312 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing our whole view of Nature and modifying our whole philosophy, 

 the question presses upon us, " What will be its effect on religious be- 

 lief, and therefore on moral conduct ? " This is a question of gravest 

 import. To answer it, however imperfectly, is the chief object of this 

 work. Except for this, it would probably never have been undertaken. 

 All that goes before is subsidiary to this. 



But I will doubtless be met at the very threshold by an objection 

 from the scientific side. Some will say — because it is the fashion now 

 to say — that as simple, honest truth-seekers, we have nothing to do 

 with its effect on religion and on life. They say we must follow 

 Truth wherever she leads, utterly regardless of what may seem to us 

 moral consequences. This I believe is a grave mistake, the result of a 

 reaction, and on the whole a wholesome and noble reaction, against the 

 far more common mistake of sacrificing truth to a supposed good. But 

 the reaction, as in most other cases, has gone much too far. There is 

 a true 2)fiilosophic groxuxdi of justification for the reluctance with which 

 even honest truth-seekers accept a doctrine which seems harmful to so- 

 ciety. Effect on life is, and ought to be, an important element in 

 our estimate of the truth of any doctrine. It is necessary for me to 

 show this in order to justify this part of my work. 



There is a necessai-y and indissoluble connection between truth and 

 usefulness. We all at once admit this connection in one direction. 

 We all admit that a truth must eventually have its useful application. 

 It may not be now, nor in ten years, nor in a century, nor even in a 

 millennium, but sometime in the future it will vindicate its usefulness. 

 No truth is trivial or useless in its relation to human life, for man is 

 a part of Nature, and his life must be in accordance with the laws of 

 Nature, Every one admits this, but not every one admits the con- 

 verse proposition, viz., that whatever doctrine or belief, in the long run 

 and throughout the history of human advancement, has tended to the 

 betterment of our race, must have in it an element of truth by virtue 

 of which it has been useful, for man's good can not be in conflict with 

 the laws of Nature. Also, whatever in the long run and in the final 

 outcome tends to the bad in human conduct, ought to be received, even 

 by the honest truth-seeker, with distrust, as containing essential error. 

 The reason of this will now be further explained. 



There are three primary divisions of our psychical nature, viz., 

 sensuous, intellectual, and volitional, or moral. There are three cor- 

 responding primary processes necessary to make a complete rational 

 and satisfactory philosophy : (1) There is first the instreaming of the 

 external world through the senses, as impressions. These we call facts 

 or phenomena. (2) The elaboration of these facts within, by the intel- 

 lect, into a compact constant structure. This we call knowledge. (3) 

 The outgoing of this knowledge by the ?^27nnto the world as right or 

 wise conduct. Now these three are all equally necessary. All these 

 three portions of our complex nature are equally urgent to be satisfied. 



