COBBESP ONDENCE. 



411 



CORRESPONDENCE 



A CORRECTION. 

 Editor Popular Science Monthly : 



MR. McGEE, in his article on " Paleo- 

 lithic Man ia America," in the No- 

 vember issue, falls into an unfortunate error 

 in stating that I had found twenty-five thou- 

 san d specimens of true paleolithic imple- 

 ments in the gravel. The number found is 

 about four hundred, and this represents 

 twelve years of most laborious search for 

 them. Happily, it is enough to establish the 

 fact that paleolithic man existed at the time 

 so graphically described in McGee's article. 



The error is explained, I am sure, by the 

 author having in mind the number of cata- 

 logued specimens of the Abbott collection at 

 the Peabody Museum at Cambridge, Mass. 

 This collection is not of glacial man only, but 

 of his immediate successor — the Eskimo ? — 

 and of the Delaware Indians. 



Charles C. Abbott. 

 Tekjjton, N. J., Noveniber 27, 1S83. 



RELATION OF ALTRUISM TO EGOISM. 

 Editor Popular Science MontJily : 



Sir: Having read, with interest, Mr. 

 Smiley's article on " Altruism " in your No- 

 vember number, I venture to point out what 

 seem, in my view, to be his errors and mis- 

 taken reasonings: 



At the outset, while ignoring the fact 

 that an intelligent and reasonable self-sacri- 

 fice lies at the very basis of the Christian 

 system, he virtually confounds it with the 

 extreme self-abnegation of Buddhism. There 

 is a fundamental difference between the two. 

 The latter system involves the utter renun- 

 ciation of individuality by an absorption in 

 Nirvana. This is the total annihilation of 

 personal identity, the abnegation of all self- 

 hood. For this end Buddhism demands pain- 

 ful and extreme penance and the denial to 

 all good. It aims primarily, for others, at 

 the removal of this life's lower evils, its phys- 

 ical woes and material necessities, and for 

 its devotee it works mainly, if not chiefly, 

 toward his own personal deliverance from 

 such ills, toward a virtual non-existence. 



The Christian system is just the reverse of 

 this. Pre-eminently it recognizes and main- 

 tains the individuality of every man, disinte- 

 grating him from the great mass of humanity, 

 and making him, separately and personally, 

 accountable to a great Creator and a Supreme 

 Judge. While aiming, subordinately, at the 

 counteraction of this life's lesser evils, it 

 strikes at the greater and gigantic forms of 

 moral ill, lifting humanity up to a higher 

 spiritual plane of blessedness. Thus, by 



means of self-discipline and wise sacrifice, 

 it promotes human good, recognizing all men 

 as of one great brotherhood. 



Mr. Smiley then takes isolated passages 

 of the Bible, out of their proper connection, 

 unmodified and unbalanced by others, thus 

 giving to them a one-sided and pessimistic 

 meaning. Particularly does he misapprehend 

 the intent of Christ in his command to " take 

 no thought for the morrow," making it to 

 enjoin, as he says, " an utter disregard of 

 self " and a putting away of provident fore- 

 sight, such as characterizes every thoughtless 

 beggar and lazy tramp ! 



Now, every tyro in Greek knows that 

 the word {fiepifj-vija-nre) translated " take no 

 thought" does not refer merely to mental 

 action, but rather to emotional concern, that 

 which is accompav icd by pain and trouble, 

 so that Christ only interdicts that overween- 

 ing anxiety and distressing thoughtfulness 

 which many indulge, and which not only is 

 opposed to a simple faith in divine provi- 

 dence, but emasculates the heart and unfits 

 one for effort even toward his own good. 

 Thus the Teacher virtually enjoins a rightful 

 egoism. 



Paul did not construe Christ's command 

 as does Mr. Smiley, for he enjoined a proper 

 foresight in saying that " if any provide not 

 for his own" (the Greek being tu>v iSlwv), 

 for his own private, personal, and particular 

 interests, " and especially for those of his 

 own house, he hath denied the faith and is 

 worse than an infidel." What stronger ego- 

 istic teaching than this could any one wish ? 

 This self -providence Paul implies in his com- 

 mand to the Roman Christians that they 

 should be " not slothful in business," which 

 is in accord with Solomon's precept, " Go to 

 the ant, thou sluggard." Thus, Mr. Smiley 

 has not had regard to the comparative teach- 

 ings of the Bible, as well as to the true sig- 

 nification of its original terms. 



He affirms further that Christ's declara- 

 tion of a simple fact, that " the poor we have 

 always with us," was very ^^■u7)forttcnatcb/" 

 said. Now, not even assuming any divine 

 quality for Christ, but simply admitting him 

 to be a man of profound wisdom and far- 

 seeing philosophy, how could his statement, 

 contrary thereto, have lieen unfortunate ? Mr. 

 Smiley, however, puts this phrase about the 

 ever-presence of the poor as approving and 

 commending their condition, while indeed it 

 simply states an inevitable and incontroverti- 

 ble fact, growing more and more so, in each 

 successive age, not because Christian self- 

 denial and altruistic charity have produced 

 this result, but because increasing and crowd- 

 ing populations and social vices, especially 



