A WAIF AND ITS ADOPTION 



material environment, as we have sufficiently 

 shown in the preceding pages. Therefore we 

 first of all object to this confusion of the issue. 



In the second place, we demand that both 

 speculative philosophy and theological religion 

 shall stand or fall on their merits, just as ma- 

 terialist monism is expected to do. 



The science of the 2Oth century has grown 

 tired of operating with half-defined terms and 

 hypotheses. These are more and more discarded 

 for the study of movements. The discussion of 

 mere terms and definitions has developed into an 

 effort to arrive at a clear understanding of proc- 

 esses for the purpose of controlling them. 

 Vainly do the obsolete methods of research and 

 dogma attempt to adjust themselves to the new 

 conditions. 



Vitalism dreams of saving itself by becoming 

 Neo- Vitalism, Idealism has donned the robes of 

 Neo-Kantianism, both of them trying to play 

 Hamlet with Hamlet left out. Metaphysics is 

 becoming a mere metaphor for a vague agnosti- 

 cism. Even theological religion is making a des- 

 perate effort to escape the inevitable by masque- 

 rading as "true" religion. 



But their powers of adaptation are gone. 



157 



