266 HOLISM AND EVOLUTION chap. 



by the Renaissance that the body came to be in part re- 

 habilitated and once more to be looked upon with some- 

 thing of the old pagan favour. The full rehabilitation is, 

 however, coming only now at the hands of science. Science 

 is building up a new world-attitude, a new attitude towards 

 Nature and all things natural, which is totally at variance 

 with this morbid and unnatural condemnation of the flesh. 

 The scientific attitude is impartial and objective and leads 

 to the view of Nature as clean, wholesome and worthy of 

 the respect which is due to all natural facts. Thus a new 

 spirit of respect and reverence for natural things and pro- 

 cesses is arising, and not least for the human body — a spirit 

 which is far deeper and better founded than the old happy- 

 go-lucky, naive, pagan attitude of the Greek world. It is 

 not a naive sentimental, but an objective scientific attitude. 

 It means justice and fair-play for the body, as against all 

 theological prejudices and theories based on erroneous views 

 of human nature. And it completely justifies the normal 

 attitude which regards the body as inseparable from the 

 spirit, and as the source of much that is most dear and 

 precious and beautiful and intimate in human existence. 

 Natural relations and affinities, instead of being condemned, 

 receive the sanction of science, and under the powerful 

 patronage and protection of science the simple human can 

 once more hold up its head and without shame or regret 

 give expression to the spirit of glad wholesome enjoyment 

 which naturally wells up from its inner depths. The 

 rehabilitation of the body is not the least of the magnificent 

 services which science has rendered to human welfare. 

 The body is no worse than the spirit, and can be abused 

 just as the spirit can be perverted. Holism is the cure 

 and remedy alike for the abuse and perversion. It is the 

 severance of body and spirit which makes the ignoble use 

 of either possible. Together and in that unity which 

 constitutes the whole they mutually support, enrich and 

 ennoble each other. It is the division in their ranks which 

 leads to their defeat in detail. And hence it is that Holism 

 is not only a theory but should also be a practice. What 



