HUMAN FREEDOM 



ognize that the mental acts, including 

 prevision of possible consequences of his 

 various overt operations, are integral parts 

 of the causal sequence. No matter what 

 his philosophy teaches him, he must behave 

 practically by making one decision or an- 

 other, or the struggle automatically comes 

 to an end. The belief that he is free is a 

 powerful aid to his decision. And people 

 who do not make decisions do not become 

 railroad magnates. Indeed, In extreme 

 cases such people may be committed to a 

 mental hospital under the diagnosis of in- 

 sanity of doubt (folic dii doiite). Here 

 pathological deterioration of natural free- 

 dom of choice Is an expression of an or- 

 ganic breakdown. 



Centuries of dialectic have contributed 

 little toward the solution of these prob- 

 lems. An ancient dogma affirms that con- 

 sciousness, being a spiritual entity, can 

 have no efficient causal connection with 

 matter. But common experience replies 

 that actually It does do just this impossi- 

 ble thing. We have no well-authenticated, 

 recorded Instance where faith alone has 

 removed a mountain; but faith joined with 

 engineering skill (which Is also a conscious 

 process) and supported by a sufficient 



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