the foundations of personality-第71章

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　his　human　desires；　wishes；　partialities　and　attributes　until　for　the　majority　of　the　cultivated　he　becomes　Nature；　which　in　the　end　is　a　collection　of　laws　in　which　one　HOPES　there　is　a　unifying　purpose。　But　the　vast　majority　of　the　world；　even　in　the　so…called　civilized　countries；　worship　taboos；　symbols；　have　a　modified　polytheistic　belief　or　a　personalized　God；　still　attempt　to　persuade　the　Power　in　their　own　behalf；　to　act　favorably　to　their　own　purposes　and　follow　those　who　claim　knowledge　of　the　divine　and　inscrutable；the　priest；　minister；　rabbi；　the　man　of　God；　in　a　phrase。　A　part　of　religious　feeling　arises　in　civilized　man；　at　least；　from　the　feeling　of　awe　in　the　presence　of　the　vast　forces　of　nature。　Here　science　has　contributed　to　religious　feeling；　for　as　one　looks　at　the　stars；　his　soul　bows　in　worship　mainly　because　the　astronomer；　the　scientist；　has　told　him　that　every　twinkling　point　is　a　great　sun　surrounded　by　planets；　and　that　the　light　from　them　must　travel　unimaginable　millions　of　miles　to　reach　him。　As　the　world　forces　become　impersonal　they　become　more　majestic；　and　a　deeper　feeling　is　evoked　in　their　presence。　Science　aids　true　religion　by　increasing　awe；　by　increasing　knowledge。　A　great　factor　in　religion　is　the　longing　to　compensate　for　death　and　suffering。　Religion　represents　a　reaction　against　fear；　horror　and　humiliation。　It　is　a　cry　of　triumph　in　the　face　of　what　otherwise　is　disaster　〃I　am　not　man；　the　worm；　sick；　old；　doomed　to　die；　I　am　the　heir　of　the　divine　and　will　live　forever；　happy　and　blessed。〃　Whether　religious　teaching　is　true　or　not；　its　great　value　lies　in　the　happiness　and　surety　of　those　who　believe。　In　its　very　highest　sense　the　religious　life　is　an　effort　to　identify　oneself　with　the　largest　purpose　in　the　world。　All　cooperative　purposes　are　thus　religious；　all　competitive　nonreligious。　The　selfish　is　therefore　opposed　to　the　altruistic　purpose；　the　narrow　to　the　broad。　Good　is　the　symbol　for　the　purposes　that　seek　the　welfare　of　all：　evil　is　the　symbol　of　those　who　seek　the　welfare　of　a　person　or　a　group；　regardless　of　the　rest。　If　this　definition　is　correct；　then　every　reformer　is　religious　and　every　self…seeker；　though　he　wear　all　the　symbols　of　a　religion　and　pray　three　times　a　day；　is　irreligious。　I　admit　no　man　or　woman　to　the　fellowship　of　the　religious　unless　in　his　heart　he　seeks　some　purpose　that　will　lift　the　world　out　of　discord　and　into　harmony。　The　power　of　the　human　being　to　believe　in　the　face　of　opposed　fact；　inconsistency　and　unfavorable　result　is　nowhere　so　well　exemplified　as　in　religion。　I　do　not　speak　of　the　untold　crimes　and　inhumanities　done　in　the　name　of　religion；　of　human　sacrifice；　persecution；　religious　war；these　are　parts　of　a　chapter　in　human　history　outside　of　the　province　of　this　book　and　almost　too　horrible　to　be　contemplated。　But　men　have　believed　（and　do　believe）　that　some　among　them　knew　what　God　wanted；　that　certain　procedures；　tricks　and　ceremonies　conveyed　sanctity　and　surety；　that　cosmic　events　like　storms；　droughts；　eclipses　and　epidemics　had　personal　human　meanings；　that　Infinite　Wisdom　would　be　guided　in　action　by　the　prayers　of　ignorance；　self…seeking　and　hatred；　etc。；　etc。　The　savage　who　believes　that　his　medicine　man's　antics；　paint　and　feathers　will　bring　rain　and　fertile　soil　has　his　counterpart　in　the　civilized　man　who　believes　that　this　or　that　ceremonial　and　professed　belief　insures　salvation。　Faith　is　beautiful　in　the　abstract；　but　in　the　concrete　it　is　often　the　origin　of　superstition　and　amazing　folly。＇1＇　However　crudely　intelligence　and　honest　scientific　effort　may　work；　they　soar　in　a　heaven　far　above　the　abyss　of　credulity。　＇1＇　It　would　be　amusing　were　it　not　sad　to　see　how　remarkably　well　some　philosophers　use　their　intelligence　and　logic　to　prove　the　invalidity　of　intelligence　and　logic。　They　praise　emotion；　instinct　and　〃intuition〃　and　such　modes　of　knowing　and　acting；　yet　their　works　are　closely　argued；　reasoned　and　appeal　throughout　to　the　intelligence　of　their　readers　for　acceptance。

