A Spiritual Philosophy of Life

A Spiritual Philosophy of Life By MILTON BENNION Dean of the School of Education, University of Utah VI The Metaphysical Basis of Ethics What Are the Grounds of Moral Faith? What Are the Basic Values Upon Which All Other Moral Val- ues Depend? What Is Most Worth Striving For? MORAL faith is grounded in either religion or philoso- phy or in both. Moral skepticism is inconsistent with the fundamental concepts of religion as it is with any constructive phil- osophy. One who believes that the world is fundamentally spirit- ual; that in this world there is pro- gress toward realization of the good; that the good is attainable by those who seek after it; and that there is in process of develop- ment a community of persons with God as their pattern and inspira- tion who are progressively realiz- ing the good; such a person cannot be either a moral skeptic or a pessimist. "As has often been said, it is not so much the pain and suffering of life which crushes the individual as it is its mean- ingless and hopelessness."* V/fORAL skepticism is common- --■- ly associated with a meaning- less or a hopeless view of life, or with both, since the one naturally grows out of the other.Moral skep- ticism was as radical and rampant among certain "enlightened" Greek teachers of youth as it now is with some contemporary writers. The general formula of the skeptic is that there are no universal or gen- eral standards of right; that each individual should, therefore, satis- fy his own personal desires, what- ever they may chance to be. This moral skepticism was commonly *Elwcod, C. A. — Man's Social Des- tiny, p. 14. Used by permission of the publishers, Cokesbury Press, Nashville, Tenn. associated anciently, as it is today, with rejection of all religious faith, together with failure to develop a constructive philosophy of life. Closely allied to moral skepti- cism is the now popular fashion of setting aside the moral standards long recognized and tested by the most spiritually enlightened of mankind and the substitution therefor of a code of morals based upon the materialistic view of life and the supremacy of the demands for bodily satisfactions, for grati- fication of the appetites and pas- sions, for living the unrestrained "natural" life with little regard for the future, either their own or that of their fellow-men. As for any regard for God, moral freedom, and immortality, these are regarded as outworn superstitions that have been dispelled by the brilliant light of modern science, so interpreted as to yield the familiar mechanis- tic materialistic view of the world. HP HE conception of the world maintained in this series is the opposite of this; it, therefore, log- ically leads to a very different at- titude toward religion and ethics. These two disciplines are here con- joined in the common cause of up- holding a system of morals that will lead to realization of the high- est and the most enduring values of life. No religion has survived and had great influence with en- lightened peoples that has not in- cluded a system of morals, posi- tive morals that have stood the test of centuries, and when practiced, have yielded enduring satisfactions. The case has been similar with systems of ethics, which provide the theoretical foundations for practical morality. Narrow, short- sighted systems of ethics have been the progenitors of short-sighted and irrational moral practices, which have, in turn, led their fol- lowers either to destruction or to revolt against them. It is an his- torical fact that exponents of this type of ethical theory have in the end become pessimists. In one notable instance in the history of Greek thought, one of these was called "The Persuader to Death."f Moral faith is grounded upon belief in the possibility of distin- guishing between right and wrong, and in the further possibility of bringing both individual and social life more nearly into conformity with the right. How is Right Determined? "PHE conception of right grows out of judgments of value; judgments of value grow out of desires. The highest concepts of right grow out of the highest and noblest desires. Such concepts are commonly called moral or religi- ous ideals. The most widely rec- ognized of these ideals among civ- ilized, historic peoples are, in large measure, the product of the recog- nized spiritual leaders of mankind. This fact is illustrated in Confu- cius, in China; Buddha, in India; Socrates, in Greece; Moses, in the wilderness of Sinai; and Jesus, in Palestine. The historic moral stan- dards and ideals of the civilized world have been established in large measure by these spiritual leaders and their disciples. The great mass of mankind have been wanting in the moral initiative, the insight, and the courage to bring forth such ideals. These same individuals and groups in large numbers have, however, the ca- pacity to recognize and to approve these ideals as they are made clear to their understandings and ap- pealing to their emotions. Thus millions have acknowledged and venerated moral ideals that they could themselves but feebly realize . in practice. These historic facts are not of- fered as a final solution of the question here at issue, i. e., How is an individual here and now to fHegesias.

