COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



wider and deeper conquests as civilization ad- 

 vances. By the primitive savage moral duties 

 were imperfectly recognized, but only within the 

 limits of the clan. By the Greek the ethical code 

 was enlarged, but it was a code not apphcable 

 to barbarians. The mediaeval Christian had a 

 still longer list of duties owed by him to all 

 mankind, his brethren in the sight of God ; and 

 to the ancient conception of justice thus mate- 

 rially widened, he added, in elementary shape, 

 the conception of benevolence or the " enthusi- 

 asm of humanity ; " but the familiar maxim that 

 " no faith need be kept with heretics " shows 

 that even to his conception of duty there were 

 practical limits narrower than would now be ad- 

 mitted. The modern, on the other hand, recog- 

 nizes that he owes certain duties to all men with 

 whom he may be brought into contact, not be- 

 cause they are his kindred, or his neighbours, 

 or his countrymen, or his fellow Christians, but 

 because they are his fellow men. Such is our 

 ethical standard, however imperfectly conformed 

 to ; and neither ancient nor mediaeval had such 

 an ethical standard. Compare also the ideal 

 types of perfect manhood at the two extremes 

 of civilization within our ken. The primitive 

 type is the man of intense personality, with an 

 enormous sense of his own importance, easily 

 roused to paroxysms of anger, brooking no con- 

 tradiction, disregardful of the feelings of others, 

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