240 FORMULAS OF THE LAW OF EVOLUTION. 



ultimate reality itself. It Is true, however, that not 

 even so do we escape the taint of Imperfection : 

 for though we see the ultimate reality, we as yet 

 behold it only as in a glass darkly, and can express 

 It only inadequately ; Its true nature is as yet scarce 

 conjectured. 



But even this has the advantage that we need not 

 shift our ground in order to obtain new views of 

 the world-process by means of new abstractions ; for 

 after all, reality Is the three-dimensional which can 

 never be fully expressed by one-dimensional thought. 

 If, however, we have grasped the Real, even though 

 dimly, we need merely persevere In order to ar- 

 rive at Its deeper and deeper comprehension, as It 

 manifests Itself In higher and higher forms, and to 

 enter more and more fully Into the meaning of the 

 Individual and of society. And as we ourselves are 

 the highest examples of Individuals we know. It Is 

 In exploring the depths of our own nature that the 

 clue to the riddle of the world Is to be sought, and 

 we are once more led back to take an ancient saying 

 In a novel sense, to know the universe In knowing 

 ourselves, to seek the truth In seeking what we 

 are.^ 



Thus the end to which things seem to tend Is an 

 end which is also capable of being regarded teleo- 

 logically, and an aim of action we can adopt. Our 

 only doubt can be as to whether the world will 

 attain It. But why should not things attain the end 

 to which they tend? What, short of the pessimistic 

 possibility of an Incurable perversity of things, Is to 

 prevent the world from reaching the goal of Its 

 evolution ? For no failure of partial processes with- 

 in the All can justify this fear : for these fail through 



^ Tvo)6l creavTov and iSc^rjaa ifxavTov {^HeracUius). 



