"OLD IRRATIONAL" ON MATERIALISM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2058, 15 September 1885, Page 4

"OLD IRRATIONAL" ON MATERIALISM.

Pfui Mr Editor,— Although I lead a sort of hermit lift 1 , I occasionally hear something of what ii going on in the busy world, fiom which I cm gather that Rationalism, Kiecthought and Materialism are making considerable noise somewhere outside my whare. Whether these are ono and the same thing, whether an> one of these terms includes all the others or whether and u herein they differ, is not quite clear to me. There is a vastnrss and a vagueness about tin* subject which is too much for me. 1 c mt .say that I get much neater to an appiehension of it, even with the help of Mr (lerald Massey— a better p«et than philosopher, by-the-way— or the lucubiations of your sucking contemporary the Auckland Rationalist, of which I have been tin- fortunate recipient of two gratis copies. And although it may seem ungiateful to say so, I fear this is nil I am likely to see of it, as I should decidedly object to p.iy for it, always excepting those numbers containing the recent spicy revelations of tlx 1 Pall Mali (Jazette, which I should be gad to get hold of, even at double price. Here Ivo has shown the wisdom of the seipent, if not tho harmlessness of the dove. But I'm getting off the track. I was speaking about the vagueness of this new philosophy, or rather of this old phiIt isophy renovated, for there is nothing new under the sun, you know; and certainly there is not much that is new in the Rationalist, which for aught I can see might have bpen edited by Tom Paine instead of Ivo, bad Tom been equally gifted. Rambling again. Well, the other day, in talking to an intelligent Rationalist, if I may use the trim— by the-by, when I cmie to think of it [ am not quite sure whether ho was a Rationalist, .1 Freethinker, or a Materialist, oi one and all of them— it is to be hoped he knew himself. Well, talking to me, he said " I do not believe in the existence of spirit, or of anything but matter, because I cannot find proof of the existence of anything but matter." Xow, thought I, here ix something tangible, tlieie may be something in this. I must think it quietly over when I get back to my whare ; for, at the n--k of anothct sin ill digression, let me say that I am not great in aignment, although you may think so, and in a serious hx of this hort I mostly adopt the tactics of the gifted pairot, which did not talk much but thought deeply ; and, as my friend is generally protty iwell pinned with assertions if not with pi oofs, I don't sink much in his estimation by letting him fire away, if I only look wise and shake my head now and again. Well, having got back 1111hcathod to my whare, I lighted my pipe and aat down to do a bit of quiet fieethiaking over this spirit and matter business. Let me'see now ; what was it ? I has « not forgotten it surely. Oh ! no, here it is. " I can find no proof of the existence of anything but matter : " jnat so. Well w hat pioof hiixe we of the existence of m.ittei ? We can take cognisance, in tome way or itffier, of ceitain things or substances, which ha\a ceitain qualities or pioperties. They are hard or .soft, light or heavy, ti ansparent or opaque, organic or inorganic. "SV c must have a name for them or we won't know what we are talking about. •So, let us call them matter ; and let us assume that matter exists because we can in some way or other take cognisance of it. This I fancy is about all the proof we can got of the existence of matter, but I am not much of a philosopher, you know. Well, to get on a bit, we sometimes come ncKHB ,v piece of matter which differs slightly fiom other pieces of matter inasmuch as it laughs and weeps, is joyous and -.id ; and, once in a while, does a little bit of rational or ii rational thinking, whether of a bond or free character is no matter. (Vote the pun ! I'm not a bad hand at a pun.) Xow as pieces of matter endowed with theso erratic qualities are somewhat common, and as the qualities themselves are not insignificant, but are of some consequence to the pieces of matter as have unfortunately become associated with them, and as we have just about the same proof of the existence of those qualities as we have <«f the existence of other qualities or properties of matter, namely, that in some way or other we can take cognisance of them, 1 fear we must grant that such exceptional pieces of matter exist. It may also be convenient to give them a name, to distinguish them from other pieces of matter not so unfortunately circumstanced. Well, so long as wo know what we are talking about, there is not much in * name. Shall we pall them thinking pieces of matter, pieces of inattpr with mental qualities, intelligent beings, human beings, or what? And as for those singular qualities of matter themselves. What shall wo call them. Mental qualities, spiritual qualities? Oh ! no, that won't do at all, at all. Home irrational folk used to npeak of spirit and soul ; but, «ince the materialists proved, or asserted, which iiiiHwers quite a» well, that no such things exist wo have hnd to give up talking about them. Well let mo try again. Ah ! I base hit it at last— rational -that is the word— Rational qualities is the name for them. And, as for the piece of matter which they have squatted upon, well it is rnally too bad, I'll be hanged if it is not, of all things in the world, a Rationalist ' a full-blown Rationalist— ho !ho!ho ! he ! hi ! hi ! There now, I've smashed my pipe, it's a mercy it wasn't my spectacles— that "s what comes of laughing at other people's misfortune. I knew it wast not right, and I won't do it Ajr.ain for fear of smashing another. But it's awful cramping work this writing as while I'm filling I'll just have a drop of qr — Oh dear me, what was I going to say. Let me see, yes, I was just Komg to observe, in the fifth place that I would have a dish of tea. Tea, yew tea. I'.ut I don't know what business I had to mention it at all. However, accidents wiil happen when one puts pen to papnsr. Never mind, mum's the word next time. I feel better, and a deal clearer, in the head, that's ,i mercy. There's nothing like tea for dealing the head. Let us get along, 1 think wo had hxed it this way. We are to call the piece of matter endowed with thinking and emotional faculties Rational Heing ! junt so. Now wo find next that there are different soits of them. One in i.T-ther proud of his rational qualities, and would like to stick to them. Another is quite ashamed of them, considers the connection diireputable, would like to drop it as soon .w possible in order to be like other respectable pieces of matter which have escaped the rational contamination. There is no accounting for tastes you know. Well, it's some consolation to know that those nasty rational qualities can be got rid of. How ?Oh ! simply by dying. Dying, what js that ? (-)h ! ceasing to exist you know, m hen . . . Stop a bit now, I was not aware that matter ceased to exist, but possibly I am not posted Uf> in the latMt scientific discoveries. Has there been a late important scientific discovery of the death of matter. ? I always understood science to teaerT that matter is indestructible, that it may change

