diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15545-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 30309 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15545-h/15545-h.htm | 1601 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15545.txt | 1327 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15545.zip | bin | 0 -> 28532 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
7 files changed, 2944 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15545-h.zip b/15545-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..412e44b --- /dev/null +++ b/15545-h.zip diff --git a/15545-h/15545-h.htm b/15545-h/15545-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1f9b542 --- /dev/null +++ b/15545-h/15545-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1601 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" + content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" /> +<meta content="pg2html (binary v0.18b)" name="generator" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of + The Basis of Morality, + by Annie Besant. +</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[*/ + <!-- + body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; } + p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } + hr { width: 50%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; } +span.pagenum { position: absolute; left: 91%; right: .5em; font-size: 8pt; text-indent: 0; margin:0; padding:0; color: gray;} + +/*]]>*/ + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Basis of Morality, by Annie Besant + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Basis of Morality + +Author: Annie Besant + +Release Date: April 4, 2005 [EBook #15545] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASIS OF MORALITY *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David Garcia and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p> +<span class="pagenum" style="display: none;"><a id="pagei" name="pagei"></a>[i]</span> +</p> + +<div style="height: 2em;"><br /><br /></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum" style="display: none;"><a id="pageii" name="pageii"></a>[ii]</span> +</p> + +<div style="height: 2em;"><br /><br /></div> + +<h1> + THE BASIS OF MORALITY +</h1> + +<h2> +BY +<br /> +ANNIE BESANT +</h2> + +<h4> +AUTHOR OF +</h4> +<p style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0;"> +<i>Mysticism, The Immediate Future, <br /> +Initiation: The Perfecting of Man, <br /> +Superhuman Men, etc. etc.</i> +</p> + +<div style="height: 2em;"><br /><br /></div> + +<p style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0; font-size: 75%;"> +THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE <br /> +ADYAR, MADRAS, INDIA <br /> +1915 +</p> + +<p> +<span class="pagenum" style="display: none;"><a id="pageiii" name="pageiii"></a>[iii]</span> +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum" style="display: none;"><a id="pageiv" name="pageiv"></a>[iv]</span> +</p> + +<hr /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + CONTENTS +</h2> + +<p> +<span style="float: left; text-align: right; width: 15%;"> I.</span> <a href="#h2H_4_0003">REVELATION</a> +</p><p> +<span style="float: left; text-align: right; width: 15%;"> II.</span> <a href="#h2H_4_0004">INTUITION</a> +</p><p> +<span style="float: left; text-align: right; width: 15%;"> III.</span> <a href="#h2H_4_0005">UTILITY</a> +</p><p> +<span style="float: left; text-align: right; width: 15%;"> IV.</span> <a href="#h2H_4_0006">EVOLUTION</a> +</p><p> +<span style="float: left; text-align: right; width: 15%;"> V.</span> <a href="#h2H_4_0007">MYSTICISM</a> +</p> + +<hr /> + +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page1" name="page1"></a>[1]</span> +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0003" id="h2H_4_0003"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + I +</h2> +<h3> + REVELATION +</h3> +<p> +Must religion and morals go together? Can one be taught without the +other? It is a practical question for educationists, and France tried +to answer it in the dreariest little cut and dry kind of catechism ever +given to boys to make them long to be wicked. But apart from education, +the question of the bedrock on which morals rest, the foundation on +which a moral edifice can be built that will stand secure against the +storms of life—that is a question of perennial interest, and it must +be answered by each of us, if we would have a test of Right and Wrong, +would know why Right is Right, why Wrong is Wrong. +</p> +<p> +Religions based on Revelation find in Revelation their basis for +morality, and for them that is Right which the Giver of the Revelation +commands, and that is Wrong which He forbids. Right is Right because +God, or a Ṛṣhi or a Prophet, commands it, and Right rests on the +Will of a Lawgiver, authoritatively revealed in a Scripture. +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page2" name="page2"></a>[2]</span> +</p> +<p> +Now all Revelation has two great disadvantages as a basis for morality. +It is fixed, and therefore unprogressive; while man evolves, and at a +later stage of his growth, the morality taught in the Revelation becomes +archaic and unsuitable. A written book cannot change, and many things in +the Bibles of Religion come to be out of date, inappropriate to new +circumstances, and even shocking to an age in which conscience has +become more enlightened than it was of old. +</p> +<p> +The fact that in the same Revelation as that in which palpably immoral +commands appear, there occur also jewels of fairest radiance, gems of +poetry, pearls of truth, helps us not at all. If moral teachings worthy +only of savages occur in Scriptures containing also rare and precious +precepts of purest sweetness, the juxtaposition of light and darkness +only produces moral chaos. We cannot here appeal to reason or judgment +for both must be silent before authority; both rest on the same ground. +"Thus saith the Lord" precludes all argument. +</p> +<p> +Let us take two widely accepted Scriptures, both regarded as +authoritative by the respective religions which accept them as coming +from a Divine Preceptor or through a human but illuminated being, Moses +in the one case, Manu in the other. I am, of course, well aware that in +both cases we have to do with books which may contain traditions of +their great authors, even sentences transmitted down the centuries. + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page3" name="page3"></a>[3]</span> + +The unravelling of the tangled threads woven into such books is a work +needing the highest scholarship and an infinite patience; few of us +are equipped for such labour. But let us ignore the work of the Higher +Criticism, and take the books as they stand, and the objection raised +to them as a basis for morality will at once appear. +</p> +<p> +Thus we read in the same book: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any +grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy +neighbour as thyself." "The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be +unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself, for +ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." "Sanctify yourselves therefore +and be ye holy." Scores of noble passages, inculcating high morality, +might be quoted. But we have also: "If thy brother, the son of thy +mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy +friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly saying, let us +go and serve other Gods ... thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken +unto him; neither shalt thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, +neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him; thine +hand shall be first upon him to put him to death." "Thou shalt not +suffer a witch to live." A man is told, that he may seize a fair woman +in war, and "be her husband and she shall be thy wife. And it shall be +that if thou hast no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither +she will." These teachings and + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page4" name="page4"></a>[4]</span> + +many others like them have drenched Europe with blood and scorched it +with fire. Men have grown out of them; they no longer heed nor obey +them, for man's reason performs its eclectic work on Revelation, chooses +the good, rejects the evil. This is very good, but it destroys +Revelation as a basis. Christians have outgrown the lower part of their +Revelation, and do not realise that in striving to explain it away they +put the axe to the root of its authority. +</p> +<p> +So also is it with the Institutes of Manu, to take but one example from +the great sacred literature of India. There are precepts of the noblest +order, and the essence and relative nature of morality is +philosophically set out; "the sacred law is thus grounded on the rule +of conduct," and He declares that good conduct is the root of further +growth in spirituality. Apart from questions of general morality, to +which we shall need to refer hereafter, let us take the varying views +of women as laid down in the present Smṛṭi as accepted. On many +points there is no wiser guide than parts of this Smṛṭi, as will +be seen in Chapter IV. With regard to the marriage law, Manu says: +"Let mutual fidelity continue unto death." Of a father He declares: +"No father who knows must take even the smallest gratuity for his +daughter; for a man, who through avarice takes a gratuity, is a seller +of his offspring." Of the home, He says: "Women must be honoured and +adorned by their fathers, husbands, brothers and brothers-in-law + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page5" name="page5"></a>[5]</span> + +who desire happiness. Where women are honoured, there the Ḍevas +are pleased; but where they are not honoured, any sacred rite is +fruitless." "In that family where the husband is pleased with his wife +and the wife with her husband [note the equality], happiness will +assuredly be lasting." Food is to be given first in a house to +"newly-married women, to infants, to the sick, and to pregnant women". +Yet the same Manu is supposed to have taken the lowest and coarsest view +of women: "It is the nature of women to seduce men; for that reason the +wise are never unguarded with females ... One should not sit in a lonely +place with one's mother, sister or daughter; for the senses are +powerful, and master even a learned man." A woman must never act +"independently, even in her own house," she must be subject to father, +husband or (on her husband's death) sons. Women have allotted to them as +qualities, "impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice and bad conduct". +The Shūḍra servant is to be "regarded as a younger son"; a slave +is to be looked on "as one's shadow," and if a man is offended by him he +"must bear it without resentment"; yet the most ghastly punishments are +ordered to be inflicted on Shūḍras for intruding on certain sacred +rites. +</p> +<p> +The net result is that ancient Revelations, being given for a certain +age and certain social conditions, often cannot and ought not to be +carried out in the present state of Society; that ancient documents are + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page6" name="page6"></a>[6]</span> + +difficult to verify—often impossible—as coming from those whose names +they bear; that there is no guarantee against forgeries, interpolations, +glosses, becoming part of the text, with a score of other imperfections; +that they contain contradictions, and often absurdities, to say nothing +of immoralities. Ultimately every Revelation must be brought to the bar +of reason, and as a matter of fact, is so brought in practice, even the +most "orthodox" Brāhmaṇa in Hinḍūism, disregarding all the +Shāsṭraic injunctions which he finds to be impracticable or even +inconvenient, while he uses those which suit him to condemn his +"unorthodox" neighbours. +</p> +<p> +No Revelation is accepted as fully binding in any ancient religion, but +by common consent the inconvenient parts are quietly dropped, and the +evil parts repudiated. Revelation as a basis for morality is impossible. +But all sacred books contain much that is pure, lofty, inspiring, +belonging to the highest morality, the true utterances of the Sages and +Saints of mankind. These precepts will be regarded with reverence by the +wise, and should be used as authoritative teaching for the young and the +uninstructed as moral textbooks, like—textbooks in other sciences—and +as containing moral truths, some of which can be verified by all morally +advanced persons, and others verifiable only by those who reach the +level of the original teachers. