XII SOUND NATURALISM

AS Civilization advances, will Naturalism continue to eliminate all forms of Superstitious Mysticism in the future as it has been doing in the recent past, and this will tend toward uniformity of thought and conduct, for Science, unlike Superstitious Mysticism, is everywhere the same the whole world over. 47Hence, the more naturalism the more uniformity and harmony of thought and action.

Science starts out with the postulate that the Universe (including everything that is as a whole) seems to be an eternal, everactive, self-operating mechanism. That the Mind of all animal organisms including that of Man seems to be merely Brain (nervous system) Activity, which slowly evolved in accordance with the Law of the Survival of the Fittest, and apparently only for the sole purpose of guiding, protecting, reproducing and conducing to the welfare and happiness of the physical Organism during its natural life here on Earth, the same as the heart evolved for the purpose of Circulation. That the physical death of all Creatures including that of Man seems to be nothing more or less than an eternal sleep or endless suspension of individual consciousness.

But the mind (brain motion) as well as the ultimate particles of the Body of all animal beings including Man are nevertheless “immortal” in their disintegrated elements of eternal and indestructible Matter, Energy and Motion. In that sense, Mind, whether of Man or other creatures, is as “immortal” as Body. That Nature in her operations seems to be neither wise nor ignorant, kind nor cruel, and seemingly without design or designer. That her Evolutionary 48Adaptations seem to be the chance results (Fortuitism) of the operation of Natural Law rather than the outcome of purposive adaptation. That this “orderly succession of events,” as we call it, seems to be itself a “chance result” of some endless chain of Cause and Effect.

That Nature merely builds, thrills as love or hate, gives birth, kills, burns, ravages and destroys in a certain order which we call Nature’s Law with which we must learn to live in harmony in order to get the most out of life worth living for, for every violation of a natural function is a violation of a natural law, and every violation of a natural law is attended with pain, the very opposite for which all sentient Creatures are continually striving, for the chief aim of life is to live the longest happiest life. We are thus continually seeking to bring into consciousness pleasurable sensations and keeping out painful ones. Hence, the fundamental ethical standard is, that every act that is conducive to welfare is a good act, and every act that detracts therefrom is a bad act.

Every act of all creatures from the lowest to the highest including Man is, therefore, always fundamentally selfish (egoistic) in compliance with self-preservation as the 49first Law of Nature. The term Altruism is not only a misnomer and confusing, but no world could be run harmoniously on altruistic principles; on principles that we would continually do more for others than for self. All that we need to know on this important point is that our highest individual self-interest can not be attained without all others are equally free, prosperous, intelligent and happy. We have thus partially learned that the pursuit of self-interest results in the general benefit of society, and this mutual benefit resulting from promoting self-interest has evolved us into social beings. But we must still go much further.

The posing Altruist is naturally a whiner. He wants to be thanked and repaid. The Egoist, on the other hand, says that the Recipient of his favors owes him nothing; that the giver has already received his reward in Pleasurable Sensations by the very act of giving to the needy, which eased the giver’s mind and therefore made the giver as well as the receiver happy, but the Egoist also says that we need justice instead of charity, because charity never goes to the root of the evil.

Hence, in the future, everybody will be a firm believer in Evolution and the Mechanistic Theory of Life and Conduct; for a knowledge of Evolution makes one wise; it teaches how 50all things developed by natural Law. A thorough mental grasp of the Mechanistic Theory of Life and Conduct makes one kind. It teaches that all creatures including Man are mere living machines operated by ancestral and personal environment; that we are like musical instruments, as we are played upon so must we respond; that the old menacing theory of “free will” is not supported by a single fact.

After we once thoroughly understand that important principle, we treat all creatures kindly, and when we want to change or improve them, either physically or mentally, we seek to change their environment, and with that well-adjusted environmental change will come that desired improvement, and not without that.

As Mr. Herbert Spencer, the great philosopher, truly says, it is true that we can do as we desire, but we have nothing to say about the coming and going of our desires. They come and go without our bidding in accordance with our previous make-up and our present environment. They are the inevitable antecedents that impel the present and the future. No sane person can desire that he would rather be sick than well, poor than prosperous, miserable than happy.

51AUTHOR’S KITCHENETTE

(Fig. 7)

This is the Author’s combination kitchen, dining room and bedchamber in his bachelor’s suite of two rooms. In this room, he cooks, dines and sleeps. He also does all his own housekeeping, even his own house cleaning, and his rooms are always as neat, clean and orderly as any parlor; but bachelorhood of either man or woman is very far from being an ideal life. Domestic co-operation on a large scale is the only open road to freedom, economy, leisure, convenience, efficiency and sociability.

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