The Ethics of Misfortune

— — THE ETHICS OF MISFORTUNE. BY MILTON BENNION, M. A., PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY, UNIVER- SITY OF UTAH. Misfortune is Virtue's opportunity. Seneca. The nature of evil and its relation to the ends of human life have always been foremost problems to the philosophic-religious mind. Evil is of two kinds, physical and moral, both of which call for philosophic interpretation. The distinctly religious inter- pretations relate generally to moral evil or sin. Some of the most noteworthy of these interpretations are the doctrines of the Persians and the Hebrews, and the development of these in the writings of Saint Augustine, and in the Book of Mormon. The interpretation of evil in the Book of Mormon is one of the most noteworthy in religious literature. It is also in agreement with some of the most significant philosophic theories. These hold that without the possibility of moral evil, there can be no virtue, and that the development of some of the virtues is in large measure dependent upon the actual existence of sin. Sin, however, cannot exist for its own sake, but only for the sake of the good. Contact with liars teaches a man to appreciate the virtue of truthfulness; the pettiness of gossipers gives emphasis to the virtue of high- mindedness; and the tyranny of rulers stimulates the love of lib- erty and equal rights among men. It is not my purpose, however, to discuss the subject of moral evil. By misfortune, I mean those unavoidable evils that befall people. These evils may be subdivided into two classes: Those that are distinctly from without, such as floods, earthquakes, fire and famine; and those, on the other hand, that pertain to

624 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the constitution of the human body. Many of the materialistic and skeptical writers of modern times have made much of the existence of evils of this sort, and have used the fact of their exist- ence as an argument against faith in Divine Providence. In their self-confident misapplication of some of the facts of physical science these writers have gone so far as to tell of the mistakes of creation, and to explain how much better the results of creation would have been had the creative power been exercised by their own wisc'om. If this world, they ask, is the work of an allwise and all-powerful Creator, why did he create rocky wastes and bar- ren deserts, disease germs and death, and the multitude of other things that seem to thwart human happiness? Failing in their own minds to find a satisfactory answer to this question, they hold up to ridicule the idea that intelligence and purpose are manifest in creation. It is all, as they see it, a vast, blind struggle for existence, in which there is enormous waste, misery, and ultimate destruction for all living things. Let us look at the facts from a different standpoint. What do the best ethical systems regard as the end or aim of human life? Certainly spiritual or moral perfection. No other aim could be worthy of man. And what are the necessary conditions of prog- ress in the perfection of character? The existence in life of these very evils that the skeptic complains of. If there were no diffi- culties to overcome, and no one were ever in need of aid and sym- pathy, what would become of man, constituted as he is? It may be supposed that he would simply enjoy heavenly bliss. But to enjoy life under these conditions would require a reconstruction of human nature, or a de-humanizing of man. There are two reasons for this: First, man is primarily an active being, and he cannot pos- sibly live his characteristic life where there are no obstacles to overcome. All science and all professional knowledge and skill, medicine, law, te? ching and preaching, are results of human activity in overcoming difficulties. Remove from life the need of overcoming difficulties and these things would not be attained by man; or let them be given him without effort on his part, and they would not be prized. Either result would tend to defeat the ends of human life.

THE ETHICS OF MISFORTUNE. 625 Second, it is an indisputable fact that misfortune is the most effectual means of developing in man the finer virtues, such as brotherly love, sympathy, tenderness and moral courage. It is a common experience that whatever hard things may be said of a man in life, in death or other extreme misfortune, his fellow-men are inclined to forget his weaknesses and to think only of his virtues even though they have to seek diligently to find them. This sympathy and charity are likewise extended to the family and relatives of the unfortunate. The best congregations ever assem- bled and the best preaching ever heard are generally at funeral services. And who, with any moral possibilities, has not emerged from an attack of severe illness, either in his person or in his fam- ily, without having become morally stronger? On a larger scale, what has everybody observed as the moral results of earthquakes, great fires, or famine? How thousands respond with sympathy and charitable works that would, perhaps, never otherwise enter their lives. And this brotherly love and kindness are among the highest virtues known to man. It may be contended that man should have been so consti- tuted as to develop these virtues without any attendant sorrows. It is forgotten that in righteous sorrow there is an underlying joy that adds much to the fullness and richness of life. Besides, a fatal objection to this view is that human individuality, so highly prized, forbids its reconstruction on a different plan, even though it should be done by a beneficent Creator. Man does not desire that God shall interfere with his individuality, but only that he will provide conditions that man himself can turn to good account in self-development. Man's individuality must be transformed into personality, or ethical being, and this must be primarily his own work. Among the most important conditions of this transforma- tion, are the so-called evils that befall men. In the interpretation of them the materialist has erred in mistaking physical well-being for the end of human life. may be raised that since, from this Possibly the objection point of view misfortune is a good, men should go about seeking it, or, that they should take no precaution against mis- at least, fortune. Such an attitude would of course defeat the end other- wise attained. An important part of the development comes

626 IMPROVEMENT ERA. through man's activities in warding off evils; and when misfortune does come, the finer qualities are developed in a man and in his associates largely on account of having come in spite of his its efforts to prevent it.To go about seeking death or other disaster would be to lose the good that might otherwise follow. This is illustrated in the moral results of suicide. Man should, then, seek, with all diligence, to forestall evil, but if it comes notwithstanding his efforts, he should turn it into a moral good. This can be done by making the most of such oppor- tunities for the cultivation of virtue. Salt Lake City, Utah.