The Improvement Era for April, 1930 401 determine the right? Before this question can be answered with sat- isfaction there are other problems that should first be solved. What Are the Basic Moral Values? JESUS and the most spiritually- enlightened of his contempora- ries held that this basis is found in the love of God and the love of fellow-men. The German phil- osopher, Kant, held that there is nothing in the world that is good- in-itself other than good-will- These views, coming to us from most eminent leaders in the fields of religion and ethics, certainly are worthy of rational analysis and evaluation by every one who seeks to understand the foundations of morals. Whatever notions any one may have of God, all can agree, in- cluding skeptics in religion, that the idea of God as held by Jesus and the most spiritually minded of the Hebrew prophets was char- acterized by attributing to him the highest good, including love or good-will toward mankind. Love of God then implies love and ab- solute loyalty to the good, when it is discovered. This is a first principle of ethics and religion. Why search for the good except on the assumption that it is de- sired and that when it is found it will become an object of loyalty? Scientists make much of loyalty to truth; artists, of loyalty to beauty; investigators in the fields of ethics and religion very logically make equal demand for loyalty to the good. The good, however, in its broadest senses includes the true and the beautiful. The good is, therefore, not opposed to either science or art, nor is it limited to them. The good, while it empha- sizes distinctly moral and religious values, as commonly recognized, also evaluates and finds place for everything that contributes to the ennobling of life, to the develop- ment of personality. Loyalty to the good, then, includes loyalty to the true and the beautiful, but, more than this, it means also loy- alty to the highest religious and moral values. TN case of the great mass of man- kind the content of the good is accepted dogmatically. It may be as tenets of their religion, as the laws of the state, or merely as the customs of the society of which they are members. This does not satisfy the demands of phil- osophy nor does it satisfy the pop- ular demands of the youth of the twentieth century. We have al- ready said that the good is deter- mined by judgments of value, that judgments of value rest upon de- sires, and that the highest good, therefore, grows out of the high- est and most noble desires. The problem, then, is to determine which desires are highest and most noble, and what particular judg- ments of value grow out of such desires. In this inquiry, as in all in- vestigations, something must, in the beginning, be taken for grant- ed. In the sciences generally these basic assumptions are called pre- suppositions. It has already been indicated that in ethics good- will toward fellow-men is such a pre- supposition. It can be justified on two grounds, it will be generally admitted in theory, and without it a system of ethics is impossible. This being granted we have at once a basis for testing the moral quality of desires; those are high- est and noblest whose satisfaction contributes most to the lasting good of all mankind. To put it negatively, a desire, the satisfaction of which is in any way detrimental to the welfare of humanity is not one that can be approved. On the other hand that desire, satis- faction of which contributes most to the welfare of humanity, is ap- proved as highest and best. TJl7HAT constitutes the welfare * of humanity? The satisfac- tion of desires that may be en- joyed by all mankind, including all the generations that are yet to come. There must, then, be har- monization of desires. This is made easy in proportion to the extent of good-will that exists on the part of each toward all. In the absence of such good-will har- I AM come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.— Jesus. St. John X:10. This subject is elaborated from the standpoint of the teachings of Jesus in the author's book, MOR- AL TEACHINGS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. monization of desires is impos- sible. Speaking in terms of religion, the love of God and of fellow- men furnishes the basis upon which a complete system of morals can be determined. Since in this standard the love of God is mani- fested in love of fellow-men, and this in turn, is manifested in seek- ing the highest good of all, the problem again becomes one of eli- minating all desires, attitudes, and actions that hinder and of foster- ing desires, attitudes, and actions that help each and every individual to enjoy to the full satisfactions that can be thus universalized. V\7HAT is the general type of these satisfactions? It is at once evident that they are spiritual satisfactions, again using the term spiritual in its broadest philosoph- ical meaning — all non-material values. This does not mean values wholly apart from material things. It does mean values that all cars enjoy in common, and that such enjoyment by one helps rather than hinders others to like enjoy ment. This is true of all knowl- edge; of appreciation of art — the beautiful in literature, in music, in form and color; of appreciation of nature with respect both to truth and to beauty; of appreciation of the loving and the noble in human relations, of friendly cooperation within social institutions, of justice in civic affairs within the state, of good- will and orderly administra- tion of justice in international af- fairs. All of these are spiritual values, growing out of the higher and more noble desires of individ- uals, societies, and nations. It is evident without argument that re- alization of these values by one in- dividual or one group helps others toward realization of the same val- ues. Two persons cannot eat the same loaf of bread, hut two people or a million may partake freely of the same bit of knowledge, ap- precipate the same glorious sunset, or vote with satisfaction for meas- ures that will ensure equal justice to all. But what about that loaf of bread? Is bread to be eliminat- ed from this program because the same particles of bread cannot be shared by all? Are we building ethics, religion, and a system of morals in the air? No, due ac- count will be taken of the ma- terial basis of the spiritual life. These material goods are not to

