T orch
of
R eason .
J^T R L T H BEARS T H E TORCH IN T H E SEARCH FOR T R U T H . " - - L u c r e tiu s -
VOL. 4.
SILAERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, E. M. 300 (A. D. 1900.)
Keep Your Faces to the Light.
NO. 2.
more the exclusive possession of consciousness. The difficulty in The Absurdity of Immortality.
man than mind. Speech is an at­ examining it is that we study it by
h e r e ’ s a ringing, glorious m easure
In th e m arch of life, m y b ro th e rs; tribute of all the higher social ani­ itself; it is subject and object in
BY JEAN MESLIER.
If we listen , we m ay h e a r it all mals, at least of all vertebrates that onp—hence much confusion. I hold
day long,
live in herds, for it is necessary for that it is, however, nothing more
W ith an u n d erto n e of triu m p h
he superiority which men ar­
« o discordance w holly sm o th ers,
them to understand one another. than a physiological and neurologi­
rogate to themselves over
And th is is th e cheerful burden of th e
1 his may be done by gestures or cal problem. True consciousness
so n g :
other animals, is principally
“ F o rw ard! keep th e colum n m oving!
sounds. The song of the bird and (mind, thought) is to be found in
founded upon theopinionof possess­
Perfect rest shall be our guerdon
of
the
anthropoid
apes
(Hylobates)
the
higher
animals
alone,
those
W hen o u r m issions a re fulfilled—o u r
ing exclusively an immortal soul.
labors d o n e ;
is speech, just as the barking of the with a centralized nervous system
But as soon as we ask what this soul
D uty’s p a th lies plain before us,
dog and the lowing of the cattle, or and organ for thought. The con­ is, they begin to stammer. It is an
W hatsoe’e r o u r task an d b u rd en ,
If we bravely set our faces to th e sun.
the neighing of horses, the chirping sciousness of the higher apes, dogs,
unknown substance; it is a screct
of crickets, etc.
“ D isap p o in tm en ts m ay o ’e rta k e us,
elephants, etc., is different from force distinguished from their bod­
Losses, griefs, and grim su rp rises
It is indeed true that in man that of man in degree, not in kind. ies; it is a spirit, of which they can
May a ssa u lt us in th e w eary way we go;
alone has articulate speech attain­ Consciousness is only a part, of
Look not back ; bu t onw ard, ever,
form no idea. Ask then) how this
Lo! th e goal before us rises,
ed
perfection
through
his
highly
the
higher
soul
activity,
and
as
And th e valley of th e shadow lies below !
spirit, which they suppose like
developed brain. Comparative phi­ such is dependent upon the normal their God, totally deprived of a
W ith a h a n d to h elp th e fallen,
W here th e rugged steep s delay us,
lology has shown, however, that all structureof the brain. Experiment
Though th e red d en in g su m m its w arn
physical substance, could combine
of the manifoldness of language has and examination of the brain have itself with their material bodies?
us of th e n ig h t,
We shall c o n q u er all th e evils
developed by slow and painful shown that it is the seat of con­ They will tell you that they know
T hat assail us and b etray us,
W hile we keep o u r faces bravely to steps from a few very simple prim­ sciousness, and the most interesting
nothing about it, that it is a mys­
th e lig h t!
itive sounds.
of these discoveries is that of Paul tery to them; that this combina­
“ Steady! keep th e ran k s in ip o tio n !
As to feelings which play so large Flechsig, who found the organ of tion is the effect of the Almighty
Though we only be retriev in g
The d isa sters an d m istak es of y e s te r­ a part in soul life, the emotions thought, or four inner spheres of power. These are the clear ideas
day.
are simply evolutions from sensa­ sensation and four great centres of which men form of the hidden, or,
th e re is sham e in dull in actio n ,
tions, and are common to man and association, the real organ of men­ rather, imaginary substance which
There is glory in achieving
If we tak e one step on th e u pw ard way ! animals. The most elevated and tal life
they consider the motor of all their
Day by day th e distance dw indles,
poetic
sentiments
of
the
most
high­
All
sorts
of
misty
ideas
prevail
Foot by foot th e steeps su rre n d e r,
actions! If the soul is a substance
And we dread no m ore th e b a rrie rs ly cultured man must hie back to on the subject of the immortality
essentially different from the body,
o v e rp a s t,
the
movements
in
the
single
cell
of
of
the
individual
soul.
