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H)eansoate
Xectures.
OF HEREFORD.
2o. NETT.
PRICE 2.U.
THOS. GRIFFITHS
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Hectares.
THE PROBLEM
OF
EVIL.
BY
&
Co., 65
NOTE.
This Lecture, delivered in the Milton Hall, as one of the
series of the
"
DEANSGATE LECTURES
MODERN THOUGHT,"
desire
to
have
it
is
published
in
a form
circulation.
"
suitable
for
local
ROSS MURRAY.
3 is/,
1912.
THEREcannot
evil
in-
who
come
into being
if
among
2209373
nothing to
of the Unconscious
to the individuals
that there
is
no such thing
purpose,
at
is
all.
explanation
acquiescence in such a view of the Universe is much less
frequently met with than was the case a generation or two
ago.
is
some
sort
sophers
I will just
of the
thinkers because they are men whose names are well known
In
outside the circle of professed students of Philosophy.
demonstration
of
the
impossibility
of
explaining
is
"
" Evolution
or of Lord
Creatrice
perusal of Bergson's
"
Haldane's
Pathway to Reality." And directly you begin
to attribute to the world a purpose, the problem presents itself:
"
Why, if there is a purpose in the whole, should so much of
whole be so unlike anything which a good and reasonman would be likely to purpose " ? Not all the thinkers
who believe that the Universe has a purpose are what we call
that
able
Theists
believers in
God
talk
inanimate force.
Pluralists
who
fully acrrnit
But
is
be admitted
plained.
may
greatest to the thorough-going Theist
it
evening.
That
is
8
reconcilable with the existence of so
is
world
so
much
pain, so
much
ugliness, so
sin.
that greater
and wider
as to
my own
be made to
it.
(1) In the
the
Self
place there
first
and
its
activity.
emotions, volitions
mere bye-product
is
The
Epiphenomena
as they call
it
of purely
is
own
Now
his
we
are spiritual,
the
ultimate
cause of all
that
probable
his
limbs.
if
be something unconscious,
inactive,
if
we
the motion of
are active,
phenomena
unpurposeful
is
should
The
common-sense
and
you do
if
you
so,
will
it
incredible that
to
up
to
it.
I will
line of
tific
(2) After
glance at a more
this
I will just
physical thought,
difficult.
possibility
Even
if
it
difficult
line of
is
metais
less
no im-
refuted.
Everywhere in
some
I
am
am
conscious that
/ am
a cause.
if
And from
that
it
seems
or animal intelligence
they too must be willed, and must
be willed by a conscious, rational Being, which we can best
think of after the analogy of our own conscious wills. That
is
it is
held that our idea of Causality was derived from our conscious experience in willing. And, in his own words, "This
necessity in our minds to think of the external energy in
terms of the internal energy, gives rather a spiritualistic
is
the Universe
another because
We
private
and
personal, even
when
we condemn
We
ourselves
when we do not
so act.
It
We
is
ob-
We
same
case.
But most of us find it quite impossible to
Certain ends
acquiesce in that way of looking at Duty.
present themselves to us as ends which ought to be promoted.
And we have every bit as much right to claim objectivity for
12
fallacies in
it
for instance
is
them
same reason
that
we
anything
exactly the
the good of
believe
We
have
that pleasure
is
B who
not
denies them must be wrong
like matters of taste in which two men may differ without
asserting
either of
them,
Now if these
man.
We
always
We
don't suppose
not believe that
that Arithmetic
for
of the truth as
for
13
of the world's history is willed by God, we must suppose
that they are willed because they promote the end which
at
is
what
to the
problem which
have
willed
tain so
As
much
serious doubt.
men
spirit,
should, in
fact,
con-
As
suppose no one
to the proportion of
have any
will
good and
evil in
the
will differ
body
is
why should
God?
There are three possible ways of meeting this supreme
difficulty
(1) In the first place it may be denied that evil is
:
really
This
evil.
philosophers
is
and we often
find
something very
among
like this
purposes
the
authority of Conscience
or
the
difference
14
of the angels, as
it is
called.
we cannot
or sin
is
a bad thing.
They
are
and
no doubt bad, or
when looked
at in
at least
themselves
would
will
to look
for
meaningless
you have no
right
it is,
indeed,
You derive
very good.
moral consciousness ; and
is
you
As a matter
of fact
we judge
that
even
five.
To
we have no
God
is
good
pronounces them
The
(2)
suppose
He
is
to be.
alternative
(to put
it
more
difficulty
is
to
God
are good,
out without allowing or
frankly) causing
to death
and
We
by declaring war.
