KIRTLEY F. MATHER 



moral law, righteousness. On occasion he has been 

 known even to commit biologic suicide for a cause or 

 purpose which he holds dearer than life itself. He 

 has become aware of the qualities as well as the quan- 

 tities of cosmic energy. He is conscious of a world 

 of values as well as a world of matter. Again, a 

 new attribute of administrative energy had become 

 apparent in the behavior of that which it had pro- 

 duced. 



The emergence of personality in the evolutionary 

 process is an event of transcendent importance, the 

 full meaning of which is still unappreciated. It must 

 have occurred, however, in response to personality- 

 producing forces in the universe. It is to these par- 

 ticular portions of cosmic energy that I would apply 

 the term God. For me, God is the motive power 

 which tends to produce a fine personality in a human 

 being. Does God, as thus defined, deserve to be called 

 loving or good? It all depends upon whether the per- 

 sonalities which are produced are kindly and good. If 

 one believes that there are kindly personalities and 

 good human beings, then one must attribute to cosmic 

 energy the qualities which the theologian has In mind 

 when he announces that God is love. 



Regardless of the theological implication, it is now 

 apparent that, as Professor H. S. Jennings expresses 

 it, "thoughts, ideals, purposes, are among the deter- 

 mining factors for the happenings in nature. Aspira- 

 tions do influence the course of events." 



The history of evolution leads to the inference that 

 Its motive forces behave not like a well-designed ma- 

 chine but like a consistent personality. There is uni- 



