RECORDS OF MEETINGS OF 1908 485 



sense of the individual and in the sense of the inward. From both its indi- 

 viduality and its inwardness proceeds its certitude — which Rousseau 

 highly values — and which depends also on a farther characteristic, the 

 immediacy of the "inner light." Nevertheless, the sentiment interieur is 

 not exclusively affective in its nature, and, when purely emotional, may 

 vary through a wide range of affective experience. At its lowest level it 

 amounts to the satisfaction of desire by religious ideas and principles. Or 

 it may become shallow sentimentalism, as in the second half of the Nouvelle 

 Heloise. A third and higher stage is the phase of pure religious aspiration, 

 while in a fourth form it develops into an appreciation of religious values. 

 This evaluating factor in Rousseau's religious thinking has been neglected, 

 but it can be shown by quotation from many of his writings. In general, 

 it is evident that the idea of feeling in Rousseau requires careful analysis 

 before well-grounded inferences can be drawn from his doctrine concerning 

 either psychological or historical or constructive questions. 



Mr. Eastman said that pragmatism, in intellectuahst terms, is skepti- 

 cism with its logical consequences developed; and in pragmatist terms, 

 the rejection of metaphysics as a serious discipline. This was shown to be 

 consistent with the origin of pragmatism in the biological attitude, which was 

 developed in the writings of such philosophic scientists as Huxley and 

 Clifford. It was then shown that as a dialectic implication of Mr. James's 

 definition of meaning, metaphysics proper becomes not the most divine 

 science, but the most meaningless science. It was stated that his failure to 

 grasp this negative aspect of his definition is what gives obscurity to the 

 whole contents and procedure of his book; it is what gives rise to the technical 

 error of thinking that pragmatism is a confused and unthinkable theory, 

 and the popular error of thinking it is a philosophy which consists in con- 

 gratulating yourself upon your own prejudices. 



The Section then adjourned. 



R. S. WOODWORTH, 



Secretary. 



SPECIAL MEETING. 



April 30, 1908. 



The following public lecture was given through cooperation with the 

 Linnsean Society of New York and the American Museum of Natural 

 History: 



Richard Kearton, Caterham, England, Wild Birds at Home. 



Edmund Otis Hovey, 



Secretary. 



