850 Causes and Course of Organic Evolution 



fected state conjures up pleasing desires, but fails to verify 

 its own existence. 



Therefore, though we put individual immortality aside as 

 an unproved and apparently unrealizable proenvironal pic- 

 ture that has originated slowly in the human mind, Kenan's 

 idea that thereby "a terrific moral and spiritual decadence" 

 would ensue seems to us the opposite of correct. Already 

 during the past fifty years, as cooperative stores, factories, 

 villages, recreation grounds, and educational as well as refining 

 halls have increased throughout civilized lands, a change has 

 taken place in every grade of society alike in physical, in men- 

 tal, in moral, and largely in spiritual outlook, that would truly 

 have been called a mutation, had not we lived in its midst, 

 and seen its easy even though rapid advance. The world 

 never before contained so many physically superior, so many 

 mentally alert, so many morally elevated and aspiring, so 

 many who linked their neighbor's happiness with their own, 

 and all of this again with reverent love to and outlook on 

 the great God, the energizing Spirit-Power and Governor of 

 the universe. 



So, when socialized cooperation shall have triumphed com- 

 pletely over disintegrating — even if keen-edged — competition, 

 each individual will regard it as a sacred joy to have lived, 

 and to have aided in the world's evolution to ever higher planes. 

 Such individuals also will regard questions like immortality 

 or future life as su])erfluous bribes, which in a past period 

 were often cunningly thrown out by high and selfish ones to 

 appease the longings of those less fortunate in this life than 

 themselves. But, till direct proof can be adduced of an undying 

 individual state, they will view such questions as beautiful 

 thoughts that the mind can cherish and profit by, but which 

 the body or the spirit can never attain to as realizations. 



