CHAPTER III 



RATIONALISM AND MATERIALISTIC MONISM PROFESSEDLY 

 BASED ON DARWINISM 



The Rationalist Press Association is largely responsible 

 for the present diffusion of Rationalism in England. 

 One of its objects is the issue of " Cheap Rationalistic 

 Reprints". 



The "Memorandum of Association" of the R.P.A. 

 (Limited) states the objects for which the Association 

 was formed. They are nine in number. The three 

 most important are as follows : — 



{a) To stimulate freedom of thought and inquiry in 

 reference to ethics, theology, philosophy and kindred 

 subjects. 



{b) To promote a secular system of education, the 

 main object of which shall be to cultivate in the young 

 moral and intellectual fitness for social life. 



{d) To publish and distribute books, pamphlets and 

 periodicals designed to promote the above objects. 



" Rationalism may be defined as the mental attitude 

 which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of Reason, 

 and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and 

 ethics verifiable by experience, and independent of all 

 arbitrary assumptions or authority." 



The reader will not easily gather from the above 

 objects that atheism, denial of freedom in man, as well 

 as the complete annihilation of man's soul at death, form 

 2 (17) 



