WUAT rillLOSOPHY MUST ACHIEVE. I37 



That suggestion was that of the ultimate perversity 

 of the constitution of things, as a consequence of 

 which all problems are intrinsically insoluble, all 

 ■questions inherently meaningless, and all methods 

 incurably impracticable. It is no use asking quest- 

 ions, because no answer can be given ; it is futile 

 to make any sort of effort, for we are ever baffled In 

 the end, and the greater the effort the more bitter 

 the disappointment : the cup of life must be drained 

 to the dregs, and however we struggle, the dregs 

 are bitter with death. Theoretically life is a puzzle 

 which has no solution ; practically it is a Barmecide 

 feast at which the wretched dupes, the victims of an 

 inscrutable fate, make believe to enjoy delights as 

 unreal and fleetlne as the shadow of a dream. In 

 short, it Is all a ghastly, senseless striving after the 

 impossible. 



And not the least terrible point about this view is 

 its probability. It can claim greater simplicity, 

 gx^'diX.^x prima facie probability, than any other. It 

 may not be the only possible explanation of the 

 facts considered In the last two chapters, but it is 

 •considerably the most obvious explanation. Every 

 alternative to it will have to explain away many 

 things which it is exceedingly difficult to explain 

 away. It will have to account for evil and imper- 

 fection ; and even when it has shown the possibility 

 of a final reconciliation. It will have to show why 

 this could not have been attained without the long 

 time-process of the world's development. 



So in theoretical matters it will have to show not 

 merely that the Becoming of things is ultimately 

 knowable, but also to explain how it was conducive 

 to the end to be attained. 



In short, In order to have an alternative to Pess- 



