SOLUTION OF THE WORLD-PROBLEMS. 389 



arrive at a conviction of the universal unity of nature 

 and the eternal validity of its laws. From the gloomy 

 problem of substance we have evolved the clear law of 

 substance. The monism of the cosmos which we 

 establish thereon proclaims the absolute dominion of 

 " the great eternal iron laws " throughout the universe. 

 It thus shatters, at the same time, the three central 

 dogmas of the dualistic philosophy — the personality 

 of God, the immortality of the soul, and the freedom 

 of the will. 



Many of us certainly view with sharp regret, or 

 even with a profound sorrow, the death of the gods 

 that were so much to our parents and ancestors. We 

 must console ourselves in the words of the poet : — 



"The times are changed, old systems fall, 

 And new life o'er their ruins dawns." 



The older view of idealistic dualism is breaking up 

 with all its mystic and anthropistic dogmas ; but 

 upon the vast field of ruins rises, majestic and 

 brilliant, the new sun of our realistic monism, which 

 reveals to us the wonderful temple of nature in all its 

 beauty. In the sincere cult of " the true, the good, 

 and the beautiful," which is the heart of our new 

 monistic religion, we find ample compensation for 

 the anthropistic ideals of " God, freedom, and immor- 

 tality " which we have lost. 



Throughout this discussion of the riddles of the 

 universe I have clearly defined my consistent monistic 

 position and its opposition to the still prevalent 

 dualistic theory. In this I am supported by the 

 agreement of nearly all modern scientists who have 

 the courage to accept a rounded philosophical system. 

 I must not, however, take leave of my readers without 

 pointing out in a conciliatory way that this strenuous 



