82 THE DOCTRINE OF ENERGY 



neither deny the fact successfully, nor solve the 

 speculative difficulties which its recognition raises 

 up. The Real and the Ideal, essentially distinct 

 yet mockingly similar, for ever blend and inter- 

 mingle in the composite experience of life. Truly 

 to discriminate and unravel these, validly to 

 separate the Ideal element which impregnates that 

 Reality which we are for ever compelled to postulate 

 and recognise, still remains the great problem of 

 Philosophy humbler perhaps and more practical, 

 but not less profound than any vain attempt to 

 discover to finite conception the Absolute as it is 

 in itself. Therefore it is that the efforts of negative 

 and agnostic criticism to dispense with the recog- 

 nition of Reality as a necessary postulate of our 

 activity are foredoomed to failure. They leave 

 us not a solitude which we might pretend to be 

 peace, but a seething sea of troubles urgently de- 

 manding a new attempt to reveal the unity which 

 must underlie the infinite diversity of experience. 



Such, indeed, seems to us the present position 

 of Metaphysics ; and, what is more important, it 

 appears to react with increasing force upon the 

 theories and investigations of Science. 



The problem of Reality is thus at present not 

 without a special and increasing interest for the 

 students of Physical Science. Until lately they 



