XXVI ANALYSIS OF CONTENTS. 



^ 3. If SO, its starting-point must have been a minimum 

 of harmony. This implies a precosmic state, when no 

 interaction, and hence no world, existed. It preceded 

 Time and Change, and does not admit of further in- 

 quiries. ^ 4. The end of the world-process — in the 

 attainment of perfect harmony or adaptation — the per- 

 fection and aim of all the activities of life. Distin- 

 guished by its metaphysical character from the Becoming 

 of the time-process, a changeless and eternal state of 

 perfect Being. This includes a solution of all difficul- 

 ties, evil, Time, divergence of thought and feeling, etc. 



§^ 5-1 1. The nature of Pej'fection. § 5. It is con- 

 scious, but not self-conscious. § 6. It is perfect Activity 

 rather than Rest, Being rather than Not-Being, Heaven 

 rather than Nirvana. The conception of the Ideal as 

 the perfection of activity, held by Aristotle. § 7. The 

 analogy of perfect motion. § 8. The content of the 

 perfect activity of Being cannot be imagined, but only 

 conceived, as it is an ideal of thought which lacks all 

 analogy in sensuous experience. But if reality realizes 

 the ideals of thought, i.e., if the world is rational and 

 knowledge possible, the ideal of Being must be realized. 

 For it is implied in the assumption of all thought that 

 what becomes is. But it must be experienced and can- 

 not be anticipated. § 9. Hence it can be described 

 only as the perfection of the activities of life, and yet 

 transcends them. It is perfect goodness, knowledge, 

 beauty, and happiness, and yet something more. § 10. 

 It is all-embracing, else its harmony might be destroyed. 

 Hence the existing imperfection of the world reflected 

 in the divine consciousness. The expression of this 

 principle in philosophy and religion — the sympathetic 

 suffering of Christ. The world-process a redemption of 

 all beings. ;^ 11. It is attainable, as a real process does 

 not admit of infinite approximations. 



^12. The ultimate answer to the problem — the world- 

 process leads from timeless Not-Being through temporal 

 Becoming to eternal Being. § 13. Yet this answer is 

 hypothetical, and only gives an alternative to Pessimism, 

 for the final rejection of which (^ 14) Faith in the ration- 

 ality of things is required ; demonstration must issue in 

 belief. 



