COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



any value which omits the consideration of this 

 fact. Mr. William Adam labours under the 

 confusion of ideas here signahzed, when he finds 

 fault with Sir G. C. Lewis for upholding the 

 doctrine of progress while admitting that certain 

 races have never advanced in civilization. For 

 this, Mr. Adam accuses him of virtually divid- 

 ing mankind into two differently constituted 

 races, of which the one possesses, while the 

 other lacks, the inherent tendency toward perfec- 

 tion ! ^ He might as well maintain that because 

 we admit that certain men are stunted, while 

 others grow tall, we divide mankind into two 

 differently constituted races, of which the one 

 possesses, while the other lacks, the inherent 

 tendency toward increase in size. Closely allied 

 to this fallacy is that which associates lateness in 

 time with completeness in development, and 

 requires us to assume that nowhere at any time 

 has there been a temporary retrogression. Thus 

 Mr. Goldwin Smith appears to be confused by 

 the impression that the temporary decline in the 

 moral tone of English society after the Resto- 

 ration of Charles II., is a fact inconsistent with 

 the doctrine of a general progress. And Mr. 

 Mansel still more preposterously declares that 

 on the theory of progression we ought to regard 

 the polytheism of imperial Rome as a higher 

 form of religion than the earlier Hebrew wor- 

 ^ W. Adam, Theories of History , p. 87. 

 284 



