ALTRUISM 273 



we have here one of the logical grounds for the belief 

 in a life after death, where rewards and punishments 

 can be received. Nearly all races have such a belief, 

 and while the belief in immortality may be accounted 

 for in various ways, herein lies one of the most 

 fundamental arguments for this belief and also one 

 of the reasons for its universality. Justice demands 

 some method of righting the manifest injustice in 

 this world. From the very earliest period, among 

 the lowest savages as well as the higher races, the 

 demand for sacrifice of the individual has been en- 

 forced by a belief in the supernatural. 



Religion the Foundation of Strong Government. — This 

 feeling has been constantly appealed to as the justi- 

 ijcation of authority. Religion has ever been the 

 very foundation of government. Why is the indi- 

 vidual willing to give obedience to the king? Fear 

 of the results of disobedience, of course, contributes 

 to this willingness ; but without the promises of reli- 

 gion there is nothing to make one ready for the 

 extreme sacrifice of life, which is so frequently de- 

 manded. Among savages chieftains and leaders 

 appeal to superstitions and the fear of the unseen 

 world in order to influence their subjects to obey 

 commands. In all early races the chieftain is not 

 only the military leader but he is also the religious 

 head of the race. The people feel that he is the pro- 

 pitiating medium between them and the dreaded 

 unseen world, the fear of which influences them to 

 yield obedience to this chieftain, to sacrifice their 

 goods, and even life itself. Because of this belief, 

 that good deeds will be rewarded and evil ones pun- 

 ished after death, the chieftain of a savage tribe is 

 able to control his subjects. Throughout the whole 



