Chapter XI 
The Way of Escape 
O sum up the conclusions hitherto arrived at. Our 
philosophers have made the mistake of forgetting that 
they cannot carry the rough-and-ready language of common 
sense into precincts within which politeness and philosophy 
are supreme. Common sense sees life and death as distinct 
states having nothing in common, and hence in all respects 
the antitheses of one another ; so that with common sense 
there should be no degrees of livingness, but if a thing is 
alive at all it is as much alive as the most living of us, and . 
if dead at all it is stone dead in every part of it. Our 
philosophers have exercised too little consideration in re- 
taining this view of the matter. They say that an ameba 
is as much a living being as a man is, and do not allow that 
a well-grown, highly educated man in robust health is 
more living than an idiot cripple. They say he differs 
from the cripple in many important respects, but not in 
degree of livingness. Yet, as we have seen already, even 
common sense by using the word ‘‘ dying ” admits degrees 
of life ; that is to say, it admits a more and a less; those, 
then, for whom the superficial aspects of things are insuffi- 
cient should surely find no difficulty in admitting that the 
degrees are more numerous than is dreamed of in the some- 
what limited philosophy which common sense alone knows. 
Livingness depends on range of power, versatility, wealth 
of body and mind—how often, indeed, do we not see people 
taking a new lease of life when they have come into money 
even at an advanced age ; it varies as these vary, beginning 
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