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page7" name="page7"></a>[7]</span> +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0004" id="h2H_4_0004"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + II +</h2> +<h3> + INTUITION +</h3> +<p> +When scholarship, reason and conscience have made impossible the +acceptance of Revelation as the bedrock of morality, the +student—especially in the West—is apt next to test "Intuition" as a +probable basis for ethics. In the East, this idea has not appealed to +the thinker in the sense in which the word Intuition is used in the +West. The moralist in the East has based ethics on Revelation, or on +Evolution, or on Illumination—the last being the basis of the Mystic. +Intuition—which by moralists like Theodore Parker, Frances Power Cobb, +and many Theists, is spoken of as the "Voice of God" in the human +soul—is identified by these with "conscience," so that to base morality +on Intuition is equivalent to basing it on conscience, and making the +dictate of conscience the categorical imperative, the inner voice which +declares authoritatively "Thou shalt," or "Thou shalt not". +</p> +<p> +Now it is true that for each individual there is no better, no safer, +guide than his own conscience and + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page8" name="page8"></a>[8]</span> + +that when the moralist says to the inquirer: "Obey your conscience" he +is giving him sound ethical advice. None the less is the thinker faced +with an apparently insuperable difficulty in the way of accepting +conscience as an ethical basis; for he finds the voice of conscience +varying with civilisation, education, race, religion, traditions, +customs, and if it be, indeed, the voice of God in man, he cannot but +see—in a sense quite different from that intended by the writer—that +God "in divers manners spoke in past times". Moreover he observes, as +an historical fact, that some of the worst crimes which have disgraced +humanity have been done in obedience to the voice of conscience. It is +quite clear that Cromwell at Drogheda was obeying conscience, was doing +that which he conscientiously believed to be the Will of God; and there +is no reason to doubt that a man like Torquemada was also carrying out +what he conscientiously believed to be the Divine Will in the war which +he waged against heresy through the Inquisition. +</p> +<p> +In this moral chaos, with such a clash of discordant "Divine Voices," +where shall sure guidance be found? One recalls the bitter gibe of Laud +to the Puritan, who urged that he must follow his conscience: "Yea, +verily; but take heed that thy conscience be not the conscience of a +fool." +</p> +<p> +Conscience speaks with authority, whenever it speaks at all. Its voice +is imperial, strong and clear. None the less is it often uninformed, +mistaken, in its + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page9" name="page9"></a>[9]</span> + +dictate. There <i>is</i> an Intuition which is verily the voice of the +Spirit in man, in the God-illuminated man, which is dealt with in the +fifth chapter. But the Intuition recognised in the West, and identified +with conscience, is something far other. +</p> +<p> +For the sake of clarity, we must define what conscience is since we have +said what it is not: that it is not the voice of the Spirit in man, that +it is not the voice of God. +</p> +<p> +Conscience is the result of the accumulated experience gained by each +man in his previous lives. Each of us is an Immortal Spirit, a Divine +fragment, a Self: "A fragment of mine own Self, transformed in the world +of life into an immortal Spirit, draweth round itself the senses, of +which the mind is the sixth, veiled in Matter." Such is each man. He +evolves into manifested powers all the potentialities unfolded in him by +virtue of his divine parentage, and this is effected by repeated births +into this world, wherein he gathers experience, repeated deaths out of +this world into the other twain—the wheel of births and deaths turns in +the Ṭriloka, the three worlds—wherein he reaps in pain the results +of experiences gathered by disregard of law, and assimilates, +transforming into faculty, moral and mental, the results of experience +gathered in harmony with law. Having transmuted experience into faculty, +he returns to earth for the gathering of new experience, dealt with as +before after physical death. Thus the Spirit unfolds, or the + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page10" name="page10"></a>[10]</span> + +man evolves—whichever expression is preferred to indicate this growth. +Very similarly doth the physical body grow; a man eats food; digests it, +assimilates it, transmutes it into the materials of his body; ill food +causes pain, even disease; good food strengthens, and makes for growth. +The outer is a reflection of the inner. +</p> +<p> +Now conscience is the sum total of the experiences in past lives which +have borne sweet and bitter fruit, according as they were in accord or +disaccord with surrounding natural law. This sum total of <i>physical</i> +experiences, which result in increased or diminished life, we call +instinct, and it is life-preserving. The sum total of our interwoven +<i>mental and moral</i> experiences, in our relations with others, is +moral instinct, or conscience, and it is harmonising, impels to +"good"—a word which we shall define in our fourth chapter. +</p> +<p> +Hence conscience depends on the experiences through which we have passed +in previous lives, and is necessarily an individual possession. It +differs where the past experience is different, as in the savage and the +civilised man, the dolt and the talented, the fool and the genius, the +criminal and the saint. The voice of God would speak alike in all; the +experience of the past speaks differently in each. Hence also the +consciences of men at a similar evolutionary level speak alike on broad +questions of right and wrong, good and evil. On these the "voice" is +clear. But + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page11" name="page11"></a>[11]</span> + +there are many questions whereon past experience fails us, and then +conscience fails to speak. We are in doubt; two apparent duties +conflict; two ways seem equally right or equally wrong. "I do not know +what I <i>ought</i> to do," says the perplexed moralist, hearing no +inner voice. In such cases, we must seek to form the best judgment we +can, and then act boldly. If unknowingly we disregard some hidden law we +shall suffer, and <i>that</i> experience will be added to our sum total, +and in similar circumstances in the future, conscience, through the aid +of this added experience, will have found a voice. +</p> +<p> +Hence we may ever, having judged as best we can, act boldly, and learn +increased wisdom from the result. +</p> +<p> +Much moral cowardice, paralysing action, has resulted from the Christian +idea of "sin," as something that incurs the "wrath of God," and that +needs to be "forgiven," in order to escape an artificial—not a +natural—penalty. We gain knowledge by experience, and disregard of a +law, where it is not known, should cause us no distress, no remorse, no +"repentance," only a quiet mental note that we must in future remember +the law which we disregarded and make our conduct harmonise therewith. +Where conscience does not speak, how shall we act? The way is well known +to all thoughtful people: we first try to eliminate all personal desire +from the consideration of the subject on which decision is needed, so +that the mental atmosphere may not be rendered a distorting + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page12" name="page12"></a>[12]</span> + +medium by the mists of personal pleasure or pain; next, we place before +us all the circumstances, giving each its due weight; then, we decide; +the next step depends on whether we believe in Higher Powers or not; if +we do, we sit down quietly and alone; we place our decision before us; +we suspend <i>all</i> thought, but remain mentally alert—all mental +ear, as it were; we ask for help from God, from our Teacher, from our +own Higher Self; into that silence comes the decision. We obey it, +without further consideration, and then we watch the result, and judge +by that of the value of the decision, for it may have come from the +higher or from the lower Self. But, as we did our very best, we feel no +trouble, even if the decision should be wrong and bring us pain. We have +gained an experience, and will do better next time. The trouble, the +pain, we have brought on ourselves by our ignorance, we note, as showing +that we have disregarded a law, and we profit by the additional +knowledge in the future. +</p> +<p> +Thus understanding conscience, we shall not take it as a basis of +morality, but as our best available individual light. We shall judge our +conscience, educate it, evolve it by mental effort, by careful +observation. As we learn more, our conscience will develop; as we act up +to the highest we can see, our vision will become ever clearer, and our +ear more sensitive. As muscles develop by exercise, so conscience +develops by activity, and as we use our lamp it burns the more + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page13" name="page13"></a>[13]</span> + +brightly. But let it ever be remembered that it is a man's own +experience that must guide him, and his own conscience that must decide. +To overrule the conscience of another is to induce in him moral +paralysis, and to seek to dominate the will of another is a crime. +</p> + +<hr /> + +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page14" name="page14"></a>[14]</span> +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0005" id="h2H_4_0005"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + III +</h2> +<h3> + UTILITY +</h3> +<p> +To those whose intelligence and conscience had revolted against the +crude and immoral maxims mixed up with noble precepts in Revelation; to +those who recognised the impossibility of accepting the varying voices +of Intuition as a moral guide; to all those the theory that Morality was +based on Utility, came as a welcome and rational relief. It promised a +scientific certitude to moral precepts; it left the intellect free to +inquire and to challenge; it threw man back on grounds which were found +in this world alone, and could be tested by reason and experience; it +derived no authority from antiquity, no sanction from religion; it stood +entirely on its own feet, independently of the many conflicting elements +which were found in the religions of the past and present. +</p> +<p> +The basis for morality, according to Utility, is the greatest happiness +of the greatest number; that which conduces to the greatest happiness of +the greatest number is Right; that which does not is Wrong. +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page15" name="page15"></a>[15]</span> +</p> +<p> +This general maxim being laid down, it remains for the student to study +history, to analyse experience, and by a close and careful investigation +into human nature and human relations to elaborate a moral code which +would bring about general happiness and well-being. This, so far, has +not been done. Utility has been a "hand-to-mouth" moral basis, and +certain rough rules of conduct have grown up by experience and the +necessities of life, without any definite investigation into, or +codifying of, experience. Man's moral basis as a rule is a compound of +partially accepted revelations and partially admitted consciences, with +a practical application of the principle of "that which works best". The +majority are not philosophers, and care little for a logical basis. They +are unconscious empirics, and their morality is empirical. +</p> +<p> +Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, considering that the maxim did not sufficiently +guard the interests of the minority, and that, so far as was possible, +these also should be considered and guarded, added another phrase; his +basis ran: "The greatest happiness of the greatest number, with the +least injury to any." The rule was certainly improved by the addition, +but it did not remove many of the objections raised. +</p> +<p> +It was urged by the Utilitarian that morality had developed out of the +social side of human beings; that men, as social animals, desired to +live in permanent relations with each other, and that this resulted + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page16" name="page16"></a>[16]</span> + +in the formation of families; men could not be happy in solitude; the +persistence of these groups, amid the conflicting interests of the +individuals who composed them, could only be secured by recognising that +the interests of the majority must prevail, and form the rule of conduct +for the whole family. Morality, it was pointed out, thus began in family +relations, and conduct which disrupted the family was wrong, while that +which strengthened and consolidated it was right. Thus family morality +was established. As families congregated together for mutual protection +and support, their separate interests as families were found to be +conflicting, and so a <i>modus vivendi</i> was sought in the same +principle which governed relations within the family: the common +interests of the grouped families, the tribe, must prevail over the +separate and conflicting interests of the separate families; that which +disrupted the tribe was wrong, while that which strengthened and +consolidated it was right. Thus tribal morality was established. The +next step was taken as tribes grouped themselves together and became +a nation, and morality extended so as to include all who were within +the nation; that which disrupted the nation was wrong, and that which +consolidated and strengthened it was right. Thus national morality was +established. Further than that, utilitarian morality has not progressed, +and international relations have not yet been moralised; they remain in +the savage + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page17" name="page17"></a>[17]</span> + + state, and recognise no moral law. Germany has boldly +accepted this position, and declares formally that, for the State, +Might is Right, and that all which the State can do for its own +aggrandisement, for the increase of its power, it may and ought to do, +for there is no rule of conduct to which it owes obedience; it is a law +unto itself. Other nations have not formularised the statement in their +literature as Germany has done, but the strong nations have acted upon +it in their dealings with the weaker nations, although the dawning +sense of an international morality in the better of them has led to +the defence of international wrong by "the tyrant's plea, necessity". +The most flagrant instance of the utter disregard of right and wrong as +between nations, is, perhaps, the action of the allied European nations +against China—in which the Hun theory of "frightfulness" was enunciated +by the German Kaiser—but the history of nations so far is a history of +continual tramplings on the weak by the strong, and with the coming to +the front of the Christian white nations, and their growth in scientific +knowledge and thereby in power, the coloured nations and tribes, whether +civilised or savage, have been continually exploited and oppressed. +International morality, at present, does not exist. Murder within the +family, the tribe, and the nation is marked as a crime, save that +judicial murder, capital punishment, is permitted—on the principle of +(supposed) Utility. But multiple murder outside the nation—War—is not + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page18" name="page18"></a>[18]</span> + +regarded as criminal, nor is theft "wrong," when committed by a strong +nation on a weak one. It may be that out of the widespread misery caused +by the present War, some international morality may be developed. +</p> +<p> +We may admit that, as a matter of historical and present fact, Utility +has been everywhere tacitly accepted as the basis of morality, defective +as it is as a theory. Utility is used as the test of Revelation, as the +test of Intuition, and precepts of Manu, Zarathushtra, Moses, Christ, +Muhammad, are acted on, or disregarded, according as they are considered +to be useful, or harmful, or impracticable, to be suitable or unsuitable +to the times. Inconsistencies in these matters do not trouble the +"practical" ordinary man. +</p> +<p> +The chief attack on the theory of Utility as a basis for morality has +come from Christians, and has been effected by challenging the word +"happiness" as the equivalent of "pleasure," the "greatest number" as +equivalent to "individual," and then denouncing the maxim as "a morality +for swine". "Virtue" is placed