426 DARWINISM AND THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE 



Yes, in a scientific conception of the world there is 

 no sense of life. But that does not mean that there is 

 no such thing anywhere as a sense of life. If science 

 afifirms that, it is passing beyond its sphere. 



We have seen that the scientific conception of the 

 world does not present reality itself, but an inter- 

 pretation of it. We have also seen that there is a 

 second way of conceiving it — the historical. History 

 looks first and foremost to individuals, and shows that 

 in reality no individual can be substituted for another. 

 History has a perfect right to read an ethic from 

 reality — an ethic that lays on each personality the 

 task that he alone and no other can perform. But 

 it is not our place to enlarge on this. 



If science tells us to reject the historical conception 

 of life it is illogical. When it censures the historical 

 method, it assumes it to be of less value than its own, 

 and thus once more oversteps its province. 



Briefly, we see on all sides that science lands itself 

 in contradictions the moment it goes beyond its sphere. 

 Its task is merely to give us a knowledge of the world. 

 In doing this consistently it has attained marvellous 

 results, and has formed a " monistic " or unified view of 

 the world. The foundation of the monistic structure 

 and all the columns and buttresses that support it 

 imply a disregard of all values. Hence monism cannot 

 frame an ethic unless it abandons all its supports, which 

 are inconsistent with values. In that case, monism 

 breaks down. 



When, therefore, we find practical counsels, aims, 



