My friends, I proceeded this forenoon as far as the eighth provision necessary to human happiness: I have, therefore, only to read the eighth and ninth in order to finish all I have before me; and then my friend, Mr. Campbell, and myself may come, perhaps, to closer quarters.

      [Here Mr. Owen reads to the end of the Appendix, and his half hour is out.] [166]

      In the new state of existence all children will be taught to perceive, to investigate, and to compare facts, and to deduce accurate conclusions, by comparing one fact carefully with another. The foundation of the human mind will thus rest upon a knowledge of facts all in unison one with another; and its formation will proceed, day by day, by adding a clear perception of one law of nature to another, until each mind will thus acquire for itself an increasing standard of truth, which will guard it from youth against the reception of errors of the imagination. In minds thus cultivated, superstitious or unnatural fears will never enter. They will never become so irrational as to imagine any laws of nature for which they can discover no fact, but they will study to acquire an accurate knowledge of those laws to the extent their minds can investigate them; and knowing, as they will speedily learn, that truth is one throughout the whole universe, and that there can be no opposition or contradiction between any one truth and another, their minds will soon attain so much strength and knowledge, that an error will not find admittance therein.

      Every error, presented to a mind so trained and formed, will be immediately compared with the true ideas already received by the study of facts--of facts, the truth of which all are compelled to admit, because they have been previously found, after the most severe investigation, to be in strict accordance with all the ascertained laws of nature. This comparison will soon detect its fallacy by showing its opposition to those established facts, or to the unchanging laws of nature; and in consequence, it will be as impracticable for the mind to give it reception among its true ideas, as for the stomach to receive the most loathsome food, when attempted to be forced into it.

      The human mind will thus become, for the first time since its existence, sane and rational; for all the ideas with which it will be filled, will be in unison with each other; there will be no complexity or confusion among them--all will be harmony within.

      There will be no jarring between natural feelings and imaginary divine commands in direct opposition to those feelings; for it will be known that the natural feelings of the human race are the divine commands, and that whatever is opposed to them is error--is superstition--is an invention of ignorant men, whose class is opposed to the well-being and happiness of mankind, who are trained from their youth to deceive them, to fill them with fear and dread of nonentities, [167] which they described according to the wildest fancies of the most absurd imagination.

      None of this ignorant and mischievous proceeding will be found in the new state of existence. Nothing that is unknown, or that is incomprehensible to the human faculties, will create any other feeling than a cheerful confidence; that the best has been, is, and will be done, that the materials of which the universe is composed permit to be done.

      Every aberration of the human intellects will be, at once, detected by the standard of truth, formed in every mind, of a sufficient number of facts, all in unison with each other.

      This standard will guard the mind, in the new state of existence, against the reception of all incongruous notions and absurd combination of ideas. Superstitious and supernatural fears will entirely cease, and all will readily acquire correct ideas relative to the decomposition of all materials, compounds, and organizations.

      Were it not for the irrational, imaginary notions, which, for numberless ages, the population of the world has been compelled to receive as divine truth, there would be no fear of death among mankind.

      It would become obvious that the materials of which the earth and atmosphere are composed, modified, as they probably are, by the influence of the solar system in which they revolve, are continually undergoing the changes of composition and decomposition according to the fixed laws of nature, which alter not their eternal course, in the slightest iota, through any of the forms or ceremonies, or wordy wanderings of the human race.

      Are we not justified in saying that it is a necessary law, of all other laws of nature, that no change has ever been or can be made in the eternal laws of the universe? That the least change in the laws by which the universal mechanism and chemistry of nature perform their united operations, would create a chaos and confusion that would disturb and destroy its one universal movement that preserves the harmony of all existence?

      Can these laws be rendered variable and uncertain for man, an insect upon an atom, as he exists upon the earth compared to the eternity of space, with its endless systems of suns and planets, revolving, sphere beyond sphere, unchanged and probably unchangeable? No! the composition and decomposition upon the earth, when viewed without the vanity and presumption arising from ignorance of the laws of nature, will be found to differ not in man from any other vegetable or animal compound. He is composed of the self-same materials, and he [168] is again decomposed, and becomes part of the general mass from which every earthly compound continues to be formed.

      And this is a law of impartiality and justice, which, when it shall be fully comprehended, will lead, not only to universal charity in practice from man to man throughout the globe but it will fill him with benevolent and kind feelings for all that has life--it will give him, in fact, a fellow-feeling for all that exists around him.

      He will know that he is perpetually changing particles of his own existence with all objects among which he moves, whether animate or inanimate. He will, therefore, avoid giving unnecessary pain to anything that has life. The worm and the insect are his kinsfolk; they are from the same original stock of materials, and in the next decomposition will unite again as children of the same origin, proceeding from one common parent, who is alike interested in the general happiness of every being formed from the universal mass from whence all come, and into which all return.

      No! man is not an exception to the general laws of nature; he is born and he dies, and "the place which knew him, knows him no more."

