Chapter VIII: The Results of Ethical Inquiry on an Evolutional Basis

Criticism of Alexander's theory of the right as always absolute
right and as the expression, on all planes of development, of an
equal equilibrium--The Moral Evolution as one involving the
whole of humanity and the whole earth--Gradual relaxation of the
Struggle for Existence--The final limitation of the increase in
density of population--The increase of vitality--The habituation
to progress--The gradual cooerdination of individual with social
welfare through (1) Spread and increase of sympathy with the
individual on the part of society as a whole; (2) Growth of
individual predilections in the direction of harmony with social
requirements--Decrease of punishment through (1) Increase in
general sympathy; (2) Increase of amenability of the individual
to influence--Increase of pleasure in pleasure--The possible
egoistic element in sympathy with pain--Criticism of Rolph on
Want as necessary to induce action--The moral evolution and
emotion--Criticism of Spencer on Altruism--Criticism of Wundt on
Evolutional Ethics--The theory that Evolution adds nothing to
Ethics--Criticism of Stephen on the impossibility of predicting
the course of Evolution--The Moral Evolution as willed--The
motives furnished by Evolutional Ethics--The theological
doctrine of a "change of heart"--The doctrine of the
Atonement--Divine forgiveness--Theology and social evils--The
prominence of the idea of self-salvation in Christian
doctrine--Human sacrifice among the Jews--Biblical authority for
the killing of witches and heretics--The infliction of death for
ceremonial offences among the Jews--The visiting of the sins of
the fathers upon the children--Slave-holding, adultery, murder,
etc., by God's chosen, bloodshed and cruelty of all sorts by
God's express command--Animal sacrifice among the Jews--The
original idea of Jehovah and of Heaven--The autocracy of the
Jewish priesthood confirmed by Christ--Forced exegesis--The
asceticism of Christianity--Slavery and the New
Testament--Predestination, Hell, and the Justification of the
Elect--The defence of Christianity as being a comforting
belief 500-528