The New Times Reviews Might is Right
"Hate for Hate, and ruth for ruth,
Eye for Eye and tooth for tooth.
Scorn for scorn and smile for smile,
Love for love and guile for guile;
War for war and woe for woe.
Blood for blood and blow for blow." —Ragnar Redbeard.
The New Times Reviews Might is Right
WORLD OF BOOKS—MIGHT IS RIGHT!
A new book has lately been issued in this city that is destined to challenge the attention of sociologists the world over, for it attacks the fundamental theories upon which all their theories are based.
Large portions of it have already been translated into German by Dr. Von Otto Ammon, and lengthy reviews upon its morals and philosophy have appeared in several German and French magazines.
In thought, style, teachings, this book is entirely original. Nietzsche and Stirner are the only modern writers we know of who take a somewhat similar view of things, and their works are not generally accessible in this country.
The author, Ragnar Redbeard, LL. D., is said by some to be a University of Chicago professor, but the Rev. J. Q. Henry holds that the book has been inspired, if not written, by the Devil. Others claim that the real author is Charles Stuart Parnell, who is said to be alive on a Colorado cattle ranch.
"Dr. Redbeard" assails religious fundamental statute laws and democratic principles with a scientific ferocity unparalleled. Even the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule are declared by him to be "the ideals of the slave.” “Men who are really free," he says, "obey neither gods nor governments."
The Declaration of Independence and the American constitution come in for most unmerciful vivisection, and "altruistic principles" fare no better. His general theory is that "Might is Right" absolutely and without reservation, and he supports this affirmative with striking illustrations, from all ages and all times, urging that there is no instance on record of any people having ever emancipated themselves from social or political bondage except by the strictly evolutionary "survival of the fittest" method, that is to say by the Law of Battle.
Without expressing an opinion as to the ethics of this very warlike, very aggressive and very suggestive writer, we desire to draw the attention of our readers to the work itself and permit them to judge. We cannot do better, however, than give them a quotation from the head verse of a chapter selected at random.
"Hate for Hate, and ruth for ruth,
Eye for Eye and tooth for tooth.
Scorn for scorn and smile for smile,
Love for love and guile for guile;
War for war and woe for woe.
Blood for blood and blow for blow."
The title of the book, which out-Darwins Darwin, out-Spencers Spencer, is "Might Is Right, or The Survival of the Fittest.
Adolph Mueller, 108 Clark Street, Chicago, publisher.
The New Time, December 1897
