The socialization of humanity
 |
| The socialization of humanity by Charles Kendall Franklin |
analysis and synthesis of the phenomena of nature, life, mind and society through the law of repetition; a system of monistic philosophy.
From Introduction:
The object of this investigation is to trace physical, organic and social phenomena to their sources in order to discover their laws, so that the subsequent expenditure of energy in nature, life, mind and society may be determined for human welfare.
It will necessitate reviewing all of the great concepts of race, matter, motion, life, mind and society, and will result in an attempt at a complete orientation of the race and the establishment of the principles which will lead to the democratization and socialization of humanity.
The magnitude of the undertaking need not deter us, for it is by attempting the impossible that we accomplish what we are capable of. Few persons think outside of their inherited spheres. A scientist seldom thinks it possible to find instruction in the life of a common man or the works of a theologian; while the common man passes scientific works by with the belief in their impracticability, whereas in religion a man who reaches that eminence in thought whereby he can appreciate the religion of other peoples is reviled by his associates for having no religion himself.
A statesman who habitually dared to see any merit in the measures of the opposition, or who demanded progress instead of order, would be looked upon with suspicion by all and attacked with avidity by rivals in his own party. All of this narrowness, prejudice against progress and predilection for existing things, has been absolutely necessary in the long evolution of the race in order to make it conservative enough to hold fast to that which is good and thus avoid racial deterioration by following unwarranted variations from the racial type in political, aesthetic, mental, moral and religions life. But progress is as necessary to racial salvation as ordered because the environment is constantly changing and the race must be adapted to it.
In general, however, the order in society is more essential to racial salvation than progress, for in the long history of the race more tribes and nations have been destroyed by following unwarranted variations than by holding fast to inherited beliefs and practices, no matter how absurd, so they bound the tribe or nation together. Hence the powers of conservatism, through the struggle for existence, between tribe and tribe, nation and nation, have become stronger than the powers of progress, and are so today, despite the great intellectuality of the Nineteenth Century.
Yet there comes a time in every civilization when it must vary or else become extinct according to the law of natural selection, a time when rigid social order becomes evil in itself so that the original function of social order, the preservation of humanity, is perverted by protecting forms that hinder the further growth of the race; then the principles of progress are more sacred than those of order and are promulgated by the choicest spirits of humanity.
This is the condition of affairs in western civilization today. It stands to reason that our unscientific ancestors were of necessity incompetent to form a correct conception of the universe, to originate a true theory of things, to elaborate a scientific system of philosophy, to give the true reasons and causes of life, mind and society, or propound a rational explanation of religion that will satisfy the demands of the scientific mind of to-day, or establish a scientific system of society that mil renders justice to all men, thus realizing the highest development that each and everyone is competent to attain.
The first glimpse the human mind gets at the truth is an allegorical conception; this is gradually replaced in the course of centuries by the true explanation. We can trace the development of the unsystematized popular beliefs of the people from crude mythologies, mystic metaphysics and dreamy philosophies up to the scientific thought of the present. But today all men in authority, as in every age, authors, teachers, artists, scientists, businessmen, statesmen, men of the world all have an approximately correct conception of things and act upon it regardless of pretensions; however, they often try to persuade themselves that they still believe in the allegorical theory of their ancestors; and sedulously avoid any thorough investigation of nature, life, mind and society, for fear of becoming unorthodox, sceptical and atheistic.
Intellectually it is with us today as with the Romans in the first centuries. Gibbon says: "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful." The world today morally is in the same condition as when the Buddha of India came to preach new salvation. Again the blind are leading the blind. It is in the same condition it was in when Jesus of Nazareth preached the Gospel of the Brotherhood of Man.
Again unbelievers are putting reformers to death for impiety. It is in the same condition as when Socrates of Athens taught men how to live. Again do the teachers of men fail to enter into the heaven of Orientation prepared for them by the ages and refuse to let anyone else enter; and as in the days of old, they add intolerance to their conservatism by persecuting those who attempt to break the incrustations of the past to let the light of truth lead humanity to its ultimate goal. The world is in the same intellectual condition as when Francis Bacon wrote his incomparable works Novum Organum and the Advancement of Learning.
Today collegiate scholarship in the name of science clogs social progress, as in the days of Bacon, in the name of Classic Learning, it stemmed intellectual progress. The world is ripe for a true system of philosophy, for a right system of living. Unlike the world's passage from Polytheism to Monotheism, from Paganism to Christianity, from Feudalism to Capitalism heretofore made, the transition from Theology to Science, from Capitalism to Cooperation will be conscious.
In our survey of nature, we shall find that it makes no difference with the elements and energies "of nature how an end is accomplished. And it makes no difference with society. Human perfection, for example, cannot be attained except through property.
Primitive humanity did not have it and did not know how to produce it collectively. Hence the race, not being able to originate property by collective ownership, owing to lack of intelligence and morality, ceased to be social, forsook the social acquisition of property and permitted individual ownership because it was the only way open to primitive humanity whereby it could produce the necessary wealth for the highest human development.
Even today with us wealth can best be produced and conserved by having the capital of the race controlled by individuals; society, despite our boasted intelligence and morality, can- not do it, hence privileged classes still usurp this social function. But it will not always be so. Government is certainly a function of the people; yet, if they cannot govern themselves, they accept a king or any form of government, an aristocracy, or a plutocracy, so it conserves their energies. It is all a question of the expenditure of energy, no matter the method. In society, as in nature, if the best cannot be had, then the next best is taken with apparently as much liking, to be discarded, however, as soon as something better is developed. It is so throughout civilization. There is no reason whatever to believe that the race will not adopt a higher form of civilization as soon as it finds the method. By the natural law of the expenditure of energy, it must do so.
Some contents:
An Analysis of Nature, Life, Mind and Society A Naturalistic Concept of Things .... 1
CHAPTER II
The Law of Repetition . . . . . .21
CHAPTER III The Origin of Life . 31
CHAPTER IV
The Physics of the Senses and the Intellect . . .38
CHAPTER V
The Chemistry of the Senses, the Emotions and the Will . . ...._.., 53
CHAPTER VI
Animal Mechanics. 62
CHAPTER VII Realism and Idealism ..... . . . .76
CHAPTER VIII
Naturalism versus Supernaturalism . . . .86
CHAPTER IX
The Expenditure of Energy Controlled by Mind: The Fourth Law of Motion
CHAPTER II
The Law of Repetition . . . . . .21
CHAPTER III The Origin of Life . 31
CHAPTER IV
The Physics of the Senses and the Intellect . . .38
CHAPTER V
The Chemistry of the Senses, the Emotions and the Will . . ...._.., 53
CHAPTER VI
Animal Mechanics. 62
CHAPTER VII Realism and Idealism ..... . . . .76
CHAPTER VIII
Naturalism versus Supernaturalism . . . .86
CHAPTER IX
The Expenditure of Energy Controlled by Mind: The Fourth Law of Motion
Download 17.7 MB