192 BELIEFS AND EXISTENCES 



basis and tenor of idealism its preoccupation 

 with logical contents and relations in abstraction 

 from their situs and function in conscious living 

 beings. 



IV 



I have suggested to you the naive conception of 

 the relation of beliefs to realities : that beliefs are 

 themselves real without discount, manifesting their 

 reality in the usual proper way, namely, by modify 

 ing and shaping the reality of other things, so that 

 they connect the bias, the preferences and affec 

 tions, the needs and endeavors of personal lives 

 with the values, the characters ascribed to things : 

 the latter thus becoming worthy of human ac 

 quaintance and responsive to human intercourse. 

 This was followed by a sketch of the history of 

 thought, indicating how beliefs and all they in 

 sinuate were subjected to preconceived notions of 

 knowledge and of &quot; reality &quot; as a monopolistic pos 

 session of pure intellect. Then I traced some of 

 the motifs that make for reconsideration of the 

 supposed uniquely exclusive relation of logical 

 knowledge and &quot; reality &quot; ; motifs that make for a 

 less invidiously superior attitude towards the con 

 victions of the common man. 



In concluding, I want to say a word or two to 

 mitigate for escape is impossible some misun- 



