New-York tribune., 1922-11-26

| could hardly be expected 60 seem quite
parliamentary to Lord Haidane, and
ms introspective activities, in turn,
VIII be. perfectly meaningless TO than.
The behaviorists tell us tnat they have
not found the least evidence of tf1ought
in any human being so far examined,
and this book will not change their
opinion. think Professor John b.
Watson already knows saat "you cas-.
not produce reflex action in corpse"
Psycho~analygis as it stood seme
years ago is next reviewed In a neces-
sarily sketchy way. but see no excuse
for such combination of looaeuess
and misdirected precision as NAV be
illustrated by the reference TO "ths un.
conscious repression by the patient Of
the presence of hidden experiences"
Several of the less important and more
OBVIOUS objections to the doctrine are
duly dragged out, including the one
that 1t seems to be useful only Sor
practical purposes.
Lord Haidane is insautious enough to
dwell, in more shan one place, upon
the imperfections Of Bertrand Russell,
the brilliant author of "The Analysis
of Mind" and other works OF genius.
He feels that Mr.. Russell "has not
satisfactorily weighed the legitimacy
OF The categories he employs" This Is
| perfectly natural, since the two belong
In different camps; 1t is doubtless
owing to prejudice that one notices
particularly Lord Haldane's evident
belief that Mr.. Russell was dropped on
| the head when baby and has never
| been right since.
| The continual tut-tutting Of scient-
| lists about the inferior plane they oc-
cupy in relation to the full truth and
the ultimate reality tempts the pro.
fame layman TO exclaim: "Welf, I'll
bite. What is reality?" Lord Hsldane
is prepared to elucidate. as follows:
ut seems, as the result of the in.
| quiry, that the ultimate reality to
which we come back in the end, and in
| terms OF which alone we can express
all the distinctions through which our
universