ANTHROPOMORPHISM AND COSMISM 



terms. For while, on the one hand, all past 

 philosophies have been Cosmic, in so far as the 

 interpretation of the universe has been their 

 aim, on the other hand, it will never be possible 

 to get entirely rid of every trace of Anthropo- 

 morphism. For, as was proved in the fourth 

 chapter, there is anthropomorphism even in 

 speaking of the unknown Cause as single ; and, 

 as has been proved in the present chapter, 

 there is anthropomorphism even in speaking 

 of the unknown Cause as a Power manifested in 

 phenomena. Yet we must either use such lan- 

 guage or remain silent; we must either sym- 

 bolize the unknown Cause or Tgnore it, — and 

 as the latter alternative is impossible, we must 

 accept the former. 



Thus is exhibited in strong relief the pecu- 

 liar excellence, both of our theory of deanthro- 

 pomorphization and of the terms in which it is 

 stated. For whereas the Atheistic Philosophy 

 current in the eighteenth century sought to 

 break entirely with the past, scornfully setting 

 aside its time-honoured beliefs as so much 

 quackery and delusion ; and whereas the Posi- 

 tive Philosophy, in spite of its sympathetic atti- 

 tude toward the past, consequent upon its an- 

 nouncing itself as the terminal phase of a long 

 development, nevertheless was obliged tacitly 

 to break with the past, in so far as it ignored 

 that which in earlier stages had always been 

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