W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 20, 9 October 1930, Page 10

W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS.

* . • Paper on "Life," by Mr. Evelyn M*cdonald, delivered at the final meeting of the local branch of the W.E.A in the Council Chamber, la«t week. A study of Life includes somethiag of Sociology, Georlogy, Anthropology, Philosophy, Poetry and Law. AH have derstood. I may succeed in making some We have had eight lectures of about two hours each and I have twenty minutes to cover the entire ground. It is .useless to hurry; better to cut it short, or take the risk of not being un•tood. I may succeed in making some openings for reflection, at leisure. Many are still lost in a.jungle of confusion. . ('Life is a tale told by an idiot Fuii*of sound and fttfy signifying— nothingl" —Shakespeare. And again— "We are such stuff as dreams are made on And our littte life is rounded with a sleeps" But now (MeCabe "Science-'' p. .124), "Evolution—is the essential guiding principle of all knowledge . . . from the. astronomer aY one end to-the sociologist at the^other. "The same author wishes (p. 127) to the word 'Progress' into tie ear." It is what fra» been called " The Noble Discontent." He says also: "The fifteen hundred million years of the life story on this globe have been mainly wasted." We smile; it is his point of view. .;"■■• ■'..■•■- .-■" ■

mWe. are told that there *re two theories of the Oxigin of Man: Evolu-, tion and Creation. We go to the rocks for fossils and vestiges: (Geology) and ask, Where did men originate and how vary: (Astronomy, Anthropology). We deal with germs and germ carriers: (Pathology). With Mendelism and Eugenics:' (Sociology, Psychology). Seneca said: "We are always complaining that out days are few, and acting as if there would be no end of 1 them." How axe we to act in view of ascertained facts? Biology should help us to live in the best way and' great teacher* have done that before there wai any Biology—and still hay« followers. 'All'toe superstitions of the ipaat from which most.of us have escaped, happily, began with the Dawn, of Mind; in the consciousness and fear of invisible forces; a fine idea in its time. The development of scientific study 'laid' some of the ghosts that haunted pnx ancestors. In the young and gloriT ous freedom of mind thus won, many overshot the mark, and fell into a sceptical and cynical materialism.

"LiM flying fish that fell on. burning aands."

The truly Scientific mind, they; who pat up the best fight against superstition and bigotry, have not fallen into this error; accjua.tomed to deeper thought. Having" escaped from the cruel and often wilful errors of Sugpergtition, and the more cruel Intolerance and Persecution 6f powerful organised bodies of men; having done this at aome cost of sorrow, I for one, do not like to ..feel the '..cold foot of a New. MoasteAover my mouth and upon bit heart, this Monster being in disguise as Science; just as Superstition and Say-

age Dogma are in disguise as Iteligioa. I refuse to bow down and worship. True Religion and true Science are

One.

They do not boycott or persecute or demand submission. They offer Txiti as far as our minds can reach and possess it, > True Religion however, leads with Hopo and Love. Back of Mutation, back of Heredity, is Spiritual Energy, with a Purpose it is ours to find. All arc in the Quest; all hay« more or less of "Noble Discontent;" of "Will for Progress," of "Superiority of the Creature to its Environment." It is an Impulse that imbues and inspires all creation and mutation from man back to the Amoeba, or NitroIbacteria which, is not content to foe alfnft-and so divides.

Biology—a discourse of Life: What, life? Plant a^nd animal life—our life— Spiritual Life? Oh no; that can't be weighed or measuredl Then let us improve tihe Scales. That is what Evolution is doing now. Scientifically (it ds said) there is no difference between xn Altruist and an Atheist-r-<Jourage, -Love, Piety, Enlightened Understanding ■can't be weighed. Science" can tak« no stock of them. No difference (scientifically) . between?a jDarwia ancL a Desperado; a Saviour and "an Assassin. What a difference ,in. consequences to us! I may seiare a billet, of solid wood, "it can he -weighed .and measured, and used as a: weapon fXo slay. Cast it on a fire; it is quickly changed. The Visable and Palpable In visaible and Impalpable—a few disappearing gases, a spoonful of a^nes, dissolved in -the soil or blown to the four winds. It can be restored—^from another tree. A tree must grow. .Its growth is from the soil and air and sun. The burning releases what was stored, ■If that process ceased we would cease. If twice two are not five it might be four. No wonder that men worshipped tie Sun. We have got further howevex, but depend upon »it nevertheless. 'Scientists now say there was No First Man, not •even a first Organism (p. 53 McCabe, Evqlution),.and no point of Time wae» Life first appeared. It is evident ftp honest pepple that religjic^ people, made some mistakes; so have scientists. Some of their fsure thing's' within out day proved as .fallacious as "T>he Mastakes of Moses made when ther« was •no school of Science. To mention two or three: (1) Age of the Sun given as ! 700 to 800. million yeaxs. Discovery of the properties of Eadiiini extends this beyond computation. (2) Universality |of certain "law" —-gravity: Eanjstien shows to be an error; and propounds the "Theory of Belativity.'' (3) ; The battle of the Bat: inheritance of acquired character, once accepted, nGfrL refuted (McCabe Evo.p. 64).. Science is doubtless amazed to find'itsef in a. glasshouses; but at least it has never de manded that any come in or be damned eternally ot suffer mortally. T&exe are still those who claim that life in the germ-plasm is merely result of chemical combination, and given conditions, can be reproduced." . A pice of wood can ibe reproduced, given the conditions But let us be modest. Thougb^we have done much, much remains to .do, that we can do. No creature ias looked man in the face and saidr "I am your eqtal." He is conscious of , nothing. higher than himself. But "the Kang-

