82 Teachings of Thomas Huxley 



half-heartedly right, for in the former case 

 it is possible to get back on a common ground of 

 truth. In the latter, half-sayings often pass for 

 the whole, and thus does the truth remain 

 buried and error persist. 



It may be objected that Huxley's philosophy 

 of life was not of the most helpful and hopeful 

 sort. This is, I think, sound criticism and 

 true. There is surely very little in it that one 

 can take and live by from day to day. It 

 lacks the broad expansive outlook of the posi- 

 tive, it seems weak and vacillating. This is, 

 I believe, the effect of deep-rooted agnosticism 

 — because we do not know a thing should not 

 prevent us from having faith in it, providing 

 our faith is something more than tradition and 

 possesses for us at least all the main elements 

 of certainty. In his religious views Huxley 

 surely lacks even an humble guess about any- 

 thing. He was content with saying he did not 

 know because there was nothing tangible on 

 which to base any argument good or bad; and 

 without this he would not undertake to venture 

 an opinion upon the greater questions. 



His moral code, however, commends itself 

 because of its nobility and sincerity. For him 

 it was wholly and entirely satisfactory in the 

 governing of his daily affairs. There was no 

 question of creed or dogma but a plain state- 

 ment of the golden rule, and the desire to live 

 perfect in the sight of all men. One cannot 