in antagonism to happiness, and virtue, +not happiness, is said to be the right aim for man. This really begs the +question, for what is "virtue"? The crux of the whole matter lies there. +Is "virtue" opposed to "happiness," or is it a means to happiness? Why +is the word "pleasure" substituted for "happiness" when utility is +attacked? We may take the second question first. +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page19" name="page19"></a>[19]</span> +</p> +<p> +"Pleasure," in ordinary parlance, means an immediate and transitory +form of happiness and usually a happiness of the body rather than +of the emotions and the mind. Hence the "swine". A sensual enjoyment +is a "pleasure"; union with God would not be called a pleasure, but +happiness. An old definition of man's true object is: "To know God, and +to enjoy Him for ever." There happiness is clearly made the true end +of man. The assailant changes the "greatest happiness of the greatest +number" into the "pleasure of the individual," and having created this +man of straw, he triumphantly knocks it down. +</p> +<p> +Does not virtue lead to happiness? Is it not a condition of happiness? +How does the Christian define virtue? It is obedience to the Will of +God. But he only obeys that Will as "revealed" so far as it agrees with +Utility. He no longer slays the heretic, and he suffers the witch to +live. He does not give his cloak to the thief who has stolen his coat, +but he hands over the thief to the policeman. Moreover, as Herbert +Spencer pointed out, he follows virtue as leading to heaven; if right +conduct led him to everlasting torture, would he still pursue it? Or +would he revise his idea of right conduct? The martyr dies for the truth +he sees, because it is easier <i>to him</i> to die than to betray truth. +He could not live on happily as a conscious liar. The nobility of a +man's character is tested by the things which give + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page20" name="page20"></a>[20]</span> + +him pleasure. The +joy in following truth, in striving after the noblest he can see—that +is the greatest happiness; to sacrifice present enjoyment for the +service of others is not self-denial, but self-expression, to the Spirit +who is man. +</p> +<p> +Where Utility fails is that it does not inspire, save where the +spiritual life is already seen to be the highest happiness of the +individual, because it conduces to the good of all, not only of the +"greatest number". Men who thus feel have inspiration from within +themselves and need no outside moral code, no compelling external law. +Ordinary men, the huge majority at the present stage of evolution, need +either compulsion or inspiration, otherwise they will not control their +animal nature, they will not sacrifice an immediate pleasure to a +permanent increase of happiness, they will not sacrifice personal gain +to the common good. The least developed of these are almost entirely +influenced by fear of personal pain and wish for personal pleasure; they +will not put their hand into the fire, because they know that fire +burns, and no one accuses them of a "low motive" because they do not +burn themselves; religion shows them that the results of the disregard +of moral and mental law work out in suffering after death as well as +before it, and that the results of obedience to such laws similarly work +out in post-mortem pleasure. It thus supplies a useful element in the +early stages of moral development. +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page21" name="page21"></a>[21]</span> +</p> +<p> +At a higher stage, love of God and the wish to "please Him" by leading +an exemplary life is a motive offered by religion, and this inspires to +purity and to self-sacrifice; again, this is no more ignoble than the +wish to please the father, the mother, the friend. Many a lad keeps pure +to please his mother, because he loves her. So religious men try to live +nobly to please God, because they love Him. At a higher stage yet, the +good of the people, the good of the race, of humanity in the future, +acts as a potent inspiration. But this does not touch the selfish lower +types. Hence Utility fails as a compelling power with the majority, and +is insufficient as motive. Add to this the radical fault that it does +not place morality on a universal basis, the happiness of <i>all</i>, +that it disregards the happiness of the minority, and its unsatisfactory +nature is seen. It has much of truth in it; it enters as a determining +factor into all systems of ethics, even where nominally ignored or +directly rejected; it is a better basis in theory, though a worse one in +practice, than either Revelation or Intuition, but it is incomplete. +We must seek further for a solid basis of morality. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page22" name="page22"></a>[22]</span> +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0006" id="h2H_4_0006"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + IV +</h2> +<h3> + EVOLUTION +</h3> +<p> +We come now to the sure basis of morality, the bedrock of Nature, +whereon Morality may be built beyond all shaking and change, built as a +Science with recognised laws, and in a form intelligible and capable of +indefinite expansion. Evolution is recognised as the method of Nature, +her method in all her realms, and according to the ascertained laws +of Nature, so far as they are known, all wise and thoughtful people +endeavour to guide themselves. In making Morality a Science, we give +it a binding force, and render it of universal application; moreover, +we incorporate into it all the fragments of truth which exist in other +systems, and which have lent to them their authority, their appeal to +the intellect and the heart. +</p> +<p> +Let us first define Morality. It is the science of human relations, the +Science of Conduct, and its laws, as inviolable, as sure, as changeless, +as all other laws of Nature, can be discovered and formulated. + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page23" name="page23"></a>[23]</span> + +Harmony +with these laws, like harmony with all other natural laws, is the +condition of happiness, for in a realm of law none can move without +pain while disregarding law. A law of Nature is the statement of an +inviolable and constant sequence external to ourselves and unchangeable +by our will, and amid the conditions of these inviolable sequences we +live, from these we cannot escape. One choice alone is ours: to live in +harmony with them or to disregard them; violate them we cannot, but we +can dash ourselves against them; then the law asserts itself in the +suffering that results from our flinging ourselves against it, or from +our disregarding its existence; its existence is proved as well by +the pain that results from our disregard of it, as by the pleasure +that results from our harmony with it. Only a fool deliberately and +gratuitously disregards a natural law when he knows of its existence; +a man shapes his conduct so as to avoid the pain which results from +clashing with it, unless he deliberately disregards the pain in view of +a result to be brought about, which he considers to be worth more than +the purchase price of pain. The Science of Morality, of Right Conduct, +"lays down the conditions of harmonious relations between individuals, +and their several environments small or large, families, societies, +nations, humanity as a whole. Only by the knowledge and observance of +these laws can men be either permanently healthy or permanently happy, +can they live in peace and prosperity. Where morality is + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page24" name="page24"></a>[24]</span> + +unknown or +disregarded, friction inevitably arises, disharmony and pain result; for +Nature is a settled Order in the mental and moral worlds as much as in +the physical, and only by knowledge of that Order and by obedience to it +can harmony, health and happiness be secured." +</p> +<p> +The religious man sees in the laws of Nature the manifestation of the +Divine Nature, and in obedience to and co-operation with them, he sees +obedience to and co-operation with the Will of God. The non-religious +man sees them as sequences he cannot alter, on harmony with which his +happiness, his comfort, depends. In either case they have a binding +force. The man belonging to any exoteric religion will modify by them +the precepts of his Scriptures, realising that morality rises as +Evolution proceeds. He does thus modify scriptural precepts by practical +obedience or disregard, whether he do it by theory or not. But it is +better that theory and practice should correspond. The intuitionist +will understand that conscience, accumulated experience, has developed +by experience within these laws. The utilitarian will see that the +happiness of all, not only of the greatest number, must be ensured by a +true morality, and will understand why Happiness is the result thereof. +Manu indicates the various bases very significantly: "The whole Veḍa +is the source of the Sacred Law [Revelation], next the tradition +[Conscience] and the virtuous conduct of + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page25" name="page25"></a>[25]</span> + +those who know [Utility], +also the customs of holy men [Evolution] and self-satisfaction +[Mysticism]" (ii, 6.). It is true that happiness can result only by +harmony with law, harmony with the Divine Will which is embodied in +law—we need not quarrel over names—and the Science of Right Conduct, +"by establishing righteousness brings about Happiness". It may therefore +be truly said that the object of Morality is Universal Happiness. Why +the doing of a right action causes a flow of happiness in the doer, even +in the midst of a keen temporary pain entailed by it, we shall see under +"Mysticism". +</p> +<p> +The moment we base Morality on Evolution, we see that it must change +with the stage of evolution reached, and that the duty—that which ought +to be done—of the civilised and highly advanced man is not the same as +the duty of the savage. "One set of duties for men in the Kṛṭa +age, different ones in the Treṭā and in the Dvāpara, and +another in the Kali." (<i>Manusmṛṭi</i>, i, 85.) Different ages +bring new duties. But if Morality be based on Evolution we can at once +define what is "Right" and what is "Wrong". That is Right which +subserves Evolution; that is Wrong which antagonises it. Or in other +words, for those of us who believe that God's method for this world is +the evolutionary: that is Right which co-operates with His Will; that is +wrong which works against it. "Revelation" is an attempt to state this +at any given time; "Intuition" is the result of successful attempts + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page26" name="page26"></a>[26]</span> + +to do this; "Utility" is the application of observed results of +happiness and misery which flow from obedience to this, or disregard +thereof. +</p> +<p> +Evolution is the unfolding and manifestation of life-energies, the +unfolding of the capacities of consciousness, the manifestation of these +ever-increasing capacities in ever-improving and more plastic forms. +The primary truth of Morality, as of Religion and of Science, is the +Unity of Life. One Life ever unfolding in endless varieties of forms; the +essence of all beings is the same, the inequalities are the marks of the +stage of its unfoldment. +</p> +<p> +When we base Morality on Evolution, we cannot have, it is obvious, one +cut and dry rule for all. Those who want cut and dry rules must go to +their Scriptures for them, and even then, as the rules in the Scriptures +are contradictory—both as between Scriptures and within any given +Scripture—they must call in the help of Intuition and Utility in the +making of their code, in their selective process. This selective process +will be largely moulded by the public opinion of their country and age, +emphasising some precepts and ignoring others, and the code will be the +expression of the average morality of the time. If this clumsy and +uncertain fashion of finding a rule of conduct does not suit us, we must +be willing to exert our intelligence, to take a large view of the +evolutionary process, and to deduce our moral precepts at any given +stage by applying our reason to the scrutiny + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page27" name="page27"></a>[27]</span> + +of this process at that stage. +This scrutiny is a laborious one; but Truth is the prize of effort in +the search therefor, it is not an unearned gift to the slothful and +the careless. +</p> +<p> +This large view of the evolutionary process shows us that it is best +studied in two great divisions: the first from the savage to the highly +civilised man who is still working primarily for himself and his family, +still working for private ends predominantly; and the second, at present +but sparsely followed, in which the man, realising the supreme claim of +the whole upon its part, seeks the public good predominantly, renounces +individual advantages and private gains, and consecrates himself to the +service of God and of man. The Hindu calls the first section of +evolution the Pravṛṭṭi Mārga, the Path of Forthgoing; the +second the Nivṛṭṭi Mārga, the Path of Return. In the first, +the man evolves by taking; in the second, by giving. In the first, he +incurs debts; in the second, he pays them. In the first, he acquires; in +the second, he renounces. In the first, he lives for the profit of the +smaller self; in the second, for the service of the One Self. In the +first, he claims Rights; in the second, he discharges Duties. +</p> +<p> +Thus Morality is seen from two view-points, and the virtues it comprises +fall into two groups. Men are surrounded on every side by objects of +desire, and the use of these is to evoke the desire to possess them, to +stimulate exertion, to inspire efforts, and thus to + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page28" name="page28"></a>[28]</span> + +make faculty, capacity—strength, intelligence, alertness, judgment, +perseverance, patience, fortitude. Those who regard the world as +God-emanated and God-guided, must inevitably realise that the relation +of man—susceptible to pleasure and pain by contact with his +environment—to his environment—filled with pleasure and pain-giving +objects—must be intended to provoke in man the desire to possess the +pleasure-giving, to avoid the pain-giving. In fact, God's lures to +exertion are pleasures; His warnings are pains and the interplay between +man and environment causes evolution. The man who does not believe in +God has only to substitute the word "Nature" for "God" and to leave out +the idea of design, and the argument remains the same: man's relation to +his environment provokes exertion, and thus evolution. A man on the Path +of Forthgoing will, at first, seize everything he desires, careless of +others, and will gradually learn, from the attacks of the despoiled, +some respect for the rights of others; the lesson will be learnt more +quickly by the teaching of more advanced men—Ṛṣhis, Founders of +Religions, Sages, and the like—who tell him that if he kills, robs, +tramples on others, he will suffer. He does all these things; he +suffers; he learns—his post-mortem lives helping him much in the +learning. Later on, he lives a more controlled and regulated life, and +he may blamelessly enjoy the objects of desire, provided he injure none +in the taking. Hinḍūism + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page29" name="page29"></a>[29]</span> + +lays down, as the proper pursuits for the household life, the gaining of +wealth, the performance of the duties of the position held, the +gratification of desire. The desires will become subtler and more +refined as intelligence fashions them and as emotions replace passions; +but throughout the treading of the Path of Forthgoing, the "desire for +fruit" is the necessary and blameless motive for exertion. Without this, +the man at this stage of evolution becomes lethargic and does not +evolve. Desire subserves Evolution, and it is Right. The gratification +of Desire may lead a man to do injury to others, and as soon as he has +developed enough to understand this, then the gratification becomes +wrong, because, forgetting the Unity, he has inflicted harm on one who +shares life with him, and has thus hampered evolution. The sense of +Unity is the root-Love, the Uniter, and Love is the expression of the +attraction of the separated towards union; out of Love, controlled by +reason and by the desire for the happiness of all, grow all Virtues, +which are but permanent, universal, specialised <i>forms</i> of love. So +also is the sense of Separateness the root-Hate, the Divider, the +expression of the repulsion of the separated from each other. Out of +this grow all Vices, the permanent, universal, specialised <i>forms</i> +of Hate. That which Love does for the Beloved, that Virtue does for all +who need its aid, so far as its power extends. That which Hate wreaks on +the Abhorred, that Vice does + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page30" name="page30"></a>[30]</span> + +to all who obstruct its path, so far as its power extends. +</p> +<p> +"Virtues and Vices are fixed emotional states. The Virtues are fixed +Love-emotions, regulated and controlled by enlightened intelligence +seeing the Unity; the Vices are fixed Hate-emotions, strengthened and +intensified by the unenlightened intelligence, seeing the separateness." +(<i>Universal Text Book</i>, ii, 32.) It is obvious that virtues are +constructive and vices destructive, for Love holds together, while Hate +disintegrates. Yet the modified form of Hate—antagonism, +competition—had its part to play in the earlier stages of human +evolution, developing strength, courage, and endurance, and while Love +built up Nations within themselves, Hate made each strong against its +competitor. And within Nations, there has been conflict of classes, +class and caste war, and all this modified and softened by a growing +sense of a common good, until Competition, the characteristic of the +Path of Forthgoing tends to change into Co-operation, the characteristic +of the Path of Return. The Path of Forthgoing must still be trodden by +many, but the number is decreasing; more and more are turning towards +the Path of Return. Ideals are formulated by the leaders of Humanity, +and the Ideals held up to-day are increasingly those of Love and of +Service. "During the first stage, man grasps at everything he desires +and develops a strong individuality by conflict; in the + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page31" name="page31"></a>[31]</span> + +second, he shares all he has, and yokes that individuality to service; +ever-increasing separation is the key-note of the one; ever-increasing +unity is the key-note of the other. Hence we need not brand as evil the +rough aggression and the fierce struggles of barbarous times; they were +a necessary stage of growth and were at that stage Right, and in the +divine plan. But now those days are over, strength has been won; the +time has come when the separated selves must gradually draw together, +and to co-operate with the divine Will which is working for union is +the Right. The Right which is the outcome of Love, directed by reason, +at the present stage of evolution, then, seeks an ever-increasing +realisation of Unity, a drawing together of the separated selves. That +which by establishing harmonious relations makes for Unity is Right; +that which divides and disintegrates, which makes for separation, is +Wrong." (<i>ibid.</i>, 10, 11.) +</p> +<p> +Hinḍūism, on which the whole of this is based, has added to this +broad criterion the division of a life into four stages, to each of +which appropriate virtues are assigned: the Student Period, with its +virtues of perfect continence, industry, frugality, exertion; the +Household Period, with its virtue of duties appropriate to the position, +the earning and enjoying of wealth, the gratification of desires; the +Retirement Period, with the virtues of the renouncing of worldly gain +and of sacrifice; the Ascetic Period, of complete renunciation, +meditation and preparation for post-mortem life. + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page32" name="page32"></a>[32]</span> + +These indications make +more easy the decisions as to Right and Wrong. +</p> +<p> +The more we think upon and work out into detail this view of Morality as +based on Evolution, the more we realise its soundness, and the more we +find that the moral law is as discoverable by observation, by reason, +and by experiment, as any other law of Nature. If a man disregards it, +either ignorantly or wilfully, he suffers. A man may disregard physical +hygienic and sanitary laws because of his ignorance; none the less will +he suffer from physical disease. A man may disregard moral laws because +of ignorance; none the less will he suffer from moral disease. The sign +of disease in both cases is pain and unhappiness; experts in both cases +warn us, and if we disregard the warning, we learn its truth later by +experience. There is no hurry; but the law is sure. Working with the +law, man evolves swiftly with happiness; working against it, he evolves +slowly with pain. In either case, he evolves, advancing joyously as a +free man, or scourged onwards as a slave. The most obstinate fool in +life's class, refusing to learn, fortunately dies and cannot quite +escape after death the knowledge of his folly. +</p> +<p> +Let the reader try for himself the solution of moral problems, +accepting, as a hypothesis, the facts of evolution and of the two halves +of its huge spiral, and see for himself if this view does not offer a +rational, intelligible, practical meaning to the much-vexed + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page33" name="page33"></a>[33]</span> + +words, Right and Wrong. Let him see how it embraces all that is true in +the other bases suggested, is their summation, and rationalises their +precepts. He will find that Morality is no longer dependent on the +maxims of great Teachers—though indeed they proclaimed its changeless +laws—nor on the imperfect resultant of individual experiences, nor +on the happiness of some only of the great human family, but that it +inheres in the very nature of things, an essential law of happy life and +ordered progress. Then indeed is Morality founded on a basis that cannot +be moved; then indeed can it speak with an imperial authority the +"ought" that must be obeyed; then it unfolds its beauty as humanity +evolves to its perfecting, and leads to Bliss Eternal, the Brahman +Bliss, where the human will, in fullest freedom, accords itself in +harmony with the divine. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page34" name="page34"></a>[34]</span> +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0007" id="h2H_4_0007"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + V +</h2> +<h3> + MYSTICISM +</h3> +<p> +Mysticism cannot be spoken of as a basis of morality in the sense in +which Revelation, Intuition, Utility and Evolution are bases, for it is +valid only for the individual, not for everybody, for the true Mystic, +the dictates of the Outer or Inner God are imperial, compelling, but to +any one else they are entirely unauthoritative. None the less, as the +influence of the Mystic is wide-reaching, and his dicta are accepted by +many as a trustworthy revelation—are not all revelations communicated +by Mystics?—or as the intuition of an illuminated conscience, or as +showing the highest utility, or as the result of an evolution higher +than the normal, it is worth while to consider their value. +</p> +<p> +Mysticism is the realisation of God, of the Universal Self. It is +attained either as a realisation of God outside the Mystic, or within +himself. In the first case, it is usually reached from within a +religion, by exceptionally intense love and devotion, accompanied + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page35" name="page35"></a>[35]</span> + +by purity of life, for only "the pure in heart shall see God". +The external means are prayer to and meditation on the Object of +devotion—Shrī Rāma, Shrī Kṛṣhṇa, the Lord Jesus—long +continued and persevering, and the devotee realises his Divinity by +ecstacy attaining Union thereby. Such Mystics are, for the most part, +valuable to the world as creating an atmosphere of spirituality, which +raises the general level of religious feeling in those who come within +its area; India has especially profited by the considerable number of +such Mystics found within its borders in past times, and to a lesser +extent to-day; every one who practises, for instance, meditation, knows +that it is easier here than elsewhere, and all sensitive persons feel +the Indian "atmosphere". Outside this, such Mystics occasionally write +valuable books, containing high ideals of the spiritual life. As a rule, +they do not concern themselves with the affairs of the outer world, +which they regard as unimportant. Their cry continually is that the +world is evil, and they call on men to leave it, not to improve it. To +them God and the world are in opposition, "the world, the flesh, and the +devil" are the three great enemies of the spiritual life. In the West, +this is almost universal, for in the Roman Catholic Church seclusion is +the mark of the religious life, and "the religious" are the monk and the +nun, the "religious" and the "secular" being in opposition. In truth, +where the realisation of God outside himself is sought by the + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page36" name="page36"></a>[36]</span> + +devotee, seclusion is a necessity for success, if only for the time +which is required for meditation, the essential preliminary of ecstacy. +In the very rare Mystics of non-Catholic communions, full ecstacy is +scarcely, if at all, known or even recognised; an overpowering sense of +the divine Presence is experienced, but it is a Presence outside the +worshipper; it is accompanied with a deliberate surrender of the will to +God, and a feeling on the part of the man that he becomes an instrument +of the divine Will; this he carries with him into outer life, and, +undirected by love and the illuminated reason, it often lands the +half-developed Mystic into fanaticism and cruelty; no one who has read +Oliver Cromwell's letters can deny that he was a Mystic, half-developed, +and it is on him that Lord Rosebery founded his dictum of the formidable +nature of the "practical Mystic"; the ever present sense of a divine +Power behind himself gives such a man a power that ordinary men cannot +successfully oppose; but this sense affords no moral basis, as, witness +the massacre of Drogheda. Such a Mystic, belonging to a particular +religion, as he always does, takes the revelation of his religion as his +moral code, and Cromwell felt himself as the avenging sword of his God, +as did the Hebrews fighting with the Amalekites. No man who accepts a +revelation as his guide can be regarded as more than partially a Mystic. +He has the Mystic temperament only, and that undoubtedly gives him + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page37" name="page37"></a>[37]</span> + +a strength far beyond the strength of those who have it not. +</p> +<p> +The true Mystic, realising God, has no need of any Scriptures, for he +has touched the source whence all Scriptures flow. An "enlightened" +Brāhmaṇa, says Shrī Kṛṣhṇa, has no more need of the +Veḍas, than a man needs a tank in a place which is overflowing with +water. The value of cisterns, of reservoirs, is past, when a man is +seated beside an ever-flowing spring. As Dean Inge has pointed out, +Mysticism is the most scientific form of religion, for it bases itself, +as does all science, on experience and experiment—experiment being only +a specialised form of experience, devised either to discover or to +verify. +</p> +<p> +We have seen the Mystic who realises God outside himself and seeks +Union with Him. There remains the most interesting, the most effective +form of Mysticism, the realisation by a man of God within himself. Here +meditation is also a necessity, and the man who is born with a high +capacity for concentration is merely a man who has practised it in +previous lives. A life or lives of study and seclusion often precede +a life of tremendous and sustained activity in the physical world. The +realisation is preceded by control of the body, control of the emotions +and control of the mind, for the power to hold these in complete +stillness is necessary, if a man is to penetrate into those depths of +his own nature in + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page38" name="page38"></a>[38]</span> + +which alone is to be found the shrine of the inner God. The subtle music +of that sphere is drowned by the clatter of the lower bodies as the most +exquisite notes of the Vīṇā are lost in the crude harsh sound +of the harmonium. The Voice of the Silence can only be heard in the +silence, and all the desires of the heart must be paralysed ere can +arise in the tranquillity of senses and mind, the glorious majesty of +the Self. Only in the desert of loneliness rises that Sun in all His +glory, for all objects that might cloud His dawning must vanish; only +"when half-Gods go," does God arise. Even the outer God must hide, ere +the Inner God can manifest; the cry