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UTILITY AND I'llOMUiSS.
VOL. VIII
in glowing terms of the churnctcr of the
ago, while another sec in it little less than
evil. One person is denounced as a ruth
less image breaker; another is charged
with fogyism and intolerance. These
sharply drawn lines tell us that the oppos.
ing forces arc yet but imperfectly blended.
So long as this is true, we may expect to
sec one man cany new ideas to an extreme,
while another recoils from all radical
views. If the former should be checked
in his destructive work, th'i latter cau
only bring his conservatism into disre
pute by shunning a fair isssue with the
new ideas constantly springing up. We
may not always appeal to hisloiy as the
arbitor to decide what ought now to
be. Theories have arisen that have little
historic precedent in their favor. Many
of these will force their way into general
acceptance, despite all opposition.
The phases of modern life have assumed
an optimism which asserts the rapid ap
proach to an ideal of future perfection.
At this, we can scarcely wonder. It is a
necessary consequence of our modes of
thought. An ideal is be3t conceived
when placed at a distance But the man
of to-day has acquired a distaste for what
is ancient. He is thus compelled to place
in the future the ideal which his imagina
tion runs riot in building.
But in the path of its realization, lie
two stern facts: human nature and the
duration of life. The former is imperfect
and must remain so. If men were perfect,
progress could not exist. If all classes
were superlatively happy and prosperous,
little incentive to exertion 01 virtue
would remain. Man is a creature of
ideas, and though these are ever changing,
an inexorable law limits their sphere of
action. The shortness of life also limits
our attainments. If the Held of our
knowledge is constantly widening, the
soil becomes shallow to the individual in
an equal ratio
achievements, great as they are, men are
at least brought to a keen realization of
its limits. If a deep undercurrent of
reaction docs not then set in, men are at
least seized with doubt and discontent,
and awake to the futility of trying to
solve every problem suggested to them.
All our inquiries pertain either to the
natural or to the supernatural. In those
which deal with the former, we see the
most noticeable elements of change.
They have given shape to what may be
called a secular materialism. Since the
sudden impetus which industry has re
ceived seems without bounds, every one
is engrossed in the putsuil of gain. If
equality promotes ' this result, science
lends it new strength. The American
promptly avails himself of the countless
aids of science, so far as they bear direct
ly on the purpose which he has in view.
The popular estimation of science thus
depends on its practical results. If this is
a misfortune, it is none the less unavoida
able. It is of little use to deride the age
for practicality. The desire of gain is an
essential clement of human nature, and
when its incentives to action are multi
plied, we may expect to sec the standard
of utility applied indiscriminately to all
things.
This practical manner of viewii.g oh
jects is thus extended to the domain of
supernatural. Here, we arc constantly
reminded of the destructive spirit of mod.
era skepticism. The peculiar nature of
this element is a movement of the age, no
less inevitable than the republican reac
tion in Europe. Since all Americans
stand on a common ground of political
equality, the individual is disinclined to
take the opinion of any one for granted.
Science, again, enables him to solve with
ease dilllculties that not long since were
insurmountable. This has caused the
idea that nothing is beyond the reach of
the understanding. Our incredulity of the
Ii this wav. nrourcss i n...,iiiin...i I supernatural bus become almost instino-
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Despite the momentum given it by favor, ' "',, wc are !! ..lger ,1,,ol,I11ed ,t0
able circumstances and ,lsii.. i, ...... ",."".UI "" uinumy
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