Show z The Effects of Materialism TV M MANY ANY of those who know least about the material world and the methods by modern science in the investigation investigation investigation in in- of natural phenomena continually continually continually con con- and in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary hold the modern spirit of scientific investigation f responsible for the hard and selfish t v commercialism which is a too prominent F characteristic of our civilization n. n The spirit which prompts scientific investigation investigation i gation and that which leads to money- money getting for the mere sake of display x and personal aggrandizement are diametrically diametrically diametrically dia dia- metrically opposed to each other Men were selfish before Bacon lived before q the i inductive ive philosophy was even dreamed of the only effect increased t knowledge has had is to make selfish k desires more rational and to render men less cruel in gratifying them To ascribe all that is worst in modern society to a restless spirit of inquiry is isto isto isto to fall int into the prevailing fallacy of taking mere sequence or accompaniment for cause and effect To say that the scientific study of the external world in any way dulls the moral sentiments or chills the emotional nature is to say r. r that this universe in which man finds himself is is a thing apart from his well- well being in no way affecting it To say 1 that man does not enlarge his being by such investigation that he does not fit himself thereby for higher and more complete living is only another way of i saying that the investigation is not complete enough Life is a unity and andS S its progress is continuous Knowledge can never un unfit fit man for progress towards his ideal So it is an injustice to science to hold it responsible for the prevailing narrow selfishness which finds its truest expression in the desire to amass wealth at the expense of higher social and individual qualities The money money- grabber does not get his philosophy from Darwin and Spencer You will find him as ready with quotations from scripture as wi with th arguments for the survival of the fittest It is very convenient convenient convenient con con- of course for moral teachers teachers' to accuse science in this way but if they really desire to better existing conditions conditions conditions condi condi- they must look elsewhere for the thel I source of existing evils |