Some
speak
W hile we b rea th e th e airs serener,
and which can have no affinity
And o ur eyes behold th e sp len d o r
the protist, one of the most primi­ of it as being a kind of ethereal he with it, their union would be, not
Of th e gates w here we shall e n te r in
tive of animals, for its real begin­ ing, some as if it were made of thin a mystery, but a thing impossible.
a t last.
W ayside th o rn s m ay ren d and goad us, ning.
matter; some merely hold that in Besides, this soul, being of an es­
Driving m ist anti cloud m ay blind us,
The child inherits in the cells some unknown way it continues to sence different from that of the
As we struggle up th e last stu p e n d o u s
h e ig h t;
which form it the character, tem­ exist. If the old theory of man body, ought to act necessarily in a
But rem em ber, and tak e courage,
perament, talent, quickness of per­ having a soul separate and distinct different way from it. However,
All life’s shadow s lie behind us
W hile we keep o u r faces bravely to ception, energy of will of both from his body is true, then many
we see that the movements of the
th e lig h t.”
parents.
The
traits
of
the
grand­
animals
also
have
immortal
souls.
—[Secular Review .
body are felt by this pretended
parents often appear in the grand­ And then these theorists have soul, and that these two substances,
children, whether they be traits of trouble in stating exactly where the so different in essence, always act
The Problem of Immortality.
body or soul. We have not yet soul came from; was it in heaven, in harmony. You will tell us that
solved all the questions of heredity, and when was it put into the child? this harmony is a mystery; and I
BY DR. ERNST HAECKEL.
but so much is established, that in­ After a study of all these fantastic will tell you that I do not see my
he mediaeval notion that man heritance is a property and physio­ theories Science is unsatisfied with soul, that I know and feel but my
any, and is forced to state its con­ body; that it is my body which
has mind, and animals only logical function of the organism.
We know that the moment the clusions: The belief in the immor­ feels, which ieffects, which judges,
instincts, that every animal
has certain inborn instincts, is cells
now from father and mother com­ tality of the human soul is a dog­ which suffers, and which enjoys,
exploded. Instincts are only a de­ bine, the qualities of both pans over ma in utter contradiction to the and that all of its faculties are the
velopment of mind by selection and to the new being. The cell souls of facts which investigation has prov­ necessary results of its own mech­
heredity, as Darwin showed. Com­ each are combined into one soul en to be true.
anism or of its organization.
The only immortality for man is
parative psychology has proved cell. The child may develop these
Although it is impossible for men
during the last forty years that ani­ inborn tendencies variously, accord­ that of the transmission of his char to have the least idea of the soul,
mals have minds just as well as ing to the education and environ­ acter to later generations through or of this pretended spirit which
men. The difference between the ment furnished him. In this way his children, or the influence which animates them, they persuade them­
minds of Goethe and Darwin and qualities are passed on from gener­ he exerts on the world of thought selves, however, that this unknown
an Australian or Patagonian is far ation to generation, and progress is while alive. If, as Science proves, soul is exempt from death; every­
greater than that between these made possible. For if every child mind, soul consciousness, are only thing proves to them that they feel,
savages and the higher species of had to begin with a blank soul cell properties of soul plasm, the cell think, acquire ideas, enjoy or suff­
apes. Behind the greatest minds much of the effort of the parents itself, when that cell dies thought er, but by the means of the senses
must cease, save as it has passed or of the material organs of the
Res all the long line of evolution would be absolutely lost
It has been proven within the its thought on to others.—[New body. Even admitting the exist­
out of the perceptions of the sim­
plest cells, and it is especially im­ last few years that every living cell A ork Journal.
ence of this soul, one can not refuse
portant to remember that the laws possesses certain psychical proper-
----
to recognize that it depends wholly
of adaption to environment and ties, and also that the soul life of
I will not attack your doctrines on the body, and suffers conjointly
heredity have had all to do with many-celled plants and animals is nor your creeds if they accord me with it all the vicissitudes which it
this great evolution.
nothing more than the result of the liberty. If they hold thought to be experiences itself; and however it is
Speech is the highest product of psychical functions of the cells com- dangerous—if they aver that doubt imagined that it has by its nature
the highly developed mind, but bined in this body.
is a crime, then I attack them one nothing analogous with it; it is pre­
bore, too, a long line of develop­ The most difficult property of the and all, because they enslave the tended that it can act and feel
ment lies behind. Speech is no brain, the mystery of mysteries, is minds of men.—[Ingersoll.
without the assistance of this body;
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