its form or state, say, fioin solid to gaseous and back again, 01 .something ot that sort, but that no atom of it could pen-li, and if that notion still holds good, then lationality being a quality or pait of matter, or in sonic way identified with it may possibly Mirwve the change. I don't quite see why this p.nt of inde&tiuctible matter is the only part lost in the transmutation. It Teim to me that by identifying it w ith matter we have con fened upon it nnmoitality. Had it been a separate thing now — say a soul oi a spirit— excuse the word just for once— theie might have been a chanu; of getting quit of it, though w hy a soul 01 .1 spn it should die an> mnri 1 than niattei, I don't quite sep. T am •ifiaid hol),i\c \.et to find pi oof of an> tiling ceasing to cust, ami nothing but pi oof will satisfy some folk you know They don't know th it it is possible to know a deal inure than can be pio\ed, and tint knowing is sometimes above and beyond proof. But I am getting into mctaplnMcs I fear, and that is :\ kind of physic which does not agioe with materialist", even in hotim. 1 pathie doses, so, to drive off the inetaphy sies, 1 11 just have another allopathic dose of tea. Ah ! That's i lght ; no mistake this tune. Grand thing for the metaphysics is tea — good for anything almost. Well, now, that I'm wound up again, is it irrational to Mipposo tli.it only in one combination is m.ittci cumbered with thinking and emotional faculties, and that those may exist in another combination. " Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. Sown .1 natui.il body, mised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a. spiritual body."' Once when I went to chapel— for to be quite candid I must confe» I have- been to chapel— l recollect heoi ing the parson read something like that out of ,i t»g book he had got a hold of. .May be thpie is something of this -ort. lam not quite so sure that thcie m not, as are some of my Rationalistic fi lends. It is just pos-ibie matter may not have done with its laughing and weeping, its ioy and sadness when it changes form. At all events it docs seem queer that that should be theonlv thing lost about it. . . . . "To die, to sleep, To sleep ! perchance to dream, ay there's the rub ; For m that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off tbis mortal coil. ' Well, that would be rather a, f\K foi those who aie hopefully looking foi w aid to the ndd.ance. Jiut let me ss t >i', I think thcie is a way out of it. Just let uspime, or asseit, which will do quite as well, that matter does not e\i~t at all, and that has been dono too, you know. That will do the business effectually 1 think ; take my word for it, that's the plan, it goes to the root of the matter .it once. Tinned a pretty pun now. I think I could maku a profit out of puns «t sa y> twopence half-penny pci peck. But as foi thinking, oh, dear me, it's u thesonie business, paiticnlaHy free thinking, which w quite different from oidiniiy thinking, and so deep that I am sui c it must be the kind th? speec hles^ pan ot indulged m do you know. Well, well, you don't catch me at it again in a him \ I know. And I've had such a. mighty deal of buthei with the dictionaiy too. So I'll have another pull at the tea and tin ti in. I'm getting quite u>ed to the, woid now you spe. (Jood night to you, Mr Kditoi, and pleasant dieaui-, says Or n liiu w ion u.