CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTORY THE NEW KNOWLEDGE 



Moral conduct is a system evolved under the stress of 

 experience for the benefit of the individual and the race. 



The wonderful discoveries of modern science and es- 

 pecially those of Biological Science throw new light of 

 distinctive value upon the old great questions of the nature 

 and destiny of life and upon its obligations and duties and 

 privileges. And in that light many things are clearly seen 

 as material realities which have hitherto appeared only as 

 imperfectly understood intuitions or in the guise of laws 

 proclaimed by supernormal wisdom. 



The effect of these new revelations upon older knowledge 

 is necessarily twofold. First it must deny or correct, as all 

 new wisdom does, that which is erroneous or imperfect in 

 old beliefs and laws; and next, it must apply its new truths 

 in reconstructive effect. But it is a much easier and a much 

 speedier process to destroy than to reconstruct. A single 

 blow shattering an obsolete dogma of religion or a law of 

 moral conduct may involve in the wreck a whole train of 

 dependent beliefs; and this destruction may be doubly un- 

 fortunate when as sometimes occurs, the new truth is able to 

 afford support to the old, were it only properly apprehended. 



It is the purpose of this work to present some discussions 



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