of agony of the Crucified must be +wrung from the tortured lips; "My God, my God, why hast <i>Thou</i> +forsaken me?" precedes the realisation of the God within. +</p> +<p> +Through this all Mystics pass who are needed for great service in the +world, those whom Mr. Bagshot so acutely calls "materialised Mystics". +The Mystics who find God outside themselves are the "unmaterialised" +Mystics, and they serve the world in the ways above mentioned; but the +other, as Mr. Bagshot points out, transmute their mystic thought into +"practical energy," and these become the most formidable powers known in +the physical world. All that is based on injustice, fraud and wrong may +well tremble when one of these arises, for the Hidden God has become +manifest, and who may bar His way? +</p> +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page39" name="page39"></a>[39]</span> +</p> +<p> +Such Mystics wear none of the outer signs of the "religious"—their +renunciation is within, not without, there is no parade of outer +holiness, no outer separation from the world; Janaka the King, +Kṛṣhṇa the Warrior-Statesman, are of these; clothed in cotton +cloth or cloth of gold, it matters not; poor or rich, it boots not; +failing or succeeding, it is naught, for each apparent failure is the +road to fuller success, and both are their servants, not their masters; +victory ever attends them, to-day or a century hence is equal, for they +live in Eternity, and with them it is ever To-day. Possessing nothing, +all is theirs; holding everything, nothing belongs to them. +Misconception, misrepresentation, they meet with a smile, half-amused, +all-forgiving; the frowns, the taunts, the slanders of the men they live +to serve are only the proofs of how much these foolish ones need their +help, and how should these foolish ones hurt those on whom the Peace of +the Eternal abides? +</p> +<p> +These Mystics are a law unto themselves, for the inner law has replaced +the external compulsion. More rigid, for it is the law of their own +nature; more compelling, for it is the Voice of the divine Will; more +exacting, for no pity, no pardon, is known to it; more all-embracing, +for it sees the part only in the whole. +</p> +<p> +But it has, it ought to have, no authority outside the Mystic himself. +It may persuade, it may win, it may inspire, but it may not claim +obedience as of right. + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page40" name="page40"></a>[40]</span> + +For the Voice of the God within only becomes +authoritative for another when the God within that other self answers +the Mystic's appeal, and he recognises an ideal that he could not have +formulated, unaided, for himself. The Mystic may shine as a Light, but +a man must see with his own eyes, and there lies the world's safety; +the materialised Mystic, strong as he is, cannot, by virtue of the God +within him, enslave his fellow-men. +</p> + +<hr /> + +<p style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0; font-size: 75%;"> +THE VASANTA PRESS, ADYAR, MADRAS +</p> + + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Basis of Morality, by Annie Besant + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASIS OF MORALITY *** + +***** This file should be named 15545-h.htm or 15545-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/5/4/15545/ + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David Garcia and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/15545.txt b/15545.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b4473c --- /dev/null +++ b/15545.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1327 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Basis of Morality, by Annie Besant + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Basis of Morality + +Author: Annie Besant + +Release Date: April 4, 2005 [EBook #15545] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASIS OF MORALITY *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David Garcia and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + +[Transcriber's Note: Accented characters with macrons are marked in this +file as [=x], while those with inferior dots are marked as [x.].] + + + + + + +THE BASIS OF MORALITY + +BY + +ANNIE BESANT + + + +AUTHOR OF + + _Mysticism, The Immediate Future, + Initiation: The Perfecting of Man, + Superhuman Men, etc. etc._ + + + + THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE + ADYAR, MADRAS, INDIA + 1915 + + * * * * * + + + + +CONTENTS + + + I. REVELATION + II. INTUITION + III. UTILITY + IV. EVOLUTION + V. MYSTICISM + + * * * * * + + + + +I + +REVELATION + + +Must religion and morals go together? Can one be taught without the +other? It is a practical question for educationists, and France tried +to answer it in the dreariest little cut and dry kind of catechism ever +given to boys to make them long to be wicked. But apart from education, +the question of the bedrock on which morals rest, the foundation on +which a moral edifice can be built that will stand secure against the +storms of life--that is a question of perennial interest, and it must +be answered by each of us, if we would have a test of Right and Wrong, +would know why Right is Right, why Wrong is Wrong. + +Religions based on Revelation find in Revelation their basis for +morality, and for them that is Right which the Giver of the Revelation +commands, and that is Wrong which He forbids. Right is Right because +God, or a [R.][s.]hi or a Prophet, commands it, and Right rests on the +Will of a Lawgiver, authoritatively revealed in a Scripture. + +Now all Revelation has two great disadvantages as a basis for morality. +It is fixed, and therefore unprogressive; while man evolves, and at a +later stage of his growth, the morality taught in the Revelation becomes +archaic and unsuitable. A written book cannot change, and many things in +the Bibles of Religion come to be out of date, inappropriate to new +circumstances, and even shocking to an age in which conscience has +become more enlightened than it was of old. + +The fact that in the same Revelation as that in which palpably immoral +commands appear, there occur also jewels of fairest radiance, gems of +poetry, pearls of truth, helps us not at all. If moral teachings worthy +only of savages occur in Scriptures containing also rare and precious +precepts of purest sweetness, the juxtaposition of light and darkness +only produces moral chaos. We cannot here appeal to reason or judgment +for both must be silent before authority; both rest on the same ground. +"Thus saith the Lord" precludes all argument. + +Let us take two widely accepted Scriptures, both regarded as +authoritative by the respective religions which accept them as coming +from a Divine Preceptor or through a human but illuminated being, Moses +in the one case, Manu in the other. I am, of course, well aware that +in both cases we have to do with books which may contain traditions of +their great authors, even sentences transmitted down the centuries. +The unravelling of the tangled threads woven into such books is a work +needing the highest scholarship and an infinite patience; few of us +are equipped for such labour. But let us ignore the work of the Higher +Criticism, and take the books as they stand, and the objection raised +to them as a basis for morality will at once appear. + +Thus we read in the same book: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any +grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy +neighbour as thyself." "The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be +unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself, for +ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." "Sanctify yourselves therefore +and be ye holy." Scores of noble passages, inculcating high morality, +might be quoted. But we have also: "If thy brother, the son of thy +mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy +friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly saying, let us +go and serve other Gods ... thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken +unto him; neither shalt thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, +neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him; thine +hand shall be first upon him to put him to death." "Thou shalt not +suffer a witch to live." A man is told, that he may seize a fair woman +in war, and "be her husband and she shall be thy wife. And it shall be +that if thou hast no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither +she will." These teachings and many others like them have drenched +Europe with blood and scorched it with fire. Men have grown out of +them; they no longer heed nor obey them, for man's reason performs its +eclectic work on Revelation, chooses the good, rejects the evil. This +is very good, but it destroys Revelation as a basis. Christians have +outgrown the lower part of their Revelation, and do not realise that +in striving to explain it away they put the axe to the root of its +authority. + +So also is it with the Institutes of Manu, to take but one example +from the great sacred literature of India. There are precepts of +the noblest order, and the essence and relative nature of morality is +philosophically set out; "the sacred law is thus grounded on the rule +of conduct," and He declares that good conduct is the root of further +growth in spirituality. Apart from questions of general morality, to +which we shall need to refer hereafter, let us take the varying views +of women as laid down in the present Sm[r.][t.]i as accepted. On many +points there is no wiser guide than parts of this Sm[r.][t.]i, as will +be seen in Chapter IV. With regard to the marriage law, Manu says: +"Let mutual fidelity continue unto death." Of a father He declares: +"No father who knows must take even the smallest gratuity for his +daughter; for a man, who through avarice takes a gratuity, is a seller +of his offspring." Of the home, He says: "Women must be honoured and +adorned by their fathers, husbands, brothers and brothers-in-law who +desire happiness. Where women are honoured, there the [D.]evas are +pleased; but where they are not honoured, any sacred rite is fruitless." +"In that family where the husband is pleased with his wife and the +wife with her husband [note the equality], happiness will assuredly be +lasting." Food is to be given first in a house to "newly-married women, +to infants, to the sick, and to pregnant women". Yet the same Manu is +supposed to have taken the lowest and coarsest view of women: "It is +the nature of women to seduce men; for that reason the wise are never +unguarded with females ... One should not sit in a lonely place with +one's mother, sister or daughter; for the senses are powerful, and +master even a learned man." A woman must never act "independently, even +in her own house," she must be subject to father, husband or (on her +husband's death) sons. Women have allotted to them as qualities, "impure +desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice and bad conduct". The Sh[=u][d.]ra +servant is to be "regarded as a younger son"; a slave is to be looked +on "as one's shadow," and if a man is offended by him he "must bear it +without resentment"; yet the most ghastly punishments are ordered to be +inflicted on Sh[=u][d.]ras for intruding on certain sacred rites. + +The net result is that ancient Revelations, being given for a certain +age and certain social conditions, often cannot and ought not to be +carried out in the present state of Society; that ancient documents are +difficult to verify--often impossible--as coming from those whose names +they bear; that there is no guarantee against forgeries, interpolations, +glosses, becoming part of the text, with a score of other imperfections; +that they contain contradictions, and often absurdities, to say nothing +of immoralities. Ultimately every Revelation must be brought to the bar +of reason, and as a matter of fact, is so brought in practice, even the +most "orthodox" Br[=a]hma[n.]a in Hin[d.][=u]ism, disregarding all the +Sh[=a]s[t.]raic injunctions which he finds to be impracticable or even +inconvenient, while he uses those which suit him to condemn his +"unorthodox" neighbours. + +No Revelation is accepted as fully binding in any ancient religion, but +by common consent the inconvenient parts are quietly dropped, and the +evil parts repudiated. Revelation as a basis for morality is impossible. +But all sacred books contain much that is pure, lofty, inspiring, +belonging to the highest morality, the true utterances of the Sages and +Saints of mankind. These precepts will be regarded with reverence by the +wise, and should be used as authoritative teaching for the young and the +uninstructed as moral textbooks, like--textbooks in other sciences--and +as containing moral truths, some of which can be verified by all morally +advanced persons, and others verifiable only by those who reach the +level of the original teachers. + + * * * * * + + + + +II + +INTUITION + + +When scholarship, reason and conscience have made impossible the +acceptance of Revelation as the bedrock of morality, the +student--especially in the West--is apt next to test "Intuition" as a +probable basis for ethics. In the East, this idea has not appealed to +the thinker in the sense in which the word Intuition is used in the +West. The moralist in the East has based ethics on Revelation, or on +Evolution, or on Illumination--the last being the basis of the Mystic. +Intuition--which by moralists like Theodore Parker, Frances Power Cobb, +and many Theists, is spoken of as the "Voice of God" in the human +soul--is identified by these with "conscience," so that to base morality +on Intuition is equivalent to basing it on conscience, and making the +dictate of conscience the categorical imperative, the inner voice which +declares authoritatively "Thou shalt," or "Thou shalt not". + +Now it is true that for each individual there is no better, no safer, +guide than his own conscience and that when the moralist says to the +inquirer: "Obey your conscience" he is giving him sound ethical advice. +None the less is the thinker faced with an apparently insuperable +difficulty in the way of accepting conscience as an ethical basis; for +he finds the voice of conscience varying with civilisation, education, +race, religion, traditions, customs, and if it be, indeed, the voice +of God in man, he cannot but see--in a sense quite different from that +intended by the writer--that God "in divers manners spoke in past +times". Moreover he observes, as an historical fact, that some of the +worst crimes which have disgraced humanity have been done in obedience +to the voice of conscience. It is quite clear that Cromwell at Drogheda +was obeying conscience, was doing