The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-05-19
Vol. XXIII.-No. 45.
A PuriSt'S
Philosophy
Something all Ought to Know Very
Ably Set Forth by Local
Thinker.

Something we all ought to know
what is it? Full surely t b answer
must be one h a is absolutely uni
versal, both in it's nature n d in the
possibilities o f it's application. 1t
must be one b can be accepted
wholly and unreservedly, not only
by a single individual, but even by
the bodies of individuals, be they the
originatOrs of any particular School
of Ethics, the followers of any par
ticular System of Philosophy, or even
the adherents of any great System of
Religion. 1t must be one so true in
itself that it can be accepted by all
men alike the world over. And again
it must be an answer that is true for
no particular peri cd of time-an
answer that was true not only for
Yesterday, that is true for today, that
may be true for tomorrow, but one
equally true for yesterday, today and
forever. In laying the foundation,
therefore, it must be laid upon some
thing as true and as certain as Life
itself.
What is as true as Life itself? Life,
only Life. And what do we mean by
this answer? Let us give it for mo-
ment the most careful consideration,
for upon what we find here depends
and rests all that is to follow. Start
then, with that in regard to which we
can all agree: something taken not
from mere tradition, from mere hear
say, but something that comes o us
from no source other than our own
interior consciousness, our own rea-
son and insight. In other words, let
us make our approach, not from the
theological standpoint, but from that
which is far more certain and salts
factory-the philosophical. By start
ing from the philosophical standpoint
we will allow pure reason o be our
guide and then by having as the earn
est desire of both mind and heart,
truth, truth for it's own sake and then
for the sake of it's influence upon
every day life, we will thus allow
pure reason to be illumined by the
Light that lighteth every man that
cometh into the world. In the degree
that we open ourselves to and are
true to this are we on sure and safe
ground, for thus we are going direct
ly to the source and the only source
of all TRUE revelation. In the degree.
on the other hand that we close our
selves or become untrue to this are
we on uncertain and DANCE erous
ground and liable to find ourselves
hopelessly fioundering in the quag-
mire of theological traditions d
speculations and doubts, of which
the world has already seen SO much
Pure reason, therefore, shall be u
guide-pure reason illumined by the
Inner Light.
And again, what is Life? Being
is Life. Life is being. Being there
fore, is our starting point and indeed
our very foundation itself. What dc
we mean by Being? Let us define i
if we can. By it we mean that self
existent principle of Life and all tina
attends it, wi til ou beginning an(
without end, the Power that animate
all and so that is the Life of all. II
fact, we can scarcely d fine Being
without using the word Life and in
deed without identifying the two
Thus we see that Being and Life ar
one and the same. 1t is Being tha
projects itself into existence. Being
acting through it's own intelligence
prompted by love, protected by will
goes out and TAKES form. 1t woul(
by absurd to say that it enters int,
form, because until it projects itsel
in existence, THERE IS NO FORM, bu
form comes by virtue of Being, tina
self-existent Principle of Life an
Power manifesting itself in existence
Being is ONE, not many. AS Bein
is the source of Life, there is then
only one Life and this Being is tn