SECTION 23. GENERA LISA TION. 341 



be applied to poetry, literature, and oratory ; and that they are, 

 perhaps, in place in all human activities. 



Again. Suppose it is contended that nationalism is of supreme 

 importance because of its alleged distinctiveness and matchless 

 cultural value. 1 At once, automatically, we form as complete 

 a classification as we can of the relevant facts individual, 

 common interests of individuals (religion, municipal and political 

 parties, art, science, economics, health), family, neighbourhood, 

 city, district, county, province, country, empire, pan(Slavs, 

 Germans), religion, pan(Islamites), race, internationalism, cosmo- 

 politanism, humanity, life, nature and then ask ourselves how 

 far each of these is distinctive and possesses cultural value. 

 Our conclusion will evidently be that justice should be done 

 to all component parts of mankind, that several of these are 

 extremely important, and that it is deceptive, and even perilous, 

 to select one of them for general emphasis save in a limited 

 problem. That is, a methodical arrangement of the whole series 

 of pertinent facts within which nationalism falls, enables us 

 forthwith to correct a plausible and menacing error. 



So, too, noting that a law term is appropriately applied 

 outside the arena of law, this observation is,^ subject to con- 

 venience, methodically generalised according to the cultural 

 list of categories in 1, to all terms of law, and, thence, pro- 

 gressively, to all classes of terms having a restricted signifi- 

 cation; or remarking that an appellative term is by some writer 

 narrowed in meaning, the process is methodically applied to 

 all such classes of terms, and, inversely, to the methodical 

 generalisation of restricted terms. Such a course should also 

 suggest the figurative use of concrete terms and proper names, 

 and the thorough exhaustion of the favourable possibilities of 

 language along all lines. 



Assume, lastly, that I am struck with the variations in the 

 prefix con. Instead of examining these at haphazard, as sug- 

 gested by a capricious memory, I prepare the methodical 

 statement which follows: 



Co - agulation 

 Co m 6ination 

 Co n ceal 

 Co n dition 

 Co - education 

 Co n firm 

 Co n gress 

 Co - /lesion 

 Co - incident 

 Co n /unction 

 Co k 

 Co 1 /ection 



1 Regionalists, not without some excellent reasons, frequently advance 

 the same claim to-day. It is by admitting the great importance of the bulk 

 of the theories which emphasise one or another aspect of life, that we shall 

 most effectually promote the progress of the world. 