that which he conscientiously believed +to be the Will of God; and there is no reason to doubt that a man like +Torquemada was also carrying out what he conscientiously believed to be +the Divine Will in the war which he waged against heresy through the +Inquisition. + +In this moral chaos, with such a clash of discordant "Divine Voices," +where shall sure guidance be found? One recalls the bitter gibe of Laud +to the Puritan, who urged that he must follow his conscience: "Yea, +verily; but take heed that thy conscience be not the conscience of a +fool." + +Conscience speaks with authority, whenever it speaks at all. Its voice +is imperial, strong and clear. None the less is it often uninformed, +mistaken, in its dictate. There _is_ an Intuition which is verily +the voice of the Spirit in man, in the God-illuminated man, which is +dealt with in the fifth chapter. But the Intuition recognised in the +West, and identified with conscience, is something far other. + +For the sake of clarity, we must define what conscience is since we have +said what it is not: that it is not the voice of the Spirit in man, that +it is not the voice of God. + +Conscience is the result of the accumulated experience gained by each +man in his previous lives. Each of us is an Immortal Spirit, a Divine +fragment, a Self: "A fragment of mine own Self, transformed in the +world of life into an immortal Spirit, draweth round itself the senses, +of which the mind is the sixth, veiled in Matter." Such is each man. He +evolves into manifested powers all the potentialities unfolded in him by +virtue of his divine parentage, and this is effected by repeated births +into this world, wherein he gathers experience, repeated deaths out of +this world into the other twain--the wheel of births and deaths turns +in the [T.]riloka, the three worlds--wherein he reaps in pain the +results of experiences gathered by disregard of law, and assimilates, +transforming into faculty, moral and mental, the results of experience +gathered in harmony with law. Having transmuted experience into faculty, +he returns to earth for the gathering of new experience, dealt with +as before after physical death. Thus the Spirit unfolds, or the man +evolves--whichever expression is preferred to indicate this growth. +Very similarly doth the physical body grow; a man eats food; digests it, +assimilates it, transmutes it into the materials of his body; ill food +causes pain, even disease; good food strengthens, and makes for growth. +The outer is a reflection of the inner. + +Now conscience is the sum total of the experiences in past lives which +have borne sweet and bitter fruit, according as they were in accord or +disaccord with surrounding natural law. This sum total of _physical_ +experiences, which result in increased or diminished life, we call +instinct, and it is life-preserving. The sum total of our interwoven +_mental and moral_ experiences, in our relations with others, is +moral instinct, or conscience, and it is harmonising, impels to +"good"--a word which we shall define in our fourth chapter. + +Hence conscience depends on the experiences through which we have passed +in previous lives, and is necessarily an individual possession. It +differs where the past experience is different, as in the savage and the +civilised man, the dolt and the talented, the fool and the genius, the +criminal and the saint. The voice of God would speak alike in all; the +experience of the past speaks differently in each. Hence also the +consciences of men at a similar evolutionary level speak alike on broad +questions of right and wrong, good and evil. On these the "voice" is +clear. But there are many questions whereon past experience fails us, +and then conscience fails to speak. We are in doubt; two apparent duties +conflict; two ways seem equally right or equally wrong. "I do not know +what I _ought_ to do," says the perplexed moralist, hearing no +inner voice. In such cases, we must seek to form the best judgment we +can, and then act boldly. If unknowingly we disregard some hidden law we +shall suffer, and _that_ experience will be added to our sum total, +and in similar circumstances in the future, conscience, through the aid +of this added experience, will have found a voice. + +Hence we may ever, having judged as best we can, act boldly, and learn +increased wisdom from the result. + +Much moral cowardice, paralysing action, has resulted from the Christian +idea of "sin," as something that incurs the "wrath of God," and that +needs to be "forgiven," in order to escape an artificial--not a +natural--penalty. We gain knowledge by experience, and disregard of a +law, where it is not known, should cause us no distress, no remorse, no +"repentance," only a quiet mental note that we must in future remember +the law which we disregarded and make our conduct harmonise therewith. +Where conscience does not speak, how shall we act? The way is well known +to all thoughtful people: we first try to eliminate all personal desire +from the consideration of the subject on which decision is needed, so +that the mental atmosphere may not be rendered a distorting medium by +the mists of personal pleasure or pain; next, we place before us all the +circumstances, giving each its due weight; then, we decide; the next +step depends on whether we believe in Higher Powers or not; if we do, we +sit down quietly and alone; we place our decision before us; we suspend +_all_ thought, but remain mentally alert--all mental ear, as it +were; we ask for help from God, from our Teacher, from our own Higher +Self; into that silence comes the decision. We obey it, without further +consideration, and then we watch the result, and judge by that of the +value of the decision, for it may have come from the higher or from +the lower Self. But, as we did our very best, we feel no trouble, even +if the decision should be wrong and bring us pain. We have gained an +experience, and will do better next time. The trouble, the pain, we have +brought on ourselves by our ignorance, we note, as showing that we have +disregarded a law, and we profit by the additional knowledge in the +future. + +Thus understanding conscience, we shall not take it as a basis of +morality, but as our best available individual light. We shall judge +our conscience, educate it, evolve it by mental effort, by careful +observation. As we learn more, our conscience will develop; as we act +up to the highest we can see, our vision will become ever clearer, and +our ear more sensitive. As muscles develop by exercise, so conscience +develops by activity, and as we use our lamp it burns the more brightly. +But let it ever be remembered that it is a man's own experience that +must guide him, and his own conscience that must decide. To overrule the +conscience of another is to induce in him moral paralysis, and to seek +to dominate the will of another is a crime. + + * * * * * + + + + +III + +UTILITY + + +To those whose intelligence and conscience had revolted against the +crude and immoral maxims mixed up with noble precepts in Revelation; to +those who recognised the impossibility of accepting the varying voices +of Intuition as a moral guide; to all those the theory that Morality was +based on Utility, came as a welcome and rational relief. It promised a +scientific certitude to moral precepts; it left the intellect free to +inquire and to challenge; it threw man back on grounds which were found +in this world alone, and could be tested by reason and experience; it +derived no authority from antiquity, no sanction from religion; it stood +entirely on its own feet, independently of the many conflicting elements +which were found in the religions of the past and present. + +The basis for morality, according to Utility, is the greatest happiness +of the greatest number; that which conduces to the greatest happiness of +the greatest number is Right; that which does not is Wrong. + +This general maxim being laid down, it remains for the student to study +history, to analyse experience, and by a close and careful investigation +into human nature and human relations to elaborate a moral code which +would bring about general happiness and well-being. This, so far, has +not been done. Utility has been a "hand-to-mouth" moral basis, and +certain rough rules of conduct have grown up by experience and the +necessities of life, without any definite investigation into, or +codifying of, experience. Man's moral basis as a rule is a compound of +partially accepted revelations and partially admitted consciences, with +a practical application of the principle of "that which works best". The +majority are not philosophers, and care little for a logical basis. They +are unconscious empirics, and their morality is empirical. + +Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, considering that the maxim did not sufficiently +guard the interests of the minority, and that, so far as was possible, +these also should be considered and guarded, added another phrase; his +basis ran: "The greatest happiness of the greatest number, with the +least injury to any." The rule was certainly improved by the addition, +but it did not remove many of the objections raised. + +It was urged by the Utilitarian that morality had developed out of the +social side of human beings; that men, as social animals, desired to +live in permanent relations with each other, and that this resulted +in the formation of families; men could not be happy in solitude; the +persistence of these groups, amid the conflicting interests of the +individuals who composed them, could only be secured by recognising that +the interests of the majority must prevail, and form the rule of conduct +for the whole family. Morality, it was pointed out, thus began in family +relations, and conduct which disrupted the family was wrong, while that +which strengthened and consolidated it was right. Thus family morality +was established. As families congregated together for mutual protection +and support, their separate interests as families were found to be +conflicting, and so a _modus vivendi_ was sought in the same +principle which governed relations within the family: the common +interests of the grouped families, the tribe, must prevail over the +separate and conflicting interests of the separate families; that which +disrupted the tribe was wrong, while that which strengthened and +consolidated it was right. Thus tribal morality was established. The +next step was taken as tribes grouped themselves together and became +a nation, and morality extended so as to include all who were within +the nation; that which disrupted the nation was wrong, and that which +consolidated and strengthened it was right. Thus national morality was +established. Further than that, utilitarian morality has not progressed, +and international relations have not yet been moralised; they remain +in the savage state, and recognise no moral law. Germany has boldly +accepted this position, and declares formally that, for the State, +Might is Right, and that all which the State can do for its own +aggrandisement, for the increase of its power, it may and ought to do, +for there is no rule of conduct to which it owes obedience; it is a law +unto itself. Other nations have not formularised the statement in their +literature as Germany has done, but the strong nations have acted upon +it in their dealings with the weaker nations, although the dawning +sense of an international morality in the better of them has led to +the defence of international wrong by "the tyrant's plea, necessity". +The most flagrant instance of the utter disregard of right and wrong as +between nations, is, perhaps, the action of the allied European nations +against China--in which the Hun theory of "frightfulness" was enunciated +by the German Kaiser--but the history of nations so far is a history of +continual tramplings on the weak by the strong, and with the coming to +the front of the Christian white nations, and their growth in scientific +knowledge and thereby in power, the coloured nations and tribes, whether +civilised or savage, have been continually exploited and oppressed. +International morality, at present, does not exist. Murder within the +family, the tribe, and the nation is marked as a crime, save that +judicial murder, capital punishment, is permitted--on the principle of +(supposed) Utility. But multiple murder outside the nation--War--is not +regarded as criminal, nor is theft "wrong," when committed by a strong +nation on a weak one. It may be that out of the widespread misery caused +by the present War, some international morality may be developed. + +We may admit that, as a matter of historical and present fact, Utility +has been everywhere tacitly accepted as the basis of morality, defective +as it is as a theory. Utility is used as the test of Revelation, as the +test of Intuition, and precepts of Manu, Zarathushtra, Moses, Christ, +Muhammad, are acted on, or disregarded, according as they are considered +to be useful, or harmful, or impracticable, to be suitable or unsuitable +to the times. Inconsistencies in these matters do not trouble the +"practical" ordinary man. + +The chief attack on the theory of Utility as a basis for morality has +come from Christians, and has been effected by challenging the word +"happiness" as the equivalent of "pleasure," the "greatest number" as +equivalent to "individual," and then denouncing the maxim as "a morality +for swine". "Virtue" is placed in antagonism to happiness, and virtue, +not happiness, is said to be the right aim for man. This really begs the +question, for what is "virtue"? The crux of the whole matter lies there. +Is "virtue" opposed to "happiness," or is it a means to happiness? Why +is the word "pleasure" substituted for "happiness" when utility is +attacked? We may take the second question first. + +"Pleasure," in ordinary parlance, means an immediate and transitory +form of happiness and usually a happiness of the body rather than +of the emotions and the mind. Hence the "swine". A sensual enjoyment +is a "pleasure"; union with God would not be called a pleasure, but +happiness. An old definition of man's true object is: "To know God, and +to enjoy Him for ever." There happiness is clearly made the true end +of man. The assailant changes the "greatest happiness of the greatest +number" into the "pleasure of the individual," and having created this +man of straw, he triumphantly knocks it down. + +Does not virtue lead to happiness? Is it not a condition of happiness? +How does the Christian define virtue? It is obedience to the Will of +God. But he only obeys that Will as "revealed" so far as it agrees with +Utility. He no longer slays the heretic, and he suffers the witch to +live. He does not give his cloak to the thief who has stolen his coat, +but he hands over the thief to the policeman. Moreover, as Herbert +Spencer pointed out, he follows virtue as leading to heaven; if right +conduct led him to everlasting torture, would he still pursue it? Or +would he revise his idea of right conduct? The martyr dies for the truth +he sees, because it is easier _to him_ to die than to betray truth. +He could not live on happily as a conscious liar. The nobility of a +man's character is tested by the things which give him pleasure. The +joy in following truth, in striving after the noblest he can see--that +is the greatest happiness; to sacrifice present enjoyment for the +service of others is not self-denial, but self-expression, to the Spirit +who is man. + +Where Utility fails is that it does not inspire, save where the +spiritual life is already seen to be the highest happiness of the +individual, because it conduces to the good of all, not only of the +"greatest number". Men who thus feel have inspiration from within +themselves and need no outside moral code, no compelling external law. +Ordinary men, the huge majority at the present stage of evolution, need +either compulsion or inspiration, otherwise they will not control their +animal nature, they will not sacrifice an immediate pleasure to a +permanent increase of happiness, they will not sacrifice personal gain +to the common good. The least developed of these are almost entirely +influenced by fear of personal pain and wish for personal pleasure; they +will not put their hand into the fire, because they know that fire +burns, and no one accuses them of a "low motive" because they do not +burn themselves; religion shows them that the results of the disregard +of moral and mental law work out in suffering after death as well as +before it, and that the results of obedience to such laws similarly work +out in post-mortem pleasure. It thus supplies a useful element in the +early stages of moral development. + +At a higher stage, love of God and the wish to "please Him" by leading +an exemplary life is a motive offered by religion, and this inspires to +purity and to self-sacrifice; again, this is no more ignoble than the +wish to please the father, the mother, the friend. Many a lad keeps pure +to please his mother, because he loves her. So religious men try to live +nobly to please God, because they love Him. At a higher stage yet, the +good of the people, the good of the race, of humanity in the future, +acts as a potent inspiration. But this does not touch the selfish lower +types. Hence Utility fails as a compelling power with the majority, and +is insufficient as motive. Add to this the radical fault that it does +not place morality on a universal basis, the happiness of _all_, +that it disregards the happiness of the minority, and its unsatisfactory +nature is seen. It has much of truth in it; it enters as a determining +factor into all systems of ethics, even where nominally ignored or +directly rejected; it is a better basis in theory, though a worse one in +practice, than either Revelation or Intuition, but it is incomplete. +We must seek further for a solid basis of morality. + + * * * * * + + + + +IV + +EVOLUTION + + +We come now to the sure basis of morality, the bedrock of Nature, +whereon Morality may be built beyond all shaking and change, built as a +Science with recognised laws, and in a form intelligible and capable of +indefinite expansion. Evolution is recognised as the method of Nature, +her method in all her realms, and according to the ascertained laws +of Nature, so far as they are known, all wise and thoughtful people +endeavour to guide themselves. In making Morality a Science, we give +it a binding force, and render it of universal application; moreover, +we incorporate into it all the fragments of truth which exist in other +systems, and which have lent to them their authority, their appeal to +the intellect and the heart. + +Let us first define Morality. It is the science of human relations, the +Science of Conduct, and its laws, as inviolable, as sure, as changeless, +as all other laws of Nature, can be discovered and formulated. Harmony +with these laws, like harmony with all other natural laws, is the +condition of happiness, for in a realm of law none can move without +pain while disregarding law. A law of Nature is the statement of an +inviolable and constant sequence external to ourselves and unchangeable +by our will, and amid the conditions of these inviolable sequences we +live, from these we cannot escape. One choice alone is ours: to live in +harmony with them or to disregard them; violate them we cannot, but we +can dash ourselves against them; then the law asserts itself in the +suffering that results from our flinging ourselves against it, or from +our disregarding its existence; its existence is proved as well by +the pain that results from our disregard of it, as by the pleasure +that results from our harmony with it. Only a fool deliberately and +gratuitously disregards a natural law when he knows of its existence; +a man shapes his conduct so as to avoid the pain which results from +clashing with it, unless he deliberately disregards the pain in view of +a result to be brought about, which he considers to be worth more than +the purchase price of pain. The Science of Morality, of Right Conduct, +"lays down the conditions of harmonious relations between individuals, +and their several environments small or large, families, societies, +nations, humanity as a whole. Only by the knowledge and observance of +these laws can men be either permanently healthy or permanently happy, +can they live in peace and prosperity. Where morality is unknown or +disregarded, friction inevitably arises, disharmony and pain result; for +Nature is a settled Order in the mental and moral worlds as much as in +the physical, and only by knowledge of that Order and by obedience to +it can harmony, health and happiness be secured." + +The religious man sees in the laws of Nature the manifestation of the +Divine Nature, and in obedience to and co-operation with them, he sees +obedience to and co-operation with the Will of God. The non-religious +man sees them as sequences he cannot alter, on harmony with which his +happiness, his comfort, depends. In either case they have a binding +force. The man belonging to any exoteric religion will modify by them +the precepts of his Scriptures, realising that morality rises as +Evolution proceeds. He does thus modify scriptural precepts by practical +obedience or disregard, whether he do it by theory or not. But it is +better that theory and practice should correspond. The intuitionist +will understand that conscience, accumulated experience, has developed +by experience within these laws. The utilitarian will see that the +happiness of all, not only of the greatest number, must be ensured by a +true morality, and will understand why Happiness is the result thereof. +Manu indicates the various bases very significantly: "The whole Ve[d.]a +is the source of the Sacred Law [Revelation], next the tradition +[Conscience] and the virtuous conduct of those who know [Utility], +also the customs of holy men [Evolution] and self-satisfaction +[Mysticism]" (ii, 6.). It is true that happiness can result only by +harmony with law, harmony with the Divine Will which is embodied in +law--we need not quarrel over names--and the Science of Right Conduct, +"by establishing righteousness brings about Happiness". It may therefore +be truly said that the object of Morality is Universal Happiness. Why +the doing of a right action causes a flow of happiness in the doer, even +in the midst of a keen temporary pain entailed by it, we shall see under +"Mysticism". + +The moment we base Morality on Evolution, we see that it must change +with the stage of evolution reached, and that the duty--that which ought +to be done--of the civilised and highly advanced man is not the same as +the duty of the savage. "One set of duties for men in the K[r.][t.]a +age, different ones in the Tre[t.][=a] and in the Dv[=a]para, and +another in the Kali." (_Manusm[r.][t.]i_, i, 85.) Different ages +bring new duties. But if Morality be based on Evolution we can at once +define what is "Right" and what is "Wrong". That is Right which +subserves Evolution; that is Wrong which antagonises it. Or in other +words, for those of us who believe that God's method for this world is +the evolutionary: that is Right which co-operates with His Will; that is +wrong which works against it. "Revelation" is an attempt to state this +at any given time; "Intuition" is the result of successful attempts +to do this; "Utility" is the application of observed results of +happiness and misery which flow from obedience to this, or disregard +thereof. + +Evolution is the unfolding and manifestation of life-energies, the +unfolding of the capacities of consciousness, the manifestation of these +ever-increasing capacities in ever-improving and more plastic forms. +The primary truth of Morality, as of Religion and of Science, is the +Unity of Life. One Life ever unfolding in endless varieties of forms; the +essence of all beings is the same, the inequalities are the marks of the +stage of its unfoldment. + +When we base Morality on Evolution, we cannot have, it is obvious, one +cut and dry rule for all. Those who want cut and dry rules must go to +their Scriptures for them, and even then, as the rules in the Scriptures +are contradictory--both as between Scriptures and within any given +Scripture--they must call in the help of Intuition and Utility in the +making of their code, in their selective process. This selective process +will be largely moulded by the public opinion of their country and age, +emphasising some precepts and ignoring others, and the code will be the +expression of the average morality of the time. If this clumsy and +uncertain fashion of finding a rule of conduct does not suit us, we +must be willing to exert our intelligence, to take a large view of the +evolutionary process, and to deduce our moral precepts at any given +stage by applying our reason to the scrutiny of this process at that +stage. This scrutiny is a laborious one; but Truth is the prize of +effort in the search therefor, it is not an unearned gift to the +slothful and the careless. + +This large view of the evolutionary process shows us that it is best +studied in two great divisions: the first from the savage to the highly +civilised man who is still working primarily for himself and his family, +still working for private ends predominantly; and the second, at present +but sparsely followed, in which the man, realising the supreme claim of +the whole upon its part, seeks the public good predominantly, renounces +individual advantages and private gains, and consecrates himself to the +service of God and of man. The Hindu calls the first section of +evolution the Prav[r.][t.][t.]i M[=a]rga, the Path of Forthgoing; the +second the Niv[r.][t.][t.]i M[=a]rga, the Path of Return. In the first, +the man evolves by taking; in the second, by giving. In the first, he +incurs debts; in the second, he pays them. In the first, he acquires; in +the second, he renounces. In the first, he lives for the profit of the +smaller self; in the second, for the service of the One Self. In the +first, he claims Rights; in the second, he discharges Duties. + +Thus Morality is seen from two view-points, and the virtues it +comprises fall into two groups. Men are surrounded on every side by +objects of desire, and the use of these is to evoke the desire to +possess them, to stimulate exertion, to inspire efforts, and thus to +make faculty, capacity--strength, intelligence, alertness, judgment, +perseverance, patience, fortitude. Those who regard the world +as God-emanated and God-guided, must inevitably realise that the +relation of man--susceptible to pleasure and pain by contact with his +environment--to his environment--filled with pleasure and pain-giving +objects--must be intended to provoke in man the desire to possess the +pleasure-giving, to avoid the pain-giving. In fact, God's lures to +exertion are pleasures; His warnings are pains and the interplay between +man and environment causes evolution. The man who does not believe in +God has only to substitute the word "Nature" for "God" and to leave out +the idea of design, and the argument remains the same: man's relation to +his environment provokes exertion, and thus evolution. A man on the Path +of Forthgoing will, at first, seize everything he desires, careless of +others, and will gradually learn, from the attacks of the despoiled, +some respect for the rights of others; the lesson will be learnt more +quickly by the teaching of more advanced men--[R.][s.]his, Founders +of Religions, Sages, and the like--who tell him that if he kills, +robs, tramples on others, he will suffer. He does all these things; +he suffers; he learns--his post-mortem lives helping him much in the +learning. Later on, he lives a more controlled and regulated life, and +he may blamelessly enjoy the objects of desire, provided he injure none +in the taking. Hin[d.][=u]ism lays down, as the proper pursuits for the +household life, the gaining of wealth, the performance of the duties of +the position held, the gratification of desire. The desires will become +subtler and more refined as intelligence fashions them and as emotions +replace passions; but throughout the treading of the Path of Forthgoing, +the "desire for fruit" is the necessary and blameless motive for +exertion. Without this, the man at this stage of evolution becomes +lethargic and does not evolve. Desire subserves Evolution, and it is +Right. The gratification of Desire may lead a man to do injury to +others, and as soon as he has developed enough to understand this, then +the gratification becomes wrong, because, forgetting the Unity, he has +inflicted harm on one who shares life with him, and has thus hampered +evolution. The sense of Unity is the root-Love, the Uniter, and Love is +the expression of the attraction of the separated towards union; out of +Love, controlled by reason and by the desire for the happiness of all, +grow all Virtues, which are but permanent, universal, specialised +_forms_ of love. So also is the sense of Separateness the +root-Hate, the Divider, the expression of the repulsion of the separated +from each other. Out of this grow all Vices, the permanent, universal, +specialised _forms_ of Hate. That which Love does for the Beloved, +that Virtue does for all who need its aid, so far as its power extends. +That which Hate wreaks on the Abhorred, that Vice does to all who +obstruct its path, so far as its power extends. + +"Virtues and Vices are fixed emotional states. The Virtues