From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



Nor is it the result of a Fall. 



It is the inevitable accompaniment of awaking 

 consciousness. The efforts required for the transition 

 from unconsciousness to consciousness cannot but be 

 painful. Chaos, gropings, struggle, suffering all are 

 the consequences of primitive ignorance and of the 

 effort to leave it behind. 



Evolutionary theory is only the statement of these 

 gropings, these struggles, and these sufferings: and 

 if evolution has its foundations in unconsciousness, in 

 ignorance, and in evil, its summit is in light, in know- 

 ledge, and in happiness. 



Evil, in short, is but the measure of inferiority; alike 

 for worlds and for the living beings they contain. In 

 the lower phases of their evolution it is the price of this 

 supreme good the acquisition of consciousness. 



As evil is strictly provisional, we can form some idea 

 of the future good which the higher phases of evolution 

 have in store. In the first place the idea of annihilation 

 will have disappeared. Death will no longer be feared 

 either for ourselves or for those we love. It will be 

 looked upon as we look upon rest at the end of day 

 a preparation for the activities of the morrow. 



There will be no reason to desire it prematurely, 

 for life will show a great predominance of occasions for 

 happiness and a diminution of occasions for pain. 

 Disease will be vanquished, accidents will be rare; old 

 age will no longer devastate and poison existence with 

 its infirmities, but instead of coming as it now does even 

 before full maturity, it will come only in the closing 

 years, leaving physical and intellectual strength, health, 

 and energy untouched up to- the end. 



In proportion to the development of consciousness, 

 the organism will be perfected and idealised if not 

 actually transformed. Physical beauty will be the rule, 

 though with diversities of type that will exclude all 

 sameness and monotony. 



321 



