THE ACCUSATION 199 



Christian in Interpreter's House, and for estimating more 

 highly the part played by " the man with a vessel of oil in 

 his hand" than that of the man who was "always casting 

 much water upon the fire, to quench it." 



But what, according to Mr. Hobhouse, are the specific 

 doctrines which Idealism is promulgating with effects that 

 are so deplorable ? He has, unfortunately, indicated them 

 with far less precision than is desirable in a case which is so 

 grave. Besides, in his diagnosis, he has mingled causes 

 with effects, the disease with the symptoms, so that it is 

 not easy to separate them and to direct the attack against 

 the former. Let us specify them. 



1. For Idealism "every institution and every belief is 

 alike a manifestation of a spiritual principle ; and thus, 

 for everything, there is an inner and more spiritual inter- 

 pretation." 



2. Idealism gives assurance that men " need not follow 

 where their reason takes them"; "that there is no 

 logical foundation for the certainty which the sciences 

 claim" ; "that still less is there any rational groundwork 

 of morality, in particular for humanitarian morality." 



3. Idealism " sets the State in place of the rights of the 

 individual," and moreover the State "is not to serve 

 humanity but is an end in itself." " It sums up in itself 

 both the temporal and the spiritual order. There are no 

 limits to its authority, nor any necessary responsibility on 

 the part of its government." 



The effects of these articles of the idealistic creed are 

 stated with much vigour and fulness. From the first of 

 them it follows that " vulgar and stupid beliefs can be held 

 with a refined and enlightened meaning"; that "intel- 

 lectual and moral sincerity are sapped"; that "men are 



