ology in the surface-penetration of some of the secrets of thought-production led to its condemnation? Should those secrets, in obedience to theological casuistry, be allowed to linger on in primitive obscurity, as though the earnest use of our divinest gift, intellect, were not the most fitting and the most grateful form of homage to the all-bounteous Giver? If our science toils on in humble but trusting hope to fathom on material lines the mechanism of our mental operations, is its pursuit antagonistic to belief in an Almighty First Cause?[1] Is there really any fair ground for the inference, that because physiology strives to trace out and interpret the conditions of the connection between brain-substance and mind—ergo, those who labor in its field are of necessity atheists? The inquiries seem to deserve an answer. Let us, then, see to what the teachings of physiology in this direction really amount. Let us try to determine whether (conflicting though they may prove with the postulates of various narrow and sectarian systems of theology) those teachings really antagonize any formal or essential principle of deistic faith, whether, though confessedly open to the charge of "heresy" (that charge so dear to sacerdotalism),[2] they do not escape even the suspicion of that treason against nature, atheism?[3]
We must prelude the inquiry into the direct work of physiology by a very rapid glance at the notions advanced by metaphysicians and theologians on the nature of mind and generation of thought. Our task throughout will be merely one of historical and very occasionally critical review. We lay no claim to originality of doctrine, but shall merely attempt in simple fashion to popularize knowledge, which, alike from its nature and from the manner of its handling, has been essentially limited to the few.
1. Now, metaphysicians (they who profess their ability to formulate an a priori theory of the ultimate elements of knowledge and nature of things) have held, as a class, that the act of thinking is in
- ↑ Blaise Pascal (1623-'62), philosopher of no mean grasp and honesty though he was, strove to dissuade his generation from following out the Copernican system to its issues because it maintained the heretical doctrine of the movement of the earth. Pascal would not have merited censure for hesitating to accept the Copernican system had he argued on supposed philosophic grounds (Milton died uncertain which to accept, the doctrine of Ptolemy or Copernicus); his grave error consists in having preferred theological dogma to that which he felt to be truth.
- ↑ "Heresy," aptly styled by Lanfrey, "Cette éternelle protestation de la liberté de l'esprit humain contre les doctrines infaillibles" (That eternal protest of liberty of the human mind against infallible doctrines). "Histoire Politique des Papes," p. 70: Ed. Charpentier.
- ↑ Atheist and atheism are words constantly used in total ignorance of their real meaning. An angry religionist, being asked for his definition of the term atheist, unhesitatingly replied, "I call any man an atheist who does not go to my church, or some one like it." Strong in sectarian conviction, but weak in classical attainment, my friend evidently had, like one greater than he, "small Latin and less Greek," and knew as little of etymology as he felt of toleration for any creed but his own. But was he not (setting aside the question of verbal roots) a fair specimen of a large class?
