Moral discipline has been the chief factor in self-control, and therefore in civilization. It is because the moral sense has proved so beneficial to the human race, and is the most powerful of our instinctive desires, that mankind always has been and must be religious. It controls man's knowledge, desires, and will, and has dominated the race since our early ancestors began to think.
When we recognize this fact we can readily see that anything which tends to oppose the moral or ethical sanctions, or detract from religious beliefs, is injurious to civilization and human progress. The histories of religion, ethics, and æsthetics plainly develop the rôles which have been played by moral self-discipline in the protection and development of mankind, as well as of knowledge and science.
The moral control of individuals acts also upon society generally, and upon whole racial and national groups. The ethical ideals assist each individual mind to realize its own end and at the same time tend to influence the tribal and social mind to attain a common end. This great moral, instinctive force, which has played such an immensely valuable part in developing civilization and science, is known as the human social and national conscience. It acts both individually and collectively.
European races have been divided into classes corresponding to the prevailing cephalic indices. The longheads are grouped as the Nordic, or Baltic, subspecies, because they were formerly numerous around the Baltic countries. People of this group are distinguished by tall statures, fair skin and hair, good physique, and light colored eyes. These peoples include the Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxon, and certain important Teutonic groups, as well as Asiatic peoples who are known as the Aryans.
Copyright, Ewing Galloway
MODEL OF THE SAILING VESSEL "SANTA MARIA," THE FLAGSHIP OF COLUMBUS
