| Show SOM LETTERS S OE f rt Ct Heretofore II Unpublished awl and Deal With the Question of His Agnosticism WITH WAR COME ALL THE VICES Vl ES And With ith Peace l ac Come All the Vir Virtues Ir tues This Should be Thesis Ih of or Ethical Teaching New York May Muy 2 In the Independent dent nt of o May lay G will appear the t of ot three installment of ot unpublished tot let totters of ot tho lata Herbert Spencer with an un Introduction by George Llewellyn Tho letters were welo written to tho lato James A and Dr Lewis 0 G Ganc Janes anc formerly president of ot the tho Brook Brooklyn lyn association us who among Spencers closest American A Among the tho letters aro the tho fol tol following lowing Kept 7 1001 1901 Dear Del Dr 01 Junes I sea eo they havo been carrying on u 1 discus slon In III the Open concerning my views as liS cither materialistic or I Ido Ido do not propose to take any notice of ot the mutter myself nor liar do I 1 suggest Rt that you should do go so to any ony consider considerable able extent hut but It might not bo a n miss to tn quote at lit length a LL front the close clo of or one of ot tho division of ot the Psychology I think tho division entitled Physical l which puts more maIo fully and wId clearly than thun any other pas Bage the tho view I tako anti and disposes more completely of at tho I havu not tho book with mu 1110 hero horo but you OU may I think easily Identity Identify tho passage It begins wIth u II kind I of ot apos to the spiritualist showing how crude und and coarse Is his and how much more mOle Is L the tho concep conception lion tion which spirit not upon uny un form torm of at matter mattei but upon ulon a I form of ot motion And then tho botis on to point out that tot not even this t J Is tho ono by inc me The passage continues by hy showing u that It Is III Im Impossible possible either r to Interpret matter In terms of ot or i In of lit matter but that this thu problem m IH III to tho human Intelligence Insoluble so long ICIng ns all there exists the tho antithesis of sub subject J ct und object and that the ultimate power underlying both cannot be pre presented under either cither form orm The Is III a 1 long Ions ono one but It might not b to quote it In full tull fulland and to point what la Is th cause of ot tho contusIon confusion In III the minds of at my opponents At the same that I that matter and motion us II they the exist In themselves cannot be mut mutter mutter ter and motion as 1111 we know thorn th m they persist In Importing Into their own oln and Into mr II thought tho thoI I ordinary conception of ot matter und thus thull showing how hOI absurd Is 19 the In when s Is sup supposed posed to from flom them If It they would 1 keep keel ever before them tho tact fact which I perpetually assert that mat matter tel ter and amI motion as ns In them themselves selves sel ts cnn mn not be matter and motion as R wo we think them we then could 1 we 13 that no such as we wo sup RUP suppose pose po e But they tho wilt constantly Im Import port their own cross ross Idea or matter matterand and motion Into the lite midst of ot my lilY and then thell debit mo me with the Incon Incongruity gruity I think a It letter lett r tho I KOB R I have quoted and making Una explanation may be useful SECOND Sl LETTER II TrEn March 12 1902 20 Dear Dr Janes I have havo Just JURt received from Mrs of ot Dorchester Mas a I letter lettel with en enclosures closures concerning her hel work and I have havo replied as follows In efforts toward ethical culture there Is constantly overlooked the tho ono one effort more mort important than oil all others tho effort to suppress militancy Ahun lain proof exists that with war come all the tho vices and with peace como come all 1111 thi virtues virtue Make this the tho primary thesis of t all your teaching and you will wll do moro than In any other WilY way I send you 1111 this copied letter with tho view of ut that you should make this truth the primary thesis thellis of your teachings The suppression of ot International antagonisms Is II the tho oni OM reform which will bring all othor moral reforms Feb 2 Mr MI In Inma ma respect you ou have misread my books hool s sOr or misunderstood an 1111 essential thin contained In them You believe that Iho tho course courso of ot things in society Is to bo b changed by teaching I do not ny such lIuch thing Everywhere I have contended and 1 contend still that feelings not Ideas social results that everything depends not upon Intellect but upon character Is III not to be bo changed In a II day dlly or r In III a 1 generation Whon hon 1 I was leaving America in III 1883 I I was Willi unawares Interviewed on board bon Ill ho tho vessel Just wo we started Tho Interviewer asked me what I thought of at atthe ho the triumph over tho bosses which Kid hall Just been achieved I expensed my bellet that It was only a n Hash In tha tho mn and that tho old 01 1 state of ot th gs would after a I time return It hns ns on know returned The rhe recent closures have shown that the condition ot f things In New York had again bo be ns IlM bad hu as aa It was A theory of f social progress Is not a II cause CLUAC of ot movement but Is simply oil all to serves simply to remove friction The force torce producing tho move ment Is III tho aggregate of ot mans menH Instincts Ind sentiments and nOlI those aro not to bo be hanged by b a II theory You think that I have cot somo age Fage and assurance of oC it that might oft off Impending evils I have but ono bo honest regard tho ible claims of ot others other while maintaining your own The disregard of ot all nl save lave Interests Is III the underlying enuse of ot your present state and of oC Im pending lending disasters As 11 I years ago at it apropos of ot American affairs a II fn to nl trait In your society Is the tho a dm Ira Ion for smart men and I believe I MIll aid or 01 Implied that a II people among whom there thero Is nn for tor smart nen mell will como to grief If It you OU think hat t I healthier Ideal cnn can l 1 established In n American society by hy teaching I en Irely disagree e with you Under your condition men could not be begot got ot to listen |