True　religion　in　the　sense　I　have　used　the　word　has　faith　in　it；　the　faith　that　there　is　a　purpose　in　the　universe；　though　it　seems　impossible　for　us　to　discover　it。　In　the　personal　character　it　seeks　to　establish　altruistic　feeling　and　conduct；　though　it　does　not　rule　out　as　unworthy　self…feeling　or　seeking。　It　merely　subordinates　them。　It　does　not　deny　the　validity　of　pleasure；　of　the　sensuous　pleasures；　it　does　not　set　its　face　against　drinking；　eating；　sexual　love；　play　and　entertainment；　but　it　urges　a　valid　purpose　as　necessary　for　happiness　and　morality。　It　does　not　glorify　faith　as　against　reason；　emotion　as　against　intelligence；　on　the　contrary；　it　holds　that　reason　and　intelligence　are　the　governing　factors　in　human　life　and　only　by　use　of　them　do　we　rise　from　the　beast。　So　the　religious　life　of　those　we　study　will　be　of　great　importance　to　us。　In　the　majority　of　cases　we　shall　find　that　social　heredity；　tradition　and　backing　will　play　the　dominant　role；　in　that　most；　in　name　at　least；　live　and　die　in　the　faith　in　which　they　were　born。　We　find　those　who　identify　form　and　ceremonial　with　religion　（the　majority）；　others　who　identify　it　with　ethics　and　morality；　and　who　can　conceive　no　righteousness　out　of　it。　Then　there　is　the　strictly　modern　type　of　person　to　whom　right　conduct　is　held　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　religious　belief　and　who　measures　Christian；　Jew；　Mohammedan　and　agnostic　by　their　acts　and　not　at　all　by　their　dogma；　and　who　thus　relegates　religion；　in　the　ordinary　use　of　the　word；　to　a　rather　useless　place　in　human　life。　Orthodoxy；　piety；　tolerance　and　skepticism　represent　attitudes　towards　organized　religion：　altruism；　sympathy；　good　will；　and　fellowship　are　the　measurements　of　the　unorganized　religion　whose　mission　it　is　to　find　the　purpose　of　life。　We　have　spoken　throughout　of　man　as　a　mosaic　of　character；　and　we　must　modify　this　statement。　A　mosaic　is　a　static　collection；　whereas　a　man　has　character　struggles；　balance　and　overbalance。　Really　to　know　a　man　is　to　get　at　the　proportionate　power　of　his　various　trends；　to　understand　his　harmonies　and　disharmonies。　Character　development　is　the　story　of　the　unification　of　the　traits　or　characters。　Disharmony；　disproportion　of　traits　and　characters　may　be　progressive　and　lead　to　disaster　and　mental　disease；　or　a　balance　may　be　reached　after　a　struggle　and　what　we　call　reform　takes　place。　Though　our　social　life　tends　to　narrow　and　repress　character；　it　also　tends　to　harmonize　it　by　the　preventing　of　excess　development　of　certain　traits。　The　social　person　is　on　the　whole　well　balanced；　though　he　may　be　mediocre。　On　the　other　hand；　the　non…social　person　usually　tends　to　unbalance　in　the　sense　that　he　becomes　odd　and　eccentric。　What　are　the　chief　disharmonies？　I　mean；　of　course；　glaring　disharmonies；　for　no　one　is　of　harmonious　development；　with　intelligence；　emotions；　instincts；　desires；　purposes　in　cooperation　with　each　other。　This　I　propose　to　consider　in　more　detail　in　the　next　chapter；　on　some　character　types；　but　it　will　be　of　use　to　sketch　the　great　disharmonies。　Character　is　dynamic；　and　a　fundamental　disharmony；　even　if　not　noticeable　early　in　life；　may　progress　to　the　point　of　disruption　of　the　personality。　Thus　an　individual　who　is　strongly　egoistic　in　his　purposes　and　aims　may　succeed　if　at　the　same　time　he　is　determined　intelligent　and　shrewd。　But　let　us　suppose　he　has　a　son　who　is　as　strongly　egoistic；　is　as　determined；　but　lacks　intelligence　and　shrewdness。　Not　becoming　successful；　this　person　ascribes　his　failure　to　others　and　develops　ideas　of　persecution。　Again；　a　true　poet　is　a　person　of　keen　sensibilities；　but　he　must　possess　at　the　same　time　imaginative　intelligence　and　the　power　of　words。　Let　these　be　joined　in　proper　proportions；　and　his　verse　becomes　ours　and　we　hail　him　as　a　poet。　But　let　him　lack　the　power　of　words；　and　though　he　sweat　with　a　desire　to　write　he　is　a　failure　or　a　hack　poet；　making　up　by　industry　what　he　lacks　in　beauty。　Suppose　there　is　a　man　deeply　passionate；　thrilled　by　the　beauty　of　women　and　desiring　them　with　a　fierce　ardor；　and　yet　he　has　strong　inhibitions；　great　purposes　which　hold　him　steady。　Then　throughout　life　he　seems　cal