328 HUMANISM 



XVII 



Moreover in this case the illusion is greatly heightened 

 by a very general psychological fact which at first sight 

 seems to support the literary view. For it is probable 

 that at one time or other (mostly in youth) nearly 

 every one is in trouble about his soul and takes a keen 

 interest in the question of a future life. But as a 

 rule, the interest is short-lived and soon dies out, or 

 rather, is trampled out by the social disapproval of the 

 pretension to be more troubled about such matters than 

 one s elders and betters. But the memory of this interest 

 persists and wins from every one an easy, though nominal, 

 assent to the assertions of those who expatiate on the 

 importance of the question. The truth is that many have 

 felt the importance of the subject, but that at any given 

 moment only an infinitesimal fraction actually feel it, so 

 that there is never any effective demand for its investiga 

 tion. Even in the elect ranks of the Society for Psychical 

 Research it is probable that the same law has been at 

 work, and that the reason for the apathy of most of its 

 members is that they have long lost the keenness of 

 interest which originally nerved them to the prodigious 

 effort of joining the Society. 



It may be thought that the novel interpretation of 

 human action and feeling which we have been considering 

 is thus as fully established as it can be by argument. But 

 in a matter of this sort one ought not to content oneself 

 with argument while proof is attainable. And fortunately 

 in this case the actual facts can be ascertained so soon as 

 a sufficient number of persons desire to ascertain them. 



The American Branch of the Society for Psychical 

 Research has, under the auspices of Dr. Richard Hodgson, 

 issued a circular, or questionnaire, designed to test and to 

 bring out the feelings with which the prospect of a future 

 life is actually regarded. It runs thus : 



There is a widespread literary tradition that men naturally 

 desire a future life. From this assumed fact it has been variously 

 argued that (i) such a universal desire cannot be destined to 

 disappointment, and (2) it must vitiate convictions and engender 

 illusory evidence in its own support. 



But there is some reason to suppose, both from the ordinary 



