The Future of Mankind Essay -- Philosophy God Philosophical Essays

The Future of Mankind If we compare the invest with the past, if we conform to withalts at all epochs to their causes, if we examine the elements of human growth, we find that Nature has raised(a) us to what we are, not by fixed laws, still by provisional expedients, and that the principle which in one age effected the advancement of a nation, in the next age retarded the mental movement, or even destroyed it altogether. War, despotism, slavery, and superstition are now injurious to the progress of Europe, but they were once the agents by which progress was produced. By center of warfare the live life was slowly raised upward in the scale, and quadrupeds passed into man. By means of war the human intelligence was brightened, and the affections were made intense weapons and tools were invented foreign wives were captured, and the marriages of job relations were forbidden prisoners were tamed, and the women set free prisoners were exchanged, accompanied with presents thus pr ofession was established, and thus, by means of war, men were first brought into amicable relations with one another. By war the tribes were dispersed all over the world, and adopted discordant pursuits according to the conditions by which they were surrounded. By war the tribes were compressed into the nation. It was war which founded the Chinese Empire. It was war which had locked Babylonia, and Egypt, and India. It was war which developed the genius of Greece. It was war which planted the Greek language in Asia, and so rendered possible the spread of Christianity. It was war which linked the world in peace from the Cheviot Hills to the Danube and the Euphrates. It was war which saved Europe from the tranquility of China. It was war which made Mecca the centre of the East. It was war which united the barons in the Crusades, and which destroyed the feudal system. Even in recent times the action of war has been useful in condensing scattered elements of nationality, and in libera ting subject populations. unite Italy was formed directly or indirectly by the war of 1859, 1866, and 187O. The delay war realised the dreams of German poets, and united the Teutonic nations more virtually than the shrewdest statesmen could have conceived to be possible a few years ago. That akin war, so calamitous for France, leave alone yet regenerate that great country, and spring her more prosperous than she has ever been. Th... ...n go out look upon this star as their fatherland its progress go away be their ambition the gratitude of others their reward. These bodies which now we survive belong to the lower animals our minds have already outgrown them already we look upon them with contempt. A time will come when Science will transform them by means which we cannot conjecture, and which, even if explained to us, we could not now under stand, just as the savage cannot understand electricity, magnetism, steam. Disease will be extirpated the causes of decay will be remov ed immortality will be invented. And then, the earth being small, cosmos will migrate into space, and will cross the airless Saharas which separate major planet from planet, and sun from sun. The earth will become a Holy enter which will be visited by pilgrims from all the quarters of the universe. Finally, men will master the forces of Nature they will become themselves architects of systems, manufacturers of worlds. Man then will be perfect he will then be a creator he will therefore be what the vulgar latria as a god. But even then, he will in reality be no nearer than he is at present to the First Cause, the Inscrutable Mystery, the GOD.