284 ESSAYS IN PHILOSOPHY 



ported, instead of being an act of that desperate 

 courage which risks all, because not to risk is to 

 perish anyhow. 



It is in a hope to meet this query — to show, if pos- 

 sible, the way of raising this ideal hypothesis into 

 fact resting upon positive evidence — that I offer 

 you what follows in this essay. 



Before entering upon the afifirmative argument for 

 the imperishableness of the light that lighteth every 

 man when he cometh into the world, and essaying 

 to prove really his the white radiance of eternity, 

 which by the dome of physical life, however many- 

 coloured, is only stained, let me point out clearly a 

 certain oversight in the otherwise brilliant reasoning 

 by which our guest and essayist would provide a justi- 

 fiable chance for faith and courage to cast in for 

 immortality — a chance to risk belief without the 

 risk of demonstrable folly. For that, in brief, is 

 what Professor James's general aim in the philosophi- 

 cal field may be said to be, — to vindicate the exer- 

 cise of moral and religious faith against the charge 

 of ignorance, unreason, and folly ; to make it plain 

 that one is not a fool, even though he do believe out 

 of sheer fealty and loyal will, when once a proved 

 uncertainty leaves him an open chance ; and to dis- 



