From
this come all those articles on 'Nature and Circumstances,' 'Genius and
Labor,' with which college magazines are filled--endeavors of the young
mind to solve this most vital problem. Modern society has declared
itself on the side of necessity: while acknowledging man preeminently
free in his relations to others, it yet considers him as the bondslave
of motives. When God is the mere bondsman of necessity, and his religion
only the means of the greatest amount of happiness, surely his creature
must be in the same slavery. There are three great motives that sway
men--love for themselves, love to others, and love to God. The first of
these is measurable, the others immeasurable. In the first, given a
greater means of happiness, ten thousand dollars instead of nine
thousand, and the action follows in that direction as a matter of
necessity. But love of children, patriotism, benevolence, love of God
rise above this logical and mechanical, to the region of free and
incalculable volition.
Society, ignoring any such thing as soul, has declared that only the
measurable and necessary remains in man. Thence has arisen the science
of averages, pretending to foretell with mathematical certainty what a
man must do under given circumstances. Thence also has arisen this
maxim, so often quoted as final in all such questions, 'Every man has
his price.
Pages:
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294