And indeed, until the
present day, they have been so. Physical science, by enormously
accelerating the means of transportation and communication, has so
contracted the world as to bring into communion peoples and races
hitherto far apart; has made possible an intelligent organization of
industry which, for the first time in history, can create a surplus ample
to maintain in comfort the world's population. But this demands the will
to co-operation, which is a Christian principle--a recognition of the
brotherhood of man. Furthermore, physical science has increased the need
for world peace and international co-operation because the territories of
all nations are now subject to swift and terrible invasion by modern
instruments of destruction, while the future submarine may sweep commerce
from the seas.
Again, orthodoxy declares that human nature is inherently "bad," while
true Christianity, endorsed by psychology, proclaims it inherently
"good," which means that, properly guided, properly educated, it is
creative and contributive rather than destructive. No more striking
proof of this fact can be cited than the modern experiment in prison
reform in which hardened convicts, when "given a chance," frequently
become useful citizens. Unjust and unintelligent social conditions are
the chief factors in making criminals.
Our most modern system of education, of which Professor John Dewey is the
chief protagonist, is based upon the assertions of psychology that human
nature is essentially "good" creative.
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