THE NEW POSITIVISM

Apropos of the Rev. Mr. Potter's discussion of the social menace of Fundamentalism, the question not unnaturally arises of the social benefits of Modernism. It is a recognized historical fact that religion during the nineteenth century suffered a marked decline. And with a diminishing interest in religion itself there followed almost inevitably a lowering of ethical and moral standards. In the popular mind religious belief and moral conduct have such a very close relation that when the verity of traditional beliefs is doubted and rejected, observance of traditional codes of conduct suffers in consequence.

More than anything else it the function of Modernism to establish a new ethics upon a solid foundation, and to show that moral codes have more fundamental raisons d'etre than the mere force of historical forms can ever invest in them. Modernism concerns itself with life, the knowable. The earnest youth of today faces--not death--but life, and the serious interest being manifested at Harvard in the religious controversy reveals how eager is the desire to know how to live.