy (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1899. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... can move, act, think, feel, and will on their own account. In other words, the unity must be constituted on rational grounds and upheld by rational beings, who have the power of disrupting at their pleasure. I am aware that the social contract no longer appears in philosophy, and aware, also, that constitutions grow and are not manufactured. I have put the matter as I did merely for the sake of stating the problem, and of enabling us to realize what a problem it is. Carlyle puts a parallel problem, "Given a world of knaves, to deduce an honesty from their united action." Given a world of apparently disunited beings, how will you train them to act together, to care for a common interest, and to recognize that they must work together, if they are to obtain a good worth having? As I said, the first answer is the family. In it a common interest is obvious, and feeling and affection help to build up this unity of love and mutual benefit. Beyond the family there are again obvious common ways of action, and bonds of union. Trade, commerce, union for a temporary purpose, which requires cooperation and mutual trust for its realization, these readily occur to us all. Outside of particular families, and yet within the larger unity of the state, people unite themselves in a thousand ways for different ends, drawn together because they form friendships with each other, or united because they follow a common pursuit. These bonds are voluntarily constituted, and are all the stronger and more disinterested on that account. Within the larger society there may be many people associated together for special ends, and the educative power of such unions may be great. In these the compulsory character of merely natural unions slips into the background, and men learn that though they ...