are fixed +Love-emotions, regulated and controlled by enlightened intelligence +seeing the Unity; the Vices are fixed Hate-emotions, strengthened and +intensified by the unenlightened intelligence, seeing the separateness." +(_Universal Text Book_, ii, 32.) It is obvious that virtues are +constructive and vices destructive, for Love holds together, while Hate +disintegrates. Yet the modified form of Hate--antagonism, +competition--had its part to play in the earlier stages of human +evolution, developing strength, courage, and endurance, and while Love +built up Nations within themselves, Hate made each strong against its +competitor. And within Nations, there has been conflict of classes, +class and caste war, and all this modified and softened by a growing +sense of a common good, until Competition, the characteristic of the +Path of Forthgoing tends to change into Co-operation, the characteristic +of the Path of Return. The Path of Forthgoing must still be trodden by +many, but the number is decreasing; more and more are turning towards +the Path of Return. Ideals are formulated by the leaders of Humanity, +and the Ideals held up to-day are increasingly those of Love and of +Service. "During the first stage, man grasps at everything he desires +and develops a strong individuality by conflict; in the second, +he shares all he has, and yokes that individuality to service; +ever-increasing separation is the key-note of the one; ever-increasing +unity is the key-note of the other. Hence we need not brand as evil the +rough aggression and the fierce struggles of barbarous times; they were +a necessary stage of growth and were at that stage Right, and in the +divine plan. But now those days are over, strength has been won; the +time has come when the separated selves must gradually draw together, +and to co-operate with the divine Will which is working for union is +the Right. The Right which is the outcome of Love, directed by reason, +at the present stage of evolution, then, seeks an ever-increasing +realisation of Unity, a drawing together of the separated selves. That +which by establishing harmonious relations makes for Unity is Right; +that which divides and disintegrates, which makes for separation, is +Wrong." (_ibid._, 10, 11.) + +Hin[d.][=u]ism, on which the whole of this is based, has added to this +broad criterion the division of a life into four stages, to each of +which appropriate virtues are assigned: the Student Period, with its +virtues of perfect continence, industry, frugality, exertion; the +Household Period, with its virtue of duties appropriate to the position, +the earning and enjoying of wealth, the gratification of desires; the +Retirement Period, with the virtues of the renouncing of worldly +gain and of sacrifice; the Ascetic Period, of complete renunciation, +meditation and preparation for post-mortem life. These indications +make more easy the decisions as to Right and Wrong. + +The more we think upon and work out into detail this view of Morality as +based on Evolution, the more we realise its soundness, and the more we +find that the moral law is as discoverable by observation, by reason, +and by experiment, as any other law of Nature. If a man disregards it, +either ignorantly or wilfully, he suffers. A man may disregard physical +hygienic and sanitary laws because of his ignorance; none the less will +he suffer from physical disease. A man may disregard moral laws because +of ignorance; none the less will he suffer from moral disease. The sign +of disease in both cases is pain and unhappiness; experts in both cases +warn us, and if we disregard the warning, we learn its truth later by +experience. There is no hurry; but the law is sure. Working with the +law, man evolves swiftly with happiness; working against it, he evolves +slowly with pain. In either case, he evolves, advancing joyously as a +free man, or scourged onwards as a slave. The most obstinate fool in +life's class, refusing to learn, fortunately dies and cannot quite +escape after death the knowledge of his folly. + +Let the reader try for himself the solution of moral problems, +accepting, as a hypothesis, the facts of evolution and of the two halves +of its huge spiral, and see for himself if this view does not offer a +rational, intelligible, practical meaning to the much-vexed words, Right +and Wrong. Let him see how it embraces all that is true in the other +bases suggested, is their summation, and rationalises their precepts. +He will find that Morality is no longer dependent on the maxims of great +Teachers--though indeed they proclaimed its changeless laws--nor on the +imperfect resultant of individual experiences, nor on the happiness of +some only of the great human family, but that it inheres in the very +nature of things, an essential law of happy life and ordered progress. +Then indeed is Morality founded on a basis that cannot be moved; then +indeed can it speak with an imperial authority the "ought" that must +be obeyed; then it unfolds its beauty as humanity evolves to its +perfecting, and leads to Bliss Eternal, the Brahman Bliss, where the +human will, in fullest freedom, accords itself in harmony with the +divine. + + * * * * * + + + + +V + +MYSTICISM + + +Mysticism cannot be spoken of as a basis of morality in the sense in +which Revelation, Intuition, Utility and Evolution are bases, for it is +valid only for the individual, not for everybody, for the true Mystic, +the dictates of the Outer or Inner God are imperial, compelling, but to +any one else they are entirely unauthoritative. None the less, as the +influence of the Mystic is wide-reaching, and his dicta are accepted by +many as a trustworthy revelation--are not all revelations communicated +by Mystics?--or as the intuition of an illuminated conscience, or as +showing the highest utility, or as the result of an evolution higher +than the normal, it is worth while to consider their value. + +Mysticism is the realisation of God, of the Universal Self. It is +attained either as a realisation of God outside the Mystic, or within +himself. In the first case, it is usually reached from within a +religion, by exceptionally intense love and devotion, accompanied by +purity of life, for only "the pure in heart shall see God". The external +means are prayer to and meditation on the Object of devotion--Shr[=i] +R[=a]ma, Shr[=i] K[r.][s.]h[n.]a, the Lord Jesus--long continued and +persevering, and the devotee realises his Divinity by ecstacy attaining +Union thereby. Such Mystics are, for the most part, valuable to the +world as creating an atmosphere of spirituality, which raises the +general level of religious feeling in those who come within its area; +India has especially profited by the considerable number of such Mystics +found within its borders in past times, and to a lesser extent to-day; +every one who practises, for instance, meditation, knows that it is +easier here than elsewhere, and all sensitive persons feel the Indian +"atmosphere". Outside this, such Mystics occasionally write valuable +books, containing high ideals of the spiritual life. As a rule, they do +not concern themselves with the affairs of the outer world, which they +regard as unimportant. Their cry continually is that the world is evil, +and they call on men to leave it, not to improve it. To them God and the +world are in opposition, "the world, the flesh, and the devil" are the +three great enemies of the spiritual life. In the West, this is almost +universal, for in the Roman Catholic Church seclusion is the mark of +the religious life, and "the religious" are the monk and the nun, the +"religious" and the "secular" being in opposition. In truth, where the +realisation of God outside himself is sought by the devotee, seclusion +is a necessity for success, if only for the time which is required for +meditation, the essential preliminary of ecstacy. In the very rare +Mystics of non-Catholic communions, full ecstacy is scarcely, if at all, +known or even recognised; an overpowering sense of the divine Presence +is experienced, but it is a Presence outside the worshipper; it is +accompanied with a deliberate surrender of the will to God, and a +feeling on the part of the man that he becomes an instrument of the +divine Will; this he carries with him into outer life, and, undirected +by love and the illuminated reason, it often lands the half-developed +Mystic into fanaticism and cruelty; no one who has read Oliver +Cromwell's letters can deny that he was a Mystic, half-developed, and it +is on him that Lord Rosebery founded his dictum of the formidable nature +of the "practical Mystic"; the ever present sense of a divine Power +behind himself gives such a man a power that ordinary men cannot +successfully oppose; but this sense affords no moral basis, as, witness +the massacre of Drogheda. Such a Mystic, belonging to a particular +religion, as he always does, takes the revelation of his religion as his +moral code, and Cromwell felt himself as the avenging sword of his God, +as did the Hebrews fighting with the Amalekites. No man who accepts a +revelation as his guide can be regarded as more than partially a Mystic. +He has the Mystic temperament only, and that undoubtedly gives him +a strength far beyond the strength of those who have it not. + +The true Mystic, realising God, has no need of any Scriptures, for he +has touched the source whence all Scriptures flow. An "enlightened" +Br[=a]hma[n.]a, says Shr[=i] K[r.][s.]h[n.]a, has no more need of the +Ve[d.]as, than a man needs a tank in a place which is overflowing with +water. The value of cisterns, of reservoirs, is past, when a man is +seated beside an ever-flowing spring. As Dean Inge has pointed out, +Mysticism is the most scientific form of religion, for it bases itself, +as does all science, on experience and experiment--experiment being only +a specialised form of experience, devised either to discover or to +verify. + +We have seen the Mystic who realises God outside himself and seeks +Union with Him. There remains the most interesting, the most effective +form of Mysticism, the realisation by a man of God within himself. Here +meditation is also a necessity, and the man who is born with a high +capacity for concentration is merely a man who has practised it in +previous lives. A life or lives of study and seclusion often precede +a life of tremendous and sustained activity in the physical world. The +realisation is preceded by control of the body, control of the emotions +and control of the mind, for the power to hold these in complete +stillness is necessary, if a man is to penetrate into those depths of +his own nature in which alone is to be found the shrine of the inner +God. The subtle music of that sphere is drowned by the clatter of the +lower bodies as the most exquisite notes of the V[=i][n.][=a] are lost +in the crude harsh sound of the harmonium. The Voice of the Silence can +only be heard in the silence, and all the desires of the heart must be +paralysed ere can arise in the tranquillity of senses and mind, the +glorious majesty of the Self. Only in the desert of loneliness rises +that Sun in all His glory, for all objects that might cloud His dawning +must vanish; only "when half-Gods go," does God arise. Even the outer +God must hide, ere the Inner God can manifest; the cry of agony of the +Crucified must be wrung from the tortured lips; "My God, my God, why +hast _Thou_ forsaken me?" precedes the realisation of the God +within. + +Through this all Mystics pass who are needed for great service in the +world, those whom Mr. Bagshot so acutely calls "materialised Mystics". +The Mystics who find God outside themselves are the "unmaterialised" +Mystics, and they serve the world in the ways above mentioned; but the +other, as Mr. Bagshot points out, transmute their mystic thought into +"practical energy," and these become the most formidable powers known in +the physical world. All that is based on injustice, fraud and wrong may +well tremble when one of these arises, for the Hidden God has become +manifest, and who may bar His way? + +Such Mystics wear none of the outer signs of the "religious"--their +renunciation is within, not without, there is no parade of outer +holiness, no outer separation from the world; Janaka the King, +K[r.][s.]h[n.]a the Warrior-Statesman, are of these; clothed in cotton +cloth or cloth of gold, it matters not; poor or rich, it boots not; +failing or succeeding, it is naught, for each apparent failure is the +road to fuller success, and both are their servants, not their masters; +victory ever attends them, to-day or a century hence is equal, for +they live in Eternity, and with them it is ever To-day. Possessing +nothing, all is theirs; holding everything, nothing belongs to them. +Misconception, misrepresentation, they meet with a smile, half-amused, +all-forgiving; the frowns, the taunts, the slanders of the men they live +to serve are only the proofs of how much these foolish ones need their +help, and how should these foolish ones hurt those on whom the Peace of +the Eternal abides? + +These Mystics are a law unto themselves, for the inner law has replaced +the external compulsion. More rigid, for it is the law of their own +nature; more compelling, for it is the Voice of the divine Will; more +exacting, for no pity, no pardon, is known to it; more all-embracing, +for it sees the part only in the whole. + +But it has, it ought to have, no authority outside the Mystic himself. +It may persuade, it may win, it may inspire, but it may not claim +obedience as of right. For the Voice of the God within only becomes +authoritative for another when the God within that other self answers +the Mystic's appeal, and he recognises an ideal that he could not have +formulated, unaided, for himself. The Mystic may shine as a Light, but +a man must see with his own eyes, and there lies the world's safety; +the materialised Mystic, strong as he is, cannot, by virtue of the God +within him, enslave his fellow-men. + + * * * * * + +THE VASANTA PRESS, ADYAR, MADRAS + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Basis of Morality, by Annie Besant + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BASIS OF MORALITY *** + +***** This file should be named 15545.txt or 15545.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/5/4/15545/ + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David Garcia and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/15545.zip b/15545.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..61820a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/15545.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..311683f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #15545 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15545) |