THE VALIDITY OF THE NEW KNOWLEDGE. 255 



This recognition of truth depends, seemingly, on psycholog- 

 ical considerations. If we have a beautiful building of sys- 

 tematized perceptions and conceptions all dovetailing into 

 one another into the complete expression of an idea, we say 

 the idea is true because we see in it a perfect harmony, and 

 this harmony pleases us and gives us a feeling of the recogni- 

 tion of truth. But the statement: "This scheme is faultless 

 in its consistency and is therefore true" is not logic; it is an 

 act of pure faith. This unlogical faith which permeates 

 science is very plain to see. Why should there be a system 

 at all? Why should we feel that the universe must be a 

 perfect harmony? Why should there not be seventy or 

 eighty elements as well as one only? The answer is not 

 forthcoming. It is a matter of faith bred in the bone of 

 science. The little systems have their day, one after an- 

 other, and cease to be. But out of each system rises an- 

 other, not as a revolution but as an evolution. The second 

 system takes in all the " facts" of the first accounts for alF 

 its inconsistencies and embraces a wider scope. The third 

 bears a similar relation to the second. Hence the evolution 

 of systems is like a series of concentric ever-widening circles 

 covering ever larger areas of knowledge, and we believe 

 purely as an act of faith and not at all of logic that the 

 universe is eventually determinable, thousands of years 

 hence, into some one system which will account for every- 

 thing and which will be the truth. 



Meanwhile, this system of the new knowledge, as we 

 have attempted to outline it, is simply the outermost 

 circle covering the greatest area of knowledge, and while 

 its diameter is by no means infinite, it is the truest ex- 

 pression of the truth attainable at - this time and as such 

 is vastly useful. Its utility in the evolution of knowledge 

 is its sole apology for existence. Outside, however, of the 



