346 CONCLUSION 



a chain of mental states "successful reasoning" — 

 intended as a technical classification without any moral 

 implications involving the awkward word "ought". We 

 can examine what are the common characteristics of 

 various pieces of successful reasoning. If we apply this 

 analysis to the mental aspects of the reasoning we obtain 

 laws of logic; but presumably the analysis could also 

 be applied to the physical constituents of the brain. It 

 is not unlikely that a distinctive characteristic would be 

 found in the physical processes in the brain-cells which 

 accompany successful reasoning, and this would con- 

 stitute "the physical basis of success." 



But we do not use reasoning power solely to predict 

 observational events, and the question of success (as 

 above defined) does not always arise. Nevertheless if 

 such reasoning were accompanied by the product which 

 I have called "the physical basis of success" we should 

 naturally assimilate it to successful reasoning. 



And so if I persuade my materialist opponent to 

 withdraw the epithet "damned nonsense" as inconsistent 

 with his own principles he is still entitled to allege that 

 my brain in evolving these ideas did not contain the 

 physical basis of success. As there is some danger of 

 our respective points of view becoming mixed up, I 

 must make clear my contention: 



(a) If I thought like my opponent I should not worry 

 about the alleged absence of a physical basis of success 

 in my reasoning, since it is not obvious why this should 

 be demanded when we are not dealing with observa- 

 tional predictions. 



(b) As I do not think like him, I am deeply perturbed 

 by the allegation; because I should consider it to be the 

 outward sign that the stronger epithet (which is not 

 inconsistent with my principles) is applicable. 



