1 36 KAowltdgt increases freedom of will. 



.contradiction to them ; and the human will is no 

 .exception to this statement. The " will " is only free 

 within certain limits ; it cannot act in opposition 

 to its strongest motives or causes of action. We 

 .believe ourselves to be much more free than we are, 

 .because we often do not know the causes which de- 

 termine us, and we frequently fail to detect those 

 ; influences, because we cannot think, and at the same 

 time clearly observe our act of thought and its 

 .motives. Freedom of the will does not enable us to 

 set aside laws : entire freedom from law in any 

 instance is probably only apparent, This limited 

 degree of freedom of the will indicates the dependence 

 of volition upon scientific laws, because a supernatural 

 power, being entirely independent of natural law, 

 , could not be limited by it. To affirm without proof 

 .that the human will is a "supernatural power" is to 

 .implicitly deny the universality and constancy of 

 ..natural laws. New knowledge developed by Science, 

 .imparts to us liberty, but not license ; and, so far from 

 diminishing the freedom of the will, increases it by 

 .showing us what conditions we must fulfil and obey in 

 order to effect our objects. We acquire power by 

 .being first obedient ; and this is in accordance with 

 the principles and facts of science ; we must obey 

 nature before we can make nature obey us ; the 

 elementary bodies, also, usually acquire the free state, 

 latent power, and the ability to evolve heat and elec- 

 tric energy, only by being first subjected in their 

 .crude state to a process of reduction and purification. 



