80 The Universe and Life 



of equal importance. The body of such commands be- 

 comes unalterable. Codes thus based upon supposed 

 commands make permanent the judgments of early 

 generations, not allowing for modifications by experi- 

 ence. They perpetuate ideals that time has dis- 

 credited. They make the trivial and the ephemeral of 

 equal weight with fundamentals. They perpetuate 

 the judgments and prejudices of the class or group 

 that formulated the code. They permit the introduc- 

 tion of ritualism and other artificialities into the code 

 of morality. They open the door to the inclusion 

 under morality of many things that do not tend 

 toward promoting the fulness and adequacy of life 

 or to the inclusion even of things that work against 

 these. 



And since the vaHdity of all that is included in the 

 code rests, not upon the welfare that its maxims bring 

 to men, but upon arbitrary command, upon au- 

 thority, the results when that authority is discovered 

 to be unreal are disastrous. The whole code fails, the 

 valid with the worthless. Knowing no basis for con- 

 duct but authority, the individual, when that au- 

 thority fails, is left completely rudderless. 



Again, in consequence of the inclusion of artificiali- 

 ties and perversities, the conventional morality at 

 times becomes hateful to thinking men. I could name 

 at the present time living men, of standing and char- 

 acter, of irreproachable conduct, whose antagonism 

 is at once aroused against anything that is urged in 

 the name of morahty. This attitude is indeed not un- 



