LIFE AS MECHANISM 



beyond the noble and dignified description of the crea- 

 tion as imagined by the Hebrew Prophet in the Book 

 of Genesis. We can dismiss his story of the Garden 

 of Eden as an allegory, but when he stated that 

 man was created out of the dust and that God 

 breathed into him the Breath of Life, all was said of 

 that supreme mystery, as an eminent philosopher 

 pointed out to me, which can be said. We are asked 

 by astronomers to look upon the earth as a mere in- 

 significant speck, and to be ashamed to consider our- 

 selves important because, forsooth, Betelgeuse is 

 hugely larger and rushes through space with a vast 

 motion. But, if Betelgeuse were a million times larger 

 than it is, of what importance is that fact? So long 

 as this little earth alone contains man with his power 

 of thought, and Betelgeuse does not, then the mystery 

 and value of the earth is incomparably greater; it 

 still remains the dominant factor in the universe, 

 while Betelgeuse is of no more importance than any 

 other bit of matter. The biologists rejoice to mortify 

 us by saying that we are but an aggregation of cells 

 and so is the amoeba; then, they show us by the mi- 

 croscope that our cells and the amoeba's cells are just 

 alike. The psychologist tells us our brain is but a 

 special arrangement of chemical atoms and our 

 thoughts are but the rearrangement of these atoms, 

 so why should we glory in the pride of the intellect'? 

 Those who would explain thought by physical 

 causes must remember, and this they do not, that 



C 243 3 



