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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



artificial morality of supernatural theology ; 

 2. The unwarranted elevation of institutions 

 above the individual ; 3. The notion that 

 social ends are more perfectly realized 

 through the concentration of power in or- 

 ganizations ; and, finally, the formation and 

 retention of egoistic ideals of life. 



In the section on " The Great Theologi- 

 cal Superstition," Mr. Thompson criticises 

 unsparingly, but in no dogmatic tone, the 

 theological doctrine of sin. The idea that 

 there can be a sin against God other than a 

 violation of the rights and happiness of in- 

 dividual men, is found to be untrue, im- 

 moral in its implications and results one 

 of the chief obstacles, indeed, to human 

 progress. Man's " sin against God, if it 

 exist, is in his sin against his fellows " ; in 

 other words, theological sin, per se, is a fic- 

 tion of the imagination ; the only reality 

 which can answer in any way to this concep- 

 tion is natural moral evil. Incidentally Mr. 

 Thompson condemns the laws against blas- 

 phemy, the exercise of temporal power by 

 the Church, the Pharisaical self-righteous- 

 ness which he conceives to be the outcome 

 of theological supernaturalism, the " bale- 

 ful dogma" of eternal punishment, and the 

 mystical conception of " spirituality," as 

 something other than simple goodness, 

 stimulating men to altruistic endeavor. 



In the section on "The Institutional 

 Fetich," a rational individualism is main- 

 tained as a higher ethical ideal than that 

 which sinks the individual in the mass, and 

 emphasizes institutions at the expense of 

 personal liberties. " Man is the measure 

 of all things." Institutions are made for 

 man, not man for institutions. Authority 

 must give way to the right of private judg- 

 ment. The doctrine that " the family, the 

 state, the Church, exist superior to any con- 

 siderations of utility," must be condemned 

 as inimical to the highest development of 

 human character, and as an obstacle to the 

 moral advancement of the race. The prin- 

 ciple of authority in the family has resulted 

 in the degradation of woman and the ignor- 

 ing of the rights of children. " The hus- 

 band owes to the wife just as many duties 

 as she to him." " Children are to be worked 

 for as human beings having their own inde- 

 pendent ends, which are to be respected." 

 "The doctrine of authority has been from 



the beginning, and is to-day, a stumbling- 

 block in the way of woman's liberty and 

 advancement." These sentences strike the 

 key-note of Mr. Thompson's liberal and hu- 

 mane treatment of these important social 

 problems, which we can only thus briefly out- 

 line within the limits of this review. The di- 

 vine authority and perfect character of the 

 state is of course condemned as an irration- 

 al dogma. The right to agitate against an 

 existing social order is strenuously affirmed. 

 " Any system which does not permit the title 

 of a governing power to be questioned by 

 the governed, in the light of what is best for 

 the general happiness, is a system of rule by 

 force and fear, disguise it as you may under 

 high-sounding phrases, as ' inherent sacred- 

 ness,' or ' divine authority.' " 



Under the head of " The Socialistic Fal- 

 lacy," the questions of the " Co-operative 

 Idea," "Socialism," "The Political Party," 

 " Industrial Co-operation," are treated with 

 great clearness and in an admirable spirit, 

 as the reader will agree, even if he does not 

 find himself wholly in accord with our au- 

 thor's conclusions. He cries " Halt ! " to the 

 active socialistic tendencies of our time, be- 

 lieving that they must ultimate, if success- 

 ful, in an increase of egoism and restriction 

 of individual liberty, which would be fatal 

 to the highest ethical advancement of the 

 race. Not in individualism, but in egoism, 

 he affirms, is to be found the most serious 

 obstacle to our moral progress. 



Finally, the root of existing moral evil 

 is found in the continued elevation of the 

 egoistic ideal as an incentive to human ac- 

 tion. War and the militant system are con- 

 demned as outgrowths and perpetuators of 

 this ideal. The injustices and immoralities 

 of our industrial system are referred to the 

 predominance of egoism in our industrial 

 methods ; and the relief for all these social 

 evila is indicated in the two rules: 



1. "Aim at the minimum of extrinsic 

 restraint, and the maximum of liberty for 

 the individual." 



2. "Aim at the most complete and uni- 

 versal development of the altruistic char- 

 acter." 



While Mr. Thompson is in general ac- 

 cord with the English utilitarian school of 

 philosophy, he is evidently an independent 

 and original thinker no mere servile fol- 



