From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



indefinitely without reaching absolutely unanswerable 

 conclusions), that is of little moment, since the synthetic 

 study of evolution proves undeniably that the classical 

 factors are secondary and there is some essential factor 

 as yet unknown. 



The necessity for this essential factor, being some 

 kind of internal creative impulse giving rise to the 

 ' vital surge ' is evident from the study of the facts. M. 

 Bergson's teachings on this head, are strictly rational 

 inferences which do not transgress the limits of scientific 

 method. As such, and apart from other doctrines, they 

 ensure a unique place to his philosophy in the higher 

 walks of contemporary thought. 



The notion of the ' vital surge ' may be seen, in 

 germ, in some naturalistic systems such as Nageli's, 

 and in ancient and modern pantheistic philosophies, 

 but the special merit of the Bergsonian system consists 

 in the rigorous application of this idea to the facts, and 

 in a presentment which is truly a work of genius. 



4. DOCTRINES WHICH ARE NOT DEDUCED FROM FACTS 



AND ARE NOT DEMONSTRABLE 



These include the teaching on God, the non-existence 

 of void, the nature of matter and spirit, the relations 

 of consciousness to the organism, the independence 

 of consciousness and matter, on human liberty, and on 

 the hope of survival. 



All these are given without being based on facts, 

 even when (as we shall see later) the facts are such as 

 might be used partially to confirm the doctrines. The 

 teaching on these points is of the intuitive order. There 

 is no need to demonstrate their impotence. The classical 

 physiological ideas which make consciousness dependent 

 on the brain will never be upset by arguments drawn 

 from the intuition. As long as the experimental idea of 



177 



