From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



in matters concerning which there is no complete 

 evidence to the understanding one cannot err in 

 the light and against the light. A Lucifer was 

 therefore by his very nature impeccable. In a hypo- 

 thetically perfect world the desire of evil could arise 

 only from the opposition which an imperfect intelli- 

 gence would mistakenly think existed between his 

 own good and the general good. But if God and 

 his work had been really perfect, the opposition 

 between personal and general good would have been 

 impossible. Even to the best human minds this 

 opposition appears merely temporary and provisional ; 

 much more would it seem so to the archangel of 

 Intelligence itself the Light-bearer of thought. 

 To know, is to participate in a measure in the supreme 

 Truth the Divine Consciousness to have all know- 

 ledge would be to be able to reflect the very conscious- 

 ness of God : how could a Satanic mentality emanate 

 from the all-divine ? ' 



Moreover, the doctrine of original sin is only applicable 

 to Humanity. Disciples of Descartes have grasped this 

 argument so thoroughly that they have put the objection 

 aside by declaring that animals are automata. 



' If animals could think,' they said, ' they would 

 have a soul. If this soul is mortal, that of man may 

 easily be so. If it is immortal, it is impossible to 

 understand how or why the animals should suffer. 

 Have the beasts also eaten forbidden fruit ? Do 

 they also await a Redeemer ? ' 



In these days when the existence of an * animal 

 soul ' is no longer doubted, the Cartesian argument 

 necessarily turns against the existence of any divine 

 plan. As a last resource the dogmatists are reduced to 

 deny man's capacity to understand the Divine plan. 



150 