402 The Improvement Era for April, 1930 be regarded, however, as ends in themselves, but only as means, necessary means, in the process of attaining the spiritual values which are to be regarded as essential ele- ments in the development of per- sonalities, and therefore, as having intrinsic value. [T is one of the essential func- tions of the state to see that equal opportunity is provided to all in the use of material resources necessary to the attainment of spiritual values; and, of course, otherwise to keep open to all the road to realization of these spirit- ual values. With these broad general objec- tives laid down, the right thing to do in any particular situation may be determined by the relation of the consequences of the act to the ends here set up. That conduct is right which promotes these ends, that conduct is wrong which thwarts them. Is it right to be truthful? Is it wrong to lie? Is it right to protect childhood against greed? Is it wrong to al- low the unscrupulous to exploit children for financial gain? May not one who questions all au- thority and tradition in morals find that, in the light of the fore- going principles, these questions almost answer themselves? They are, to be sure, very simple ques- tions selected for purposes of il- lustrating the method. In the com- plex civilization of today there are many questions pressing for solu- tion that are by no means so easy. They may, however, be solved by the same method. What is Worth Striving For? (CERTAINLY not material goods at the expense of spirit- ual attainments — the enduring sat- factions of life. This does not mean that material goods are to be despised, or that their possession is in itself degrading. When used as means for the promotion of spiritual ends their utility is be- yond question. This means that one who possesses material goods beyond his own needs for the pur- poses here indicated is morally bound on the principle of good- will towards or love of fellow- men to use these goods for the benefit of his fellows, rather than to satisfy pride, personal ambition, or other selfish desires. This is not an idle and unrealizable sug- gestion. It is now in large meas- ure being practiced by at least some of the great captains of industry. These are pursuing spiritual aims as their ultimate goals. In their own way they are serving God by serving their fellow-men. This is the essence of religion. Those who prefer a strictly mundane point of view may simply serve their fel- low-men, and call it a religion of humanity, or merely a system of morals. Easter Symbols and Customs "C ASTER — anciently termed the f-"' "Festival of Flowers" — is the sacred festival of Spring. The name Easter came, originally from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, who was also worship- ped as a personification of the East, where sunrise appears, bringing in the new day. It was thought that spring vegetation, of every form, was subject to her will. In some localities the festival is ushered in at daybreak by trum- pets from the church towers; in other places, pealing bells ring out the triumphant message of good cheer. TNTIL quite recently, in some ^ parts of northern England, men and boys went about on Easter Monday, each carrying a decorated chair. Placing within it any girl they chanced to meet, they held it high above their heads until she either paid a forfeit of .■sixpence, or gave a kiss to the lifter. The program was reversed on Tuesday, the women and girls then going about lifting the men. In olden days the hare was a symbol of the moon, and since the Egyptian word "un" had the three meanings — hare, period and open By L. D. STEARNS — all these words gradually became associated with springtime and Easter, which was quite natural, considering the fact that the exact time of the Easter celebration de- pends upon the moon. A CCORDING to an old fable. ** *■ an exceedingly beautiful snow-white hare slipped into houses after midnight at this time, and left numerous colored eggs about. The egg, always typical of new- birth and creation, was used by our forefathers to represent the re- vival of life at the vernal equinox. It became immediately connected with the re-birth, or resurrection, of Christ, and the two — the hare and the egg — became, quite as a matter of course, twin Easter sym- bols. The earliest eggs were al- ways colored red, symbolizing the blood of Christ. TN our own country the giving of eggs is confined mostly to chil- dren; but in some of the other countries it has come to mean the giving of beautiful and very ex- pensive gifts among adults. Slav women are particularly noted for decorating the egg more beautifully than those of any other nation, although the French eggs are won- derfully clever and beautiful, being sometimes composed of expensive materials, as silver or mother-of- pearl, and holding gifts of jewelry or money. An interesting story is told con- cerning an Easter egg on exhibition at the Berlin Museum. The egg, which was fastened into an iron case, or shell, was said to have been sent by a prince to a beautiful princess. Upon being opened a silver lining was revealed, in which was set a secret spring, which upon being pressed, opened to a golden yolk. A second spring opened this yolk, disclosing a crown of flam- ing rubies. Touching still another spring, the jeweled crown dropped an exquisite diamond ring — the pledge of the young prince's affec- tion— into the lap of the princess. "THE old Druids, far back in an- cient times, were accustomed to stain eggs with wild blossoms and roots and present them to neigh- bors to bring sun, and insure good- luck with the crops. Kernels of grain were also used as symboliz- ing creation, or re-birth, at this season. (Continued on page 432)