tivity of knowledge. Those who claim that there is no absolute 

 knowledge, that all is relative, generally overlook the logical in- 

 consistency of their own position. Their words are self-condemna- 

 tory, for, if their absolute statement be true, then is their thesis 

 disproved. 



There were others, however, who, when the philosophy of the 

 day failed, turned longing eyes to religion. But the old Greek 

 religious beliefs had been found inconsistent and were now no 

 longer tenable; the nobler religious teachings of Plato and Aristotle 

 were but vaguely remembered, the Epicurean indifference and the 

 Stoic resignation having made them, unfortunately, too much a 

 thing of the past. The needs of the intellect would at last, without 

 doubt, have been sacrificed to those of the heart had not Christian- 

 ity, with a view of the world different from those of Epicureanism 

 and Stoicism come into the lives of men to renew again their hopes 

 and illuminate once more their thoughts. 



The success of Christianity lay in great measure in this, that it 

 soon learned to use the philosophic language of the day in formu- 

 lating its doctrines. Having done so, the minds of men found in 

 Christian theology some answer to the problems that had beset 

 them. Religion, or rather theology, for the facts of the religious 

 life should always be clearly distinguished from the theoretic inter- 

 pretation of the same, theology became now the dominating 

 influence and philosophy grew to be utterly subordinate thereto. 

 As one looks back over the pages of history, he cannot but feel that 

 the thought of that day committed a most egregious blunder. It 

 was a mistake, which was to plunge the world into the night of the 

 Mediaeval Ages, a mistake whereby the true office and nature of 

 philosophy were to be forgotten, the relative value of religion and 

 theology transposed and the nature of scientific method utterly 

 misunderstood. Philosophy, thus being reduced to a hand-maid of 

 theology, was in a precarious situation, for not only was its genuine 

 task ignored, but, peradventure it should fail in establishing the 

 theses of theology, it would straightway be not ignored but con- 

 demned. And therefore a world-view would be propagated, which 

 was not formed by the scrutiny and interpretation of the facts of 

 human life and conduct, but which would be based exclusively upon 

 the dicta of authority. 



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