3i8 HUMANISM 



XVII 



member of this much-enduring society for eighteen years 

 (ever since it flashed across him that the subject had 

 never been investigated) to depreciate its importance and 

 its value ; but when this eminently respectable body is 

 expected to atone for the apathy of a whole world, and 

 put forward as conclusive proof of the existence of 

 universal interest in a future life and as the exemplar and 

 high-water mark of scientific research into its possibility, 

 it is hard to refrain from the exclamation Parturiunt 

 monies ! For what is the Psychical Research Society that 

 for its sake judgment should not be passed upon the world? 

 In the first place its officials would probably protest 

 vehemently, and not without reason, against the assump 

 tion that its only, or even its chief, object was to conduct 

 a scientific investigation into the question of a future life. 

 In the second place its membership, after twenty years of 

 strenuous and not unfruitful labour, remains stationary at 

 less than 1500. In the third place its subscription is a 

 guinea, and its gross income seems to be less than ^2000. 

 Can any one who reflects what these figures mean cling 

 to the preposterous delusion that men are actively desirous 

 of finding out about their future ? In the whole wide 

 world, it seems, there are almost 1500 persons taking an 

 annual guinea s worth of scientific interest in finding out 

 whether they have anything to look forward to after 

 death, and if so what; nearly 1500 persons who are 

 willing to pay for the possibility of this knowledge as 

 much as for a box seat at a theatre ! And observe that 

 we are assuming what is very improbable, viz. that all the 

 members are really interested and regular subscribers. 

 Again, the total sum contributed to Psychical Research is 

 well under ^2000 ! It would be hard to mention a human 

 fad or hobby, however trivial and despicable, which cannot 

 make a better showing, to which there are not devoted 

 more money, more time, more zeal, than to what is 

 supposed to be the most important of all questions. If 

 people really thought so, why don t they subscribe to 

 have the matter properly investigated, and why should it 

 be easier to raise the funds for a hospital for leprous cats 



