COSM1SM AND POSITIVISM 



with the order of the phenomenal manifesta- 

 tions of the Absolute Power. And manifestly 

 these differences between the two systems of 

 philosophy constitute an antagonism which is 

 fundamental and irreconcilable. If the Posi- 

 tivist conception of philosophy be true, then 

 the work which I am now writing is founded 

 upon a baseless metaphysical fallacy ; and con- 

 versely it is impossible to accept the doctrine 

 expounded in this work, without ipso facto de- 

 claring the main position of Positivism to be 

 untenable. 



I shall hereafter have occasion to examine 

 the views concerning Psychology, Sociology, 

 Religion, and Practice, which are characteristic 

 of the Positive Philosophy ; and, as heretofore, 

 while dissenting from those views in every in- 

 stance, I shall have no hesitation in acknow- 

 ledging their merits or in assigning a full meed 

 of homage to the great thinker by whom they 

 were propounded. But while my dissent upon 

 all these points will serve to emphasize and 

 illustrate the fundamental dissent declared in 

 these Prolegomena, it will not be needful again 

 to demonstrate in detail that we are not adher- 

 ents of the Positive Philosophy. With thrice- 

 reiterated argument, and at the risk of wearying 

 the reader, it has now been made sufficiently 

 evident that Cosmism and Positivism, far from 

 being identical or identifiable with each other, 



"5 



