| OCR Text |
Show Modern Skepticism Is Only a New Credulity By K. CHESTERTON, The DiFtlntjiiifhed English Publicist. T'frj vague hkeptie bred in the modern mod-ern town goes wrong in a peculiar pecu-liar way. He is often a ft k e p t i e because he j not a realist. He thinks a thing rn ut be a f a ncy and not, a fact precisely been use hi- own vmion of the fact i really a fancy. He think he is superior to a belief in it., ! when he renily onlv ignorant of tlie evi dnce for it . ; I.et ,me take what may seem a rather re mo' o, fnn'.fHK' example, but which I happen to explain Uio point with nome ejeae! it ude. fn the middle fig"1 pilgrimn and traveler ued to nny that, they had seen walking about in Africa moo who had the head of flogs. In most, modern con versa ' i on and 'jou rnal im this would hn treated simply a a fairy tale, and as U'h it, would causo no surpriwo, however solemn the testimony or however saint.lv tlie wi) rentes. The vague modern no-t no-t ion i that, bet ween n bout. &0f) A, 0. and I-V)') A. H., nil human being wpre marl, and could in some extraordinary wav bnl in ve anything l.hov were ttdd and ' e a n vt h i ng I he v bel inved. '1 he rnfidei ii in (i n won Id u juiote that, t hose v ho belf.ffd in men with the bc;i.t ttf d''g ought nlprt, in the ntimn way )n-ll'-.e in lord with tlir hes nt ctits or crrpenU with the heads f.f eb-phnnl f io toil miv r Ii n I. (lore are not e t riw 'lp:i ll e-, of the Kiedn'lil I I II II i n n I I ) n I fu.t If nd color lo (he comparison ; loit Ihe-, r.rlrif.tf nlh to Mr.otl.rr clflt.r, I and lo not concern the particular point h-re, tav that it. woubl never oeeu r to the iininstructed man, iihtcIv m reading that storyt to think sipblenlv ot baboon. A nl t lie rnnson i t hn t ho think he know what a baboon is lihe. Hut he dnenn't. He think a baboon hrnd ih much more human thnn it tea! Iv is; and he thinks this beeue- he very often nee a number of sugges t.ionr flireef ami indirect, that ti.i- is so, and verv seldom oe a Imboon. The cloud of error i composed of many element. ft is partly tlie much .more familiar flight, of tho'little men kev who sit on barrel organ :md w hote, face ren 1 1 v pre much mure hu - man and pnihetic. It i partly fine of I tiie ten thousund trnil of tosh that om ! be traced to the accept ii t ion fnipi poll-j poll-j comprehension ) of what i railed K o lution; a xngne idea that the largest a pe rpint be in every wav t lie non i to nian. It enul'l not fancy (hn iiumhi; link a having the bend of n dog. It U partly, I seriously believe, a halt memory of old jokes and picture., m I'unch nbout how I 'arwin himselC w like n monkey. F'.nt I'arwin wni not nt all like a dog, and therefore fiarwin mix not nt all plii n baboon. J'or the truth i I hat the medieval pilgrim' deenp tion ff tlie bnl'oon is n renin 1 1. n Id nr curste one. Tlie hnhnon. and I think other among (he anthropoid jipe. has a snout, jaw, and chin nH in ope piocn, and projeeting far bevond his I'nrrhnid in much the uhitip proportion and direc firm a i in the cto., v, of a boar hou ml . lie h.T not got the pn t lo I ,i pushed in face uf the liltr dimiiIom'v dw when w.u i-ro lo'fi.,1 v 1 1 Ii it inu.-dc-pioo tint bke f hat, (he anfilop of olwu .,u.... len.l one I,, ...p.-ct flint he ill tot on tout Ic,..., f , on Mn l-im loafing nl.oot ( I..oom er v,, t ;'il- . on t o .-(s, nn i eon nd- on w, h I of n m an. fipci oil! i n" hn 1,-it lmt..t nnd linger iinposmlde to a dog o that n-ally tor a short ninl x i id It-'-crtpti hi ' a dog liradr'il mail' is about a precise a could well be expected. 1'u! though it is s)nii and true, I hn e hail to be vev bun; Mi " rn brginn ng to suggest its fi uth Hut the 1 1 , point ih this: That tlie '.keptic is " si perior" because he dms pot know what n but. non is. nnd the medieval pilrim hd. ( "r let in take another nnd donnoli e: case. Suppose ome i - urPanS uitci locfual, a man like ll.uborl Spencer, with a philo.oi !i at once dmg and dapper, were aske.l n cliil-l about the truth or alue nf ;i falde. Suppose, tor the soke of litgnineiil, i I wn ihr ':ilp of Ihe Hi.,; in the Manger, The mlel I cci u ti , a-' i' oi d i n t; to h i pn 1 1 icu la r 1 1n' on. Mould probnblv reph mi one of two a. He would citlou .,v tltllt llii'-,. Iiile niout n nimnls t imiluiig nnd talk ing like men weie the remain of n ago su persl it ion ; when mini thought the beast a wise ot wior than himiolt'; whop he would w or-di i p mon I, e rr o oe fi