312 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



finite unit of volume and multiply it by any finite 

 number, and that it would not occupy all space. Our 

 inability to set bounds to space is, I think, regarded 

 by the mind as conclusive that space is infinite. 



For a similar reason we regard time as infinite. 

 The belief that space and time are infinite is so firmly 

 fixed that we rightly regard it as positive knowledge. 



Again, Mr. Spencer says: "It results, therefore, 

 that Space and Time are wholly incomprehensible. 

 The immediate knowledge which we seem to have of 

 them proves, when examined, to be total ignorance. 

 While our belief in their objective reality is insur- 

 mountable, we are unable to give any rational account 

 of it."* 



I think it will occur to the common sense of man- 

 kind that an "insurmountable belief" is quite good 

 enough to be accepted as a part of any philosophy. 

 Why waste words in talking about time and space, 

 doubting their existence and declaring total ignorance 

 as to their nature, if we have an "insurmountable 

 belief " that they exist, that we know their qualities, 

 and that they are infinite? Why use the words time 

 and space if they are simply expressions denoting 

 total ignorance? 



The fact is, that the attempt to subject all phe- 

 nomena and all faculties and all human experiences 

 to logical processes is a failure, for the reason that 

 logic cannot comprehend all of them. The logical 

 faculty has no rightful claim to absolute supremacy 

 over all other powers of the mind. When we are told 

 that we have an "insurmountable belief " which we 

 dare not assert to be true according to the laws of 

 logic, then the common sense of mankind will say 

 that logic must stand aside. 



A universal "insurmountable belief" is all that 



* Synthetic Philosophy, 'p. 50. 



