THE PROBLEM OF UNIVERSAL TELEOLOGY 355 



We shall come back to this problem from another point 

 of view, and we will only add here that to admit teleology 

 of only a limited character implies a very important con- 

 ception of the ultimate character of the Given as such. 



f. MORALITY 



Morality as a Standard of Measurement of Universal Teleology 



A rather serious objection against the purposefulness of 

 one organism in favour of another follows from the considera- 

 tion that it does not agree with our ideas of what ought 

 to be, that one class of organisms flourishes at the cost 

 of pains and death to another. This objection is more 

 important than any other, to human feeling at least, though 

 a critical mind would hardly be inclined to call it decisive. 

 For we do not know the means that were at the disposal of 

 the hypothetic supra-personal entelechy that must be 

 regarded as having made natural harmony. Nothing, of 

 course, but the solution of the problem of the sense and 

 meaning of the Given could furnish an answer about any 

 type of universal teleology. We can do absolutely nothing 

 in the face of this problem beyond simply stating that the 

 only sphere in which we should be able to conceive such a 

 solution at all would be that of morality and intellectuality. 

 If there were a meaning in the universe with relation 

 to these two purposes which may be one purpose in the 

 last resort we at least should be able to conceive it. 



Thus morality and intellectuality become the standard 

 of measurement of all universal teleology in any sense, and 

 therefore morality once more enters into our theoretical 

 discussions. 