      There is not one single fact, except in a slight extension of some of the same faculties, different in the formation and decomposition of man, from any other earthly compound and decomposition; and when man shall be disabused, on this subject, they will be great gainers in practice.

      They will no longer vainly expend their time and faculties upon imaginary future existences which belong not to their nature; but they will at once apply themselves, heart and soul, to make a paradise of their present abode, that each generation in succession may enjoy it continually without any ignorant fears for the future, except that of creating some permanent cause of misery during their lives; such as slavery, cruel and unjust laws, or irrational institutions and customs, to inflict punishment on their progeny; or, in other words, on that which constituted part of themselves, and for which they would have, if rightly instructed, a fellow-feeling.

      This view of our existence is similar to the desire we have been taught to have to provide abundantly for our children and immediate descendants.

      The latter is now an ignorant and selfish desire, created by an artificial state of society, while the other will evince a true knowledge of human nature and generate dispositions of unbounded love and charity--not in words, but in practice, for the whole human race, present and future. [169]

      This view of human nature will put an end to the pride, vanity, and selfishness of individuals and families; it will destroy all notions of superstition and of unknown supernatural agencies, until some tangible and consistent facts respecting their existence, if they do exist, shall be acquired. And more especially of their interference in human affairs in opposition to the unerring laws of nature.

      It will also annul all the unreasonable fears of death, or of our accidental or natural decomposition, which are now so unwisely instilled into the minds of children, almost as soon as they can be made to receive these injurious impressions. Man is thus made a mental coward, and filled with all manner of fears of the imagination, against which he knows not how to defend himself. He is thus made so weak and irrational, that he continually torments himself and others through life, without producing any counteracting benefit.

      Instead of being thus abused in childhood, he ought to be taught from infancy the plain truth on this, as well as upon every other subject.

      He would then know what to expect, and he would be always without fear or dread of any kind, prepared for that change which all nature undergoes; and his happiness, during life would not be disturbed with apprehensions and fears of what would become of him after decomposition.

      He would comprehend the truth, upon this subject, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and in consequence, his mind would be firm and sane at all times; he would be free to act, without a selfish motive, what the world now calls a noble and generous part to all his fellow-beings, but, which conduct would then become the common practice of the human race.

      Any society in which the laws of man have been made to oppose the divine laws of his nature, must, of necessity, exist in a state of continued crime, disunion, and misery.

      All societies of men have been so formed, that at this day they all exist in crime, disunion, and misery. In all of them the divine laws of nature have been misunderstood, or disregarded, and men have busied themselves in vain, in devising artificial laws to alter their unchangeable nature, and improve the work of a power beyond their faculties to comprehend. [170]

      It is evidently the whole duty of man for his own sake, and for the benefit of his race, to find out the laws of his nature, that he may first know what manner of being he is, and then form all his institutions to be in strict accordance with these divine laws. He will then, by the natural progress of knowledge, bring about a new state of existence, in which the duty, the interest, and inclination of all will be, at all times, one and the same feeling. In which all will possess, in security, and without opposition from any quarter, a full supply, at all times, of whatever is essential to the happiness of human life.

      Under the supposition that these principles are as true, and their practice as beneficial as I have stated, it becomes a question of permanent interest, to know how this change--a change greater than all which have preceded it--can be accomplished, not only without injury to any, but with permanent advantage to all. To me it appears that this change can be effected, the most easily, by the union, in the first instance, of some of the leading governments, and of the heads of the chief sects of religion, in the adoption of general measures to direct the new arrangements upon an extensive scale; but in a manner so gradual, that no shock shall be given to the interests or feelings of any portion of society. And, in forming these arrangements, no attempt should be permitted to be made to displace the individuals who are at the head, or who administer any of the existing governments.

      No member of any church should be deprived, during his life, of the support and emoluments which he now derives from it. No one deriving his support from other professions should be in any degree curtailed in the advantages which he derives from his present station in them. No one employed in any business should be called upon, or expected to do more than his present occupation requires him to perform. No one shall be required to do anything contrary to his former habits.

      It is unnecessary that any of these evils should arise or be allowed to take place, because, there is power in society, which, when directed, will be found much more than sufficient to supply all the wants and wishes of mankind, without it being necessary to adopt any of these temporary evils, or in any degree to diminish the small portion of happiness, which under the existing systems, had fallen to the lot of any individual.

      The unused and misdirected powers of society, are far more than sufficient to satisfy the wishes of all mankind, as soon as they shall learn what is requisite to make them happy; and shall know what it is their interest to desire, and the best means to obtain and secure it. [171]

      Thus have I endeavored to sketch the outline of the causes of the past and present errors, and evils among men; to deduce the principles of human nature from facts which change not, but which remain the "same yesterday, to-day, and forever;" to show how those principles may be beneficially applied to practice, for the advantage of mankind, and how this change may be gradually effected throughout society without injury to any individual of any class, sect, party, or country.

[COD 166-172]