i le ; and w hep he pro son i (led e er thing, putting spirit i.ifo n it one or a free ()v. it 1. i st pure i u I e 1 1 ec I p I e v pUi tia t ion were n d i H r i eti ( one, lie inighl led trie child thai the fable was nn enl i re I v a i 1 1 (ic i.a I s,.i t of n Megi.r v inventod bv the Uic-'ks; that it de 'I i bed the telfif mii'- of human beings, but r I rested up in the forms of a ppi o pr i a ( e a n i mn Is. The point i that ip eit hrr rn.se he w -mi b rn pp-e e the .log in Ihe mniignl in Pe a s in I io I (if ii u n i en "on a Ii In mn n ienl -log ( he onl.l in.a.unel would be poided olel the in-.liiu-t of .odt preii r a to.)) a m en ' l and Mould not Mciihcii Ins chained in o- vtrungle for es lit. -p. 'c ( halb-lii p.li ' l M .-Inionnp somefhn.g fh.it ho didu '1 m ant ,om ' if tho inlrlt. cloal m rn al f hi con I " bi iMlhi'i oC (lie (.,, chain- -d thco . I,h 1, ,,,, ,., f Says G. K. Chesterton anv ..:t in k in those chains. It w.ui'd 1 .o due to tn.- trot that he had net (;.t I a dog. Am Pu.lv who ha a log oi m o n kiiows that the dog i it ti.e ni:uier w a a ic dogg 'ing; and might oanv be loiin.j m a mailt,, 'T .is wen as in a table. w liniever te the rcon i p ,a n.ne "i . h o h .g , a dog rea.'y wiij e..f lord he I'.niiiiii'iih un,iiiM- and oatliet rnthfM than abow some iial u in rnal to eat it . ) .log will ret use I ' I 1 1 i gi e it wi i i n i . a ii. i eat ii it v on t 'ir-n U to i he bud. dog iil l-elti'.- nuik if mi otjcr it to bur., and dunk it it ou ol fei it to the cat. 1 may he iiicon-ivtent with Paiwin. bid it ir- not mConNtent with Ae-op Th" old tuHc. in this , lc al 'civt, U teally alu-ut m .log and not a peitoimint. 'log I do not .nv it is so ot ail ml- i S.'ono; the do. tots ol Ihe higher ri un will be p, a-d to he.ir that I h e sci mi is , i on Id a bout 1 lie hint on. it Ootid clo-eis ot (he stoik who pro id e.l a tall (.r-roia'1 mug or rt Tuscan .o, w lien doing the sve ml h.ouii s tor the fv IbH I thin K it might really he uoith while to watch these old t'one lot things thut are true, and not oulv for things 1 h it t a re not line, There is a u'u simiijii 1 1 a i illcnt ion of ieHl hu man evpi'Mence in such an oidinniv pio.ut) a "I.et sleeping dogs be;'' em-eci;il ,f i hoy nie as noi as mi'ne ) s , AH this is one of the w-oaVnose of our cotniptiop thai shouhl like to light w long a I .an fight aintlnpg. e nnehl call it for eon en ten. e Ihe New l rednlit v 'l,r.e ,wv hnv e Peep a t -me when people found ritv to W Iiim e mo I lung Put wo me tuidu-g it n-d ly ca-.-ei lo ,(. .bel,e e thing 11, dh mocewnrs sne the Inmuni mind t i on. he dl'gnr-t u.g dut a ,.f ,),. t ,,u:m,.:Ii nip between ono I tt i n rind anolhet l.iete io;m nne l-rop. (hough n.ei .ame a.io-s (hem in life ol litetalnie ...iv.. I ..,,1 of eh..!!, .. i...',,. . (that eer legend wa t r i.e. Iv.m wc "hall be a niu. :i '.wuc- hr.d o" , 'od hopeis i' wr boiier that onv !cg end 'cg.nuayv. In eu her c,-,-e t e jctlort wi:.-h h;ii;n:i laine r.-i'i is that ot e.-aw.pg a ditfic?uvi. W h- ;i (the mr.i;e;,l uae'er ..,., j'.,M-r a ; a -i a u : ma ! :-m ; ' - ;i ;;,M1 -V ,; - ( . t ; x ! '' 'agio, he was romaue-.ng. hen I he aid t'M'Te w.-,s ai' su',:rrt' e,srtl-- ii'.e a man and pnrtU ;.Ko a d.g. he tiot hen a table avs that a oX er t.u tatned a t.v W. t,. tea. the Psb'o w a , labplov,.-. When it s;,.,i a dog barsed at rattle coming for their food, it was not tabulou i'!-e bofliei is that one hi to use one bmins. p a u t he nt net ep s 1 o : u 1 1 ec. ,:, c into nch di-o nsion pu - Vd a g- cat manv peo;de b P'otesmg oror.c to bring not lv;ir, but rathoT ,it ion Anil the in.Mo a .r:iu thinks o( sUch things the iroie he wil' v,-r 1 brnexe. that the chief ivce;a! n. h,m:1 ,:nt is inn dutv of dixivop The npitv and u n i v et t.5 h t be si iic ss g , p i n i ; v mean, not that 1 am at one w n h : he 'unn erse. but that 1 think the u" u e: -o i. at one with me; and is TooKnig aHor num ber one. I am prettv nie that a ourd s.honie ot thouglii wi'l hae to te as logical as hetabi; - n,l nil thtough nelds as 1 1 h a hat. hot The liinllo of the now tverl.i wi'l be that too must diww the line sono-he-e ou mii'-t knew b what tests ,m 'o goiv,- to .-onsider the tni'.h or the ide-titv ide-titv (f anv thing oi mn od P -s rea'h tine 1 dle sou for .mh owu good If a In b tell on a o'. e' innsf decide h-(hrr it i t -s be tieat.',: a a legend o. :, be a g M c-o , 1 il v on, on im,-i ui a V c it ,. ; w bethel he t n n)) or io.pl,e |
