Civilisation : Its Cause and Cure 



point passes away, or becomes absorbed into a 

 higher knowledge. The perception of Sin goes 

 with a certain weakness in the man. As long as 

 there is conflict and division within him, so long 

 does he seem to perceive conflicting and opposing 

 principles in the world without. As long as 

 the objects of the outer world excite emotions in 

 him which pass beyond his control, so long do those 

 objects stand as the signals of evil — of disorder and 

 sin. Not that the objects are bad in themselves, 

 or even the emotions which they excite, but that 

 all through this period these things serve to the 

 man as indications of his weakness. But when 

 the central power is restored in man and all things 

 are reduced to his service, it is impossible for him 

 to see badness in anything. The bodily is no 

 longer antagonistic to the spiritual love, but is 

 absorbed into it. All his passions take their places 

 perfectly naturally, and become, when the occasions 

 arise, the vehicles of his expression. Vices under 

 existing conditions are vices simply because of 

 the inordinate and disturbing influence they exer- 

 cise, but will cease again to be vices when the man 

 regains his proper command. Thus Socrates having 

 a clean soul in a clean body could drink his boon 

 companions under the table and then go out 

 himself to take the morning air — what was a blemish 

 and defect in them being simply an added power 

 of enjoyment to himself ! 



The point of difference throughout (being the 

 transference of the centre of gravity of life and con- 

 sciousness from the partial to the universal man) is 



69 



