WHAT IS MEANT BY PHILOSOPHY? 



tologists, since they regard matter and energy as 

 the ultimate realities, and fancy that they know 

 them. Materialism, however, is a childish absurd 

 ity which has been refuted by the most eminent 

 men of science as well as by all the leading think 

 ers of all schools in all ages. It has not revealed 

 Reality, and is therefore not to be regarded as a 

 true ontology. 



If, then, we may use philosophy to indicate 

 something less than the highest conceivable order 

 of knowledge, can it still be maintained that the 

 term indicates anything essentially different from 

 other orders of knowledge? Obviously it cannot; 

 for knowledge must be either of reality or of ap 

 pearance. Yet there is no need, therefore, to sup 

 pose that all knowledge is philosophical, though 

 philosophy cannot possibly ignore or do despite 

 to any fact, however humble. But though all 

 will admit this, many will suggest, and reasonably, 

 that philosophy, if we deny the possibility of 

 ontology, can no longer be distinguished from 

 science. Each is of the same order, employs the 

 same methods, and must arrive at results essen 

 tially the same. And certainly the old distinction 

 between science and philosophy can no longer be 

 maintained. It belongs to the day when science 

 meant what is absurdly called natural science, and 

 when the human mind and morality were not re 

 garded as subject-matter for science. 



Nevertheless, a high use can still be found for 

 this fine word. There are many branches of 



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