dom of Heaven is within" hiih, though he may not 'be conscious of it. • Man has won his dominion by a bloody process. Now he turns upon himself and meets his matcti. Hi* "Old Man"— Protoplasm—a microscopic -living germ. Biology begins in the middle of things and does not get far away. Its records are the rocks—'it's on the rocks.' Its alphabet of fossils begins where^, living forms were already far advanced, after millions of years, with no record, we are told. • But a leaven was woxk"ing as far back as we know ov guess, even in the '' Dead Suns '' from which by "Partial Impact" (Bickerton's Theory) our Universe came. It is unscientific and unreasonable not to propound a theory of Spiritual Purpose or Divine Energy, behind Life and Living Matter. It is not scientific and not reasonable, to say "we will consider only what we can weigh and measure" or to say. that what is not apparent to | the senses,: or our consciousness, does •not exist, or is outside tie study of ourselves for it comes to that. As Bowhay says "Man is impelled to* search for himself—of natural necessity*' and in the search he creates Religion and Science and Art. The abject, of his search is within himself and makes him ■superior to his condition under the | Divine impulse of * ' Noble Discontent shouting for "Progress." We are told i that we cannot control our organs, but. we can and do in varying degree. The J su/bjeet of "How wo got our Senses/" or "How we acquired an Intellect" jaust wait for anotiier time. Without them (senses and intellect) we are not with them we may become supermen. ''Creation" and ''Evolution *re proceeding and there is no real or mnsuporaible barrier to Higher Life. Some will go on, some sink into a rut, v(?beeausc they want to) like all the "Missing links" found in the rocks. "Many are called-—few chosen." We choose for ourselves, They of the "Noble Discontent" will"carry the Banner of Truth and. Love and Science, through many generations -and incarnations of men. Some, will dare the Devil and die/but "their soul goes nxar.c-]iin.g on." Let us prepare for battle, for them or against, them. You are in the fight and must choose. ."Four foe is inside yoNi. ; Flatten him out and measure him afterwards ■ .

So—(Gerald Massey)—

"'When Life's ;sweot faible ends, Soul and body part like.-, friends: No quarrels,- mLxnTnurs, no ■ .d'elaj,

A kiss, a sigs, and. so—away!"

Replying, the speaker said: Had our professor been; % Pathologist-instead^ of ;a Biologist, perhaps he would have realised more fully the power of mind over/ matter, well known to doctors. Hypnotism has not been mentioned. In the East (where what we call Biology was studied ages ago), some have so far retained or acquired control of their organs as to suspend animation, so com pletely as to appear dead, and are restored at the time appointed by will power. The speaker cqu'ld personally say that. he had been able to -go .to sleep and wake in the morning at a time decided upon when going to sleep.

A previous, speaker quoted man's .having learned to walk upright as an acquired and transmitted . character. Our professor answered: "Man's legs are not acquired but1 are merely adaptions of the fins of fishes." With all due diference I differ. Man's legs are not adaptions of the £ns of fi&lies merely, they are extensions of the amoeba. Does the professor say that the microscopic germ-plasm is the potential source of all the characters of all creature*—^with nothing behind it? (The Professor -replied.to the first part, yes. To the second part, no. I .eanjaot say that there is nothing .behind' i^:

I abject to -'only w&at we can weigh aridmeasure'"'.'■counts.:."" V'lflfi'git of the appeal of patriot, st&teis^nan, warrioT. to loyalty, patriotism and "duty, that inspires with dauntless courage and hope that lias made or marred tfhe destiny n6t of individuals only but of nations, and with physical and visaible •results as the Conflict of armies, the inarch of invaders, and the desolation of lands. - -_

Nearly every person lias a favourite .fruit. Strange as it may seem, ..this fruit. hi often possessed o.f vegetable salts particularly suited to the system of the eater, and so they supply a deficiency which otherwise might lead to some chronic complaint.