Page:Mind (Old Series) Volume 9.djvu/618

 606 G. H. SCHNEIDEE'S FREUD UND LEID, ETC. the book before us, but the case is one that reveals a serious difficulty in Evolutionary Ethics, where it has to deal with the more complex problems. As long as we remain within the sphere of unconscious instinctive-rational action, Might (stronger feeling) makes Eight ; but as Mind becomes conscious and reflective, the need of an inversion of the formula becomes apparent, for the Social Authority should weight that theory which seems to the most far- sighted to promise most for the welfare of coming gene- rations. Dr. Schneider is not unaware of these difficulties, and his Social Ideal is after all an individual one, being no other than that of a healthy mind in a healthy body. The next two chapters are devoted to the consideration res- pectively of " The Causes of the prominent Sufferings of existing civilised nations," and of " The Diminution of Sufferings and In- crease of Delight ". These chapters contain many excellent observations on current evils ; and Dr. Schneider's practical pre- scriptions, if followed, would go far to make a happy world. No one will be found to controvert his affirmation that the perfectly sane man is he who is thoroughly competent to maintain himself and a vigorous family and efficiently perform, all the offices of the citizen. The few remaining chapters are of a more disputable, as they are of a more speculative, character. They are entitled " Fate and Destiny," " Death and Further Existence, and the Con- tinuance of Joys and Sorrows after 'Death'," together with some concluding words headed " World- Judgment and World- Justice ". It is scarcely necesssary to say that Dr. Schneider rejects the notion of immortality in any transcendent sense. The only " future life " is life in descendants. Nor is such a view believed insufficient to satisfy an emphatic demand of the moral consciousness that " as we sow, so shall we reap". We do reap as we sow : for are not we who reap the same bodily and spiritual elements who have been always working out our own salvation (or damnation) since the dawn of planetary life ? Dr. Schneider must certainly be congratulated on having the full courage of his convictions. Perhaps such conclusions will become more tolerable as the dogma of earlier metaphysical schools, that individual consciousness is of man's essence, comes to be as dis- credited in theory as it is ignored in practice. W. C. COUPLAND.