Certain philosophies come out in the novel. First is that life is never certain. We need to be mentally, spiritually, and morally ready to withstand the circumstances that come our way. 

Silas’ existence was at the mercy of outside influences: his church, friends, reputation in Lantern Yard, and relationship with his former fiancee. When his supposed best friend framed Silas in a theft and ruined his life, Silas was left a broken man. His second fall was significant, however, in that he learned to connect with others. For the first time in years, he had to let go of his neurotic self-control and let the charity and care of outsiders enter his heart. This leads to a second moral philosophy, which is that we need to experience love and companionship. As human beings, we have the responsibility of communicating and being open to others. After the theft of the gold, he allowed their compassion toward his pain to touch his heart and became a loving parent to Eppie! 

Therefore, had Silas not accepted love and companionship first, he would have never learned to give it.