Biology's Contribution to a Theory of Morals 95 



is in position to mark out certain definite limitations to 

 such power. Thus while the group of activities we call 

 consciousness is seen to have power to cause changes in 

 material substances, this power is limited to the few 

 simple substances that are used as nourishment by the 

 organism. Furthermore there are ah 1 the limitations 

 to which the volitional and rational life is subject by 

 general physical laws. But he who recognizes himself 

 to be by nature not only "captain of his soul" but of 

 his body, even though that captaincy be subject to the 

 conditions indicated, undoubtedly has a freedom and 

 joyousness, and a passport to physical and spiritual 

 health and strength that is impossible for him whose 

 faith is of the uncompromising determinist sort. 



It seems clear that such virtue as Christian Science 

 and other forms of "Mind Cure" have touching bodily 

 conditions and that they have virtue in this way no 

 candid observer can possibly deny is due to their 

 having come, emotionally rather than rationally, upon 

 certain aspects of the truth that the human organism 

 has a measure of real control over its metabolic proc- 

 esses as well as over others of its functional activities. 

 It will be a long forward step on the road of personal 

 happiness and efficiency when through common educa- 

 tion and normal living, men shall have possessed them- 

 selves of all the virtues but dispensed with all the vaga- 

 ries of Christian Science. 



The biological truths referred to as basic material 

 for a better understanding of the interdependence 



