OF REALITY. 433 



which, on closer examination, reveals itself as merely 

 apparent. In the second instance we make a distinction 

 between that which, though possessed of reality, does not 

 seem to us to have the true or full reality. We thus 

 introduce the conception of a higher and a lower reality 

 or of degrees of reality. These distinctions are not 

 merely logical or metaphysical quibbles, but carry with 

 them a deep meaning which pervades all the higher 

 forms of thought and which finds expression in the 

 language and literature of all civilised nations. In 

 poetry as well as in prose, in science as well as in 

 popular literature, we are continually brought face to 

 face with two problems : we are asked to distinguish 

 appearance from reality, that which merely seems to be 

 from that which is ; and among those things which 

 are real and actually exist we are asked to distinguish 

 those which have a higher and fuller reality from those 

 which are poorer in reality. Thus, to give examples, 

 we distinguish the real movement of the sun or planets 

 from their apparent movement; the real events and 

 facts of life from the merely apparent ones presented in 

 a dream or in fiction, the true colours and dimensions 

 of an object from those which, owing to the imper- 

 fections or distance of view, are merely apparent. And 

 on the other side, some things have for us more reality 

 than others ; thus wealth and possessions may be more 

 or less real than fame and honours, mind may be 

 more or less real than matter, and there are probably 

 few persons who would not admit that goodness or 

 " the Good " is the highest reality of all ; though they 

 may differ in their conceptions of the nature of good- 



VOL. III. 2 E 