We
observed, that he
do
is
doing wrong
because
it is
is
not wrong to
really sufficient
evil,
but on the
other hand we don't say that the evil which he thus causes
ceases to be evil because it leads to good.
i6
arises
Himself.
Theism
is
This
is
But
generally understood.
do not
forms
of
being
not
too,
created
by
Himself,
which
amount of resistance to
and obvious way of
make
all
all
Nature wants, he
but sometimes
cows four-legged
it
tells
cannot.
the idea of a
cow, the typical cow undoubtedly has four legs, but occasionThe vagary is due to the
ally one is born with six legs.
the original sin we may call it
of the particular
imperfection
of
matter
on
which
Nature
was
piece
trying to stamp its
universal type of a cow
for in that
Now it must be
degree of imperfection in the impression.
admitted that in the superficial aspects of Nature there is
much which suggests such a hypothesis. Things do look
very
much
as
if
work struggling
individual.
what matter
much
as the
to all
metaphysicians whose tendencies are at all in an idealFor these reasons we do not hear much of
istic direction.
may
As a matter of
fact the
attempt to
God
think of
The
outside re-
is
i8
we
underlies what
pre-existent.
is
no doubt
The
in
call
many ways
explanation of evil.
ultimate fact that so
It
good but
The
as not in
hypothesis
is
in
is
increased
ten-fold
by the
facts
its
that
caused
difficult
all
which
original
And
this
of heredity.
yet
we
brow
been
sufficiently
in
some way
may
be.
The underlying
motive,
it
mere
direction.
It is
specimens of the
difficulties
They
will
explain what
If the limitation of
20
Only, too many of these have combined the explanation
sorts of doctrines or assertions which are really
evil.
with
all
inconsistent with
it.
actually offered
worlds.
Omnipotence
Thomas
is
all
is
possible
taught in every
Thomas Aquinas
The theology
things.
defined by
You
St.
Roman
can't
Seminary.
It is
as
of
the
Thomas, though
St.
heresies
when
Before
go on
to
Kant
that
no
finite
exhibition of
may
exercise of power.
21
But surely
control.
of a
limit.
After
all,
so.
Then
I will
A
idea of unlimited power is quite equally meaningless.
being who could do anything whatever any possible comwould be a being without any distinct
bination of things
in nature.
or
attributes
To explain events by
properties
God
eternal Nature.
This
is
freedom of
sistent with
He
22
otherwise than as a means to good ^except
by those theologians, neither numerous nor very important,
who have frankly denied all intrinsic distinction between
good and evil, and made morality itself depend upon the
arbitrary will of God.
Why should there not be a limitation
of the same intrinsic nature to the power of God? And it is,
evil for instance
goodness
must surely be
the
Good
is no positive evil
amount of good in the world
matter what we consider to be
do not escape.
Even
in the Universe
limited.
so, the
No
pleasure, virtue,
number
still
the
greater good.
such a conception.
environment.
Shakespeare's power of literary
in part by the nature of his
limited
was
no
doubt
production
own mind, but the nature of that mind was itself partly
extent by
its
23
and
his
to the level of
Hamlet.
not then
feel
bound
its
surroundings;
if it
were so,weshould
he was incapable
of writing the Novum Organum and discovering the circulation of the blood besides producing his thirty-five plays
We
of
Cambridge
meet.
It
who
is
nevertheless a
difficulty.
God. The
a philosopher
God at
all,
God
in
God
answer
24
"Not
so.
This
is
which
God would
God
assert confidently.
that there
is
Will;
as a
rational reflection to
positive evil.
And
be a
much
less evil
this consideration, I
would add, as
it
seems
I do not
me, carries with it the postulate of Immortality.
think we could reasonably regard the world as involving an
to
whole
discipline,
a preparation, an education
for
to attain the
better.
evil.
this evil
creation of the highest spirits that this earth has known and
not by a slow process of evolution from the amoeba to man,
25
these are questions, of course, which we can
under the artificial conditions
particular evil
never answer.
of
human
life,
a condition of good.
We see how
thing.
is
To
explain
means
to
is
show
what
that something
it
is.
We
is
must
what
it
at last
amount of Power,
I
And now let me briefly point out what a much more bracing
and stimulating view of the Universe this conception supplies
us with than the
common
cause
all
words, but at the bottom of their hearts there has lurked the
idea that, if they can just secure personal forgiveness for
themselves before they die, what they have done or not done
26
won't matter.
of Omnipotence.
It is well that we
should remind ourselves that the pain and suffering we have
caused by our conduct, the lives that have been spoiled by
fiat
good
that
will
It will
we
excite reverence,
little
to do, contains in
it little
to
of
God which
St.
his
you."
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