Individuality And Immortality

for the establishment of a Lectureship on a plan somewhat similar to that of the Dudleian lecture, that is - one lecture to be delivered each year, on any convenient day between the last day of May and the first day of December, on this subject, the Immortality of Man, said lecture not to form a part of the usual college course, nor to be delivered by any Professor or Tutor as part of his usual routine of instruction, though any such Professor or Tutor may be appointed to such service. The choice of said lecturer is not to be limited to any one religious denomination, nor to any one profession, but may be that of either clergyman or layman, the appointment to take place at least six months before the delivery of said lecture. The above sum to be safely invested and three fourths of the annual interest thereof to be paid to the lecturer for his services and the remaining fourth to be expended in the publishment and gratuitous distribution of the lecture, a copy of which is always to be furnished by the lecturer for such purpose. The same lecture to be named and known as the Ingersoll lecture on the Immortality of Man. WHEN the great and unexpected honor of being invited to deliver the Ingersoll Lecture on Immortality came to me, my feelings were of a rather complex nature. First of all, I felt of course proud, and thankful that I was to be intrusted with such a responsible task. Secondly, I felt a deep respect, not only for the men who did me the honor to invite me, but also for the institution under whose auspices the lecture is delivered. For as a general thing, a scientist, whose task it is to analyze the facts of experience irrespective of any preconceived ideas, will not find his results in accordance with ideas which are handed down from generation to generation - ideas which have become venerable, not only because of their age, but also because of the influence which they have had upon the development of mankind. There is a certain danger, not only in the occurrence of such possible differences, but also in the mere fact that the scientist applies his trenchant and merciless tools of investigation to subjects which interest us because of their practical bearing, and are at the same time dear to our hearts and closely connected with our deepest and most earnest feelings. The fact that such considerations did not prevent the invitation shows once more how deeply the modern man is persuaded of the uiiimate wholesomeness of truth. No matter where an unprejudiced search after truth may lead an investigator if his work is that of an honest scientist it must and will finally turn out to be for the benefit of mankind. Our knowledge is an incomplete piece of patchwork but each one of us is bound to make the best possible use of the incomplete knowledge he possesses, conscious always that his results are any day liable to be replaced by new discoveries or ideas... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.