the unseen world and other essays-第13章

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ters　which　lie　beyond　the　range　of　experience；　where　evidence　is　inaccessible；　desire　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　by　itself　an　adequate　basis　for　belief。　But　it　seems　to　me　that　Mr。　Mill　showed　a　deeper　knowledge　of　the　limitations　of　scientific　method　than　his　critics；　when　he　thus　hinted　at　the　possibility　of　entertaining　a　belief　not　amenable　to　scientific　tests。　The　hypothesis　of　a　purely　spiritual　unseen　world；　as　above　described；　is　entirely　removed　from　the　jurisdiction　of　physical　inquiry；　and　can　only　be　judged　on　general　considerations　of　what　has　been　called　〃moral　probability〃；　and　considerations　of　this　sort　are　likely；　in　the　future　as　in　the　past；　to　possess　different　values　for　different　minds。　He　who；　on　such　considerations；　entertains　a　belief　in　a　future　life　may　not　demand　that　his　sceptical　neighbour　shall　be　convinced　by　the　same　considerations；　but　his　neighbour　is　at　the　same　time　estopped　from　stigmatizing　his　belief　as　unphilosophical。

The　consideration　which　must　influence　most　minds　in　their　attitude　toward　this　question；　is　the　craving；　almost　universally　felt；　for　some　teleological　solution　to　the　problem　of　existence。　Why　we　are　here　now　is　a　question　of　even　profounder　interest　than　whether　we　are　to　live　hereafter。　Unfortunately　its　solution　carries　us　no　less　completely　beyond　the　range　of　experience！　The　belief　that　all　things　are　working　together　for　some　good　end　is　the　most　essential　expression　of　religious　faith：　of　all　intellectual　propositions　it　is　the　one　most　closely　related　to　that　emotional　yearning　for　a　higher　and　better　life　which　is　the　sum　and　substance　of　religion。　Yet　all　the　treatises　on　natural　theology　that　have　ever　been　written　have　barely　succeeded　in　establishing　a　low　degree　of　scientific　probability　for　this　belief。　In　spite　of　the　eight　Bridgewater　Treatises；　and　the　〃Ninth〃　beside；　dysteleology　still　holds　full　half　the　field　as　against　teleology。　Most　of　this　difficulty；　however；　results　from　the　crude　anthropomorphic　views　which　theologians　have　held　concerning　God。　Once　admitting　that　the　Divine　attributes　may　be　（as　they　must　be）　incommensurably　greater　than　human　attributes；　our　faith　that　all　things　are　working　together　for　good　may　remain　unimpugned。

To　many　minds　such　a　faith　will　seem　incompatible　with　belief　in　the　ultimate　destruction　of　sentiency　amid　the　general　doom　of　the　material　universe。　A　good　end　can　have　no　meaning　to　us　save　in　relation　to　consciousness　that　distinguishes　and　knows　the　good　from　the　evil。　There　could　be　no　better　illustration　of　how　we　are　hemmed　in　than　the　very　inadequacy　of　the　words　with　which　we　try　to　discuss　this　subject。　Such　words　have　all　gained　their　meanings　from　human　experience；　and　hence　of　necessity　carry　anthropomorphic　implications。　But　we　cannot　help　this。　We　must　think　with　the　symbols　with　which　experience　has　furnished　us；　and　when　we　so　think；　there　does　seem　to　be　little　that　is　even　intellectually　satisfying　in　the　awful　picture　which　science　shows　us；　of　giant　worlds　concentrating　out　of　nebulous　vapour；　developing　with　prodigious　waste　of　energy　into　theatres　of　all　that　is　grand　and　sacred　in　spiritual　endeavour；　clashing　and　exploding　again　into　dead　vapour…balls；　only　to　renew　the　same　toilful　process　without　end；a　senseless　bubble…play　of　Titan　forces；　with　life；　love；　and　aspiration　brought　forth　only　to　be　extinguished。　The　human　mind；　however　〃scientific〃　its　training；　must　often　recoil　from　the　conclusion　that　this　is　all；　and　there　are　moments　when　one　passionately　feels　that　this　cannot　be　all。　On　warm　June　mornings　in　green　country　lanes；　with　sweet　pine…odours　wafted　in　the　breeze　which　sighs　through　the　branches；　and　cloud…shadows　flitting　over　far…off　blue　mountains；　while　little　birds　sing　their　love…songs；　and　golden…haired　children　weave　garlands　of　wild　roses；　or　when　in　the　solemn　twilight　we　listen　to　wondrous　harmonies　of　Beethoven　and　Chopin　that　stir　the　heart　like　voices　from　an　unseen　world；　at　such　times　one　feels　that　the　profoundest　answer　which　science　can　give　to　our　questionings　is　but　a　superficial　answer　after　all。　At　these　moments；　when　the　world　seems　fullest　of　beauty；　one　feels　most　strongly　that　it　is　but　the　harbinger　of　something　else；that　the　ceaseless　play　of　phenomena　is　no　mere　sport　of　Titans；　but　an　orderly　scene；　with　its　reason　for　existing；　its

　　　　　　　　　　〃One　divine　far…off　event　　　　　　　To　which　the　whole　creation　moves。〃


Difficult　as　it　is　to　disentangle　the　elements　of　reasoning　that　enter　into　these　complex　groups　of　feeling；　one　may　still　see；　I　think；　that　it　is　speculative　interest　in　the　world；　rather　than　anxious　interest　in　self；　that　predominates。　The　desire　for　immortality　in　its　lowest　phase　is　merely　the　outcome　of　the　repugnance　we　feel　toward　thinking　of　the　final　cessation　of　vigorous　vital　activity。　Such　a　feeling　is　naturally　strong　with　healthy　people。　But　in　the　mood　which　I　have　above　tried　to　depict；　this　feeling；　or　any　other　which　is　merely　self…regarding；　is　lost　sight　of　in　the　feeling　which　associates　a　future　life　with　some　solution　of　the　burdensome　problem　of　existence。　Had　we　but　faith　enough　to　lighten　the　burden　of　this　problem；　the　inferior　question　would　perhaps　be　less　absorbing。　Could　we　but　know　that　our　present　lives　are　working　together　toward　some　good　end；　even　an　end　in　no　wise　anthropomorphic；　it　would　be　of　less　consequence　whether　we　were　individually　to　endure。　To　the　dog　under　the　knife　of　the　experimenter；　the　world　is　a　world　of　pure　evil；　yet　could　the　poor　beast　but　understand　the　alleviation　of　human　suffering　to　which　he　is　contributing；　he　would　be　forced　to　own　that　this　is　not　quite　true；　and　if　he　were　also　a　heroic　or　Christian　dog；　the　thought　would　perhaps　take　away　from　death　its　sting。　The　analogy　may　be　a　crude　one；　but　the　reasonableness　of　the　universe　is　at　least　as　far　above　our　comprehension　as　the　purposes　of　man　surpass　the　understanding　of　the　dog。　Believing；　however；　though　as　a　simple　act　of　trust；　that　the　end　will　crown　the　work；　we　may　rise　superior　to　the　question　which　has　here　concerned　us；　and　exclaim；　in　the　supreme　language　of　faith；　〃Though　He　slay　me；　yet　will　I　trust　in　Him！〃

　　　　　July；　1875。



II。　〃THE　TO…MORROW　OF　DEATH。〃

Few　of　those　who　find　pleasure　in　frequenting　bookstores　can　have　failed　to　come　across　one　or　more　of　the　profusely　illustrated　volumes　in　which　M。　Louis　Figuier　has　sought　to　render　dry　science　entertaining　to　the　multitude。　And　of　those　who　may　have　casually　turned　over　their　pages；　there　are　probably　none；　competent　to　form　an　opinion；　who　have　not　speedily　perceived　that　these　pretentious　books　belong　to　the　class　of　pests　and　unmitigated　nuisances　in　literature。　Antiquated　views；　utter　lack　of　comprehension　of　the　subjects　treated；　and　shameless　unscrupulousness　as　to　accuracy　of　statement；　are　faults　but　ill　atoned　for　by　sensational　pictures　of　the　〃dragons　of　the　prime　that　tare　each　other　in　their　slime；〃　or　of　the　Newton…like　brow　and　silken　curls　of　that　primitive　man　in　contrast　with　whom　the　said　dragons　have　been　likened　to　〃mellow　music。〃

Nevertheless；　the　sort　of　scientific　reputation　which　these　discreditable　performances　have　gained　for　M。　Figuier　among　an　uncritical　public　is　such　as　to　justify　us　in　devoting　a　few　paragraphs　to　a　book＇13＇　which；　on　its　own　merits；　is　unworthy　of　any　notice　whatever。　〃The　To…morrow　of　Death〃if　one　were　to　put　his　trust　in　the　translator's　prefatory　notediscusses　a　grave　question　upon　〃purely　scientific　methods。〃　We　are　glad　to　see　this　remark；　because　it　shows　what　notions　may　be　entertained　by　persons　of　average　intelligence　with　reference　to　〃scientific　methods。〃　Thoseand　they　are　manywho　vaguely　think　that　science　is　something　different　from　common…sense；　and　that　any　book　is　scientific　which　talks　about　perihelia　and　asymptotes　and　cetacea；　will　find　their　vague　notions　here　well　corroborated。　Quite　different　will　be　the　impression　made　upon　thoseand　they　are　yet　too　fewwho　have　learned　that　the　method　of　science　is　the　common…sense　method　of　cautiously　weighing　evidence　and　withholding　judgment　where　evidence　is　not　forthcoming。　If　talking　about　remote　and　difficult　subject