1863 MATERIALISM AND SPIRITUALISM 351 



all phenomena have the same substratum (if they have 

 any), and that soul and body, or mental and physical 

 phenomena, are merely diverse manifestations of that 

 hypothetical substratum. In this way, it seems to me, I 

 obey the rule which works so well in practice, of always 

 making the simplest possible suppositions. 



On the other hand, if you are of a different opinion, 

 and find it more convenient to call the x which underlies 

 (hypothetically) mental phenomena, Soul, and the x which 

 underlies (hypothetically) physical phenomena, Body, well 

 and good. The two-fluid theory and the one-fluid theory 

 of electricity both accounted for the phenomena up to a 

 certain extent, and both were probably -wrong. So it 

 may be with the theories that there is only one x in 

 nature or two rfs or three tfs. 



For, if you will think upon it, there are only four 

 possible ontological hypotheses now that Polytheism is 

 dead. 



I. There is no x = Atheism on Berkeleyan 



principles. 



II. There is only one x Materialism or Pantheism, 



according as you turn it 

 heads or tails. 



III. There are two x's \ . , . ,. 



o -i j HT *i f Speculators incertce sedis. 

 Spirit and Matter j 



IV. There are three x's \ .- ,, , m , , . 



n j o i -M ** f ~ Orthodox Theologians. 

 God, Souls, Matter j 



To say that I adopt any one of those hypotheses, as a 

 representation of fact, would to my mind be absurd ; but 

 No. 2 is the one I can work with best. To return to my 

 metaphor, it chimes in better with the rules of the game 

 of nature than any other of the four possibilities, to my 

 mind. 



But who knows when the great Banker may sweep 

 away table and cards and all, and set us learning a new 

 game ? What will become of all my poor counters then ? 



