Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-09-22 | Page 21 | The Mystery Remains

y J The Remains ai s J PROFESSOR c c. JUDSON JUDoN HERRICK of the 4 Univ University y of of- Chicago b that nan man IS is js s simply a machine hine that thinks I Aft After r L spending p n i yeas yeas' i. i in n th th study tudy of iH neurology neurology- ur gy Dr Dr r Herrick has concluded d that all life p physical Y i l menial and sp spiritual spiritual spiritual-is is simply ay a y mechanical h process He Ho e h has s just written a book setting forth his views and in hi it th he s says ys Mental processes processes' are bi biological functions functions' 0 of the b body dy i in g general leral and of fh the brain in ll p I particular particular- rt ular lar in lit just the san same sani sense tl that a l' l circulation tion ti tion n of the thc blood is a function of the he heart rf r i i is is' a fu function of the lungs A th thought gh i is a ll manufactured d product as tr truly ty as asa aa a pair of shoes The hit pt present s t age is is' distinguished I all Irmer former ag ages s by a number numb r of of thi things gs but c thief ly it would seem it is is' set ap apart rt by bY- bYthe the fact that never until now have men been beell able to co conceive of of themselves as so soulless lles bits of machin machinery ry Probably bly this is only natural We Vt live n. n an ap era Jh that t m moves ves b by machinery We are as tS s f far r removed d from rohl the s social and alid economic c of a century ago as as we are arc from tn builders builder of the pyramids id It is not aoL s sur surprising sur r- r 1 that some soni mel men should come conf to look up upon human humal Beings h Jn as as- mere glorified glori fi fled fied d. d bits bits' of mech mechanism It i is a mistake however how how- ev ever er r ta think that o one die solves olves an any pr problems b by such a theory I la Ia the old days ay the o contemplative man felt rel that he lie had an an immortal souli soul that he wa was waskin kin kin- kinto to the majestic spirit of the universe its itself lf that he Jc w was s superior to 10 time and change and death de th and he kiis therefore th that t he was was wa a in a t tremendous n mystery ry and this knowledge vJ dg gave him a a. a sense of of dignity a 1 f feeling Beling of f exaltation t n a consciousness of no j Today roday he simply fl i says It 1 I ant am a machin I I bt breathe athe in clear air and eat ceran meats and fd f fruits Truit if and nd vegetables bles' bles a ai ct undergo Jergo certain er tam fain experiences an and out of them 1 cr create at the finished d 4 prod products of th thought and aid a tj ti n n. n Thus he he 11 lias s an entirely new slant I nt on n the thea a unive universe se and his his' place e in it Bui and Bul-and and this is what haJ haf is worth worth noticing the noticing the mystery ry rem remains ins as s great grea as before A machine Po Possibly sibly B But t wl what a marvelous marvelous mar mar- one A machine cl i le th that t c can n lift liff itself by its bootstraps a a. machine t that at can cali cr create ate be beauty so con compelling and haunting that I the le beholder oI r involuntarily is persuaded of his r own immortality a a. machine that can be h heroic he he- rok can suffer hardships for a cause caus' can sacrifice itself for th the sake of other machines what what kind 0 of ma machine hin hinis is this this this- anyway The mech mechanistic explanation I may be a i ig g good od o one e. e Th The f facts of ot physiology may sup sup- tort port Professor Herricks Herrick's theor theory right up to t the hilt But Bit pt the mystery j i is still sun ther there as s' s I tremendous us as ever eyer No theory can d dispel it 11