i869 THE METAPHYSICAL SOCIETY 



339 



characteristic. He considers the object of the projector? 

 very laudable, " but it is very doubtful whether it will be 

 realised in practice." The undoubted advantages of oral 

 discussion on such questions are, he continues, best realised 

 if undertaken in the manner of the Socratic dialogue, be- 

 tween one and one ; but less so in a mixed assembly. He 

 therefore did not think himself justified in joining the so- 

 ciety at the expense of other occupations for which his time 

 was already engaged. And he concludes by defending him- 

 self against the charge of not paying fair attention to the 

 arguments of his opponents. 



It followed from the composition of the society that the 

 papers read were less commonly upon technical questions of 

 metaphysics, such as " Matter and Force " or " The Relation 

 of Will to Thought," than upon those of more vivid moral or 

 religious interest, such as " What is Death? " " The Theory 

 of a Soul," " The Ethics of Belief," or " Is God Unknow- 

 able," in which wide scope was given to the emotions as 

 well as the intellect of each disputant. 



The method of the Society was for the paper to be 

 printed and circulated among the members before the 

 meeting, so that their main criticisms were ready in advance. 

 The discussions took place after a dinner at which many of 

 the members would appear ; and if the more formal debates 

 were not more effectual than predicted by J. S. Mill, the 

 informal discussions, almost conversations, at smaller meet- 

 ings, and the free course of talk at the dinner table, did 

 something to realise the primary objects of the society. 

 The personal rapprochement took place, but not philosophic 

 compromise or conversion. Whether or not the tone 

 adopted after this period by the clerical party at large was 

 afifected by the better understanding on the part of their 

 representatives in the Metaphysical Society of the true aims 

 of their opponents and the honest and substantial diiificulties 

 which stood in the way of reunion, it is true that the violent 

 denunciations of the sixties decreased in number and inten- 

 sity ; the right to free expression of reasoned opinion on 

 serious fact was tacitly acknowledged ; and, being less 

 attacked, Huxley himself began to be regarded in the light 



