New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-27

the dcinanS OF reality III hciP' '"''n 10 make
I'D that Absolute of which Dr. Bradley asserts
that it is a unity in which time space, thought,
will. wish. and all phenomena are merged BIZ
transcendng themselves. How all TINS can hap
pen with no correlation between all these appear
ances and the reality beneath them, it is Difficult:
to see But if there is correlation. then il was
n mistake TO use the word Absolute" and a
far worse mistake to suppose that by II more
change in verbiagp Rants problem could br
got rid Of DR.. Bradley deals with the thnc-in-
itself, and logically proves that 1t docs not en-
lst Exactly. But a. a in"taphvslrai "hstlclr il
is Just as plain az ever. what SORT oi thing
is this Absolute, popping mp at every step.
peering out Of qeometrc1l solids, objects in
nature and man himself hut the same old thing
n-itself? Perhaps now that DR.. bradley has
made a timelcss, spacelc-s, noh-morai compost"
unity Of it, kneadcG al the thlngS-ih-th"InS"ivrs
into one great lump, IT will be easier to deal
with But that Is doubtful
Dr. Bradlcy's definition of the soul is an in
tcrestinc one: Tile soul." hc says, Is finite
centre OF Immediate experience. possessed OF Ger
tain temporal continuity of existence ana again
certain identity in character And IN" word
Immediate is emphatic. The soul is particular
croup of psychical events, 50 far as these events
are taken merely as happening III time Til"
reader must he careful not 10 tax" group III
the sense Of series. or any word That would imply
distribution Dr. Bradley is speaking as bot
anist might who described a plant as group of
things which belong in one but can d" Analysed
and assorted The curious thing il the MS" OF the
word "psychical That simply amounts to say
ing that the soul is the soul and something else
Logically. il not actually, this definition must be
wrong The question may he left to those who
are 50 wonderfully knowing that they knnw what
a soul is and perhaps even what ~ looks Tx"
Meanwhile Or. Bradley challenges anybody to
oive . hotter definition by saying: But then In"
soul, / must repeat. is itself MOI "l'i'na'" TACT
II is appoarancc. and any description of il must
contain Inconsistency. And II any one opl"c''
no may he invited 10 define for example, body
moving at q certain rate. and 10 d"hNr " WIFI
ont predicating Of the present what is either past
or future And if he will attempt this. Ire WILL
7 think. pcrhaps tend TO lose confidence.
Like Schopcnhaucr. our author is confident tha'
he has worked out system which must he final
JJc who ypcaks Of thought and time and space
transccnding themselves and becoming what now
tlcv are not TO unite with an Absolute which il
mere experience really bcss the question bv adopt
inc the phrase Of the empire school about the
impossbity Of TRANSFORMING experience. one
nord not transcend experience in order to 10" ~"
word in more than one s"nsc. and thi, DIR. Bradley
certainly does when he echoes the ma'ins OF
cmpricism on the one hand and talk, about IN
Absolute on the other But there IS not n it'll"
humor in this defiance 10 his critics AMI IN"
shocked appeal to our molcsty and orr weakness
will not trouble us. 1t is on ;hi' very weakness
that in sense we have taken Cur Stani. W"
IRE i,npotcnt 20 divide the universe into th" UNI
verse and something outside "" are Incapable
Of finding another field in which 10 p.ac" orr IN
ability and give place Ia our mcdc>ty. Onr
result in brief cannot be doubted since il cntain
all possibilities SHOW u, an idea. W. IN pro- |
claim. which seem, hostile 10 cur schcm". and We
will show you an element which really II con |
tainc1 within it
Finally. il Shoull hc remarked that the book l. |
delightful reading for those who liS" phlo-ophT |
Or Prdley has taste for "pi2Tnm, ana ~ posi- |
lively docs not care rap for any sys;rm except |
Lis own.-anl Ilcgrl's Here, for example" il a I,
thrust at hi. own trade: Mrtapiy-ios l. tln |
finding Of bad reasons for what W. believe upon |
instinct but 10 find TIN - r'a-ons is no less An |
instinct And here il contrast optimism the |
world is the beat Of all possible worlds, and every
thing I'm IL il Il necessary owl; pcsSimlsu-whcrc !
everything i. bad, il must he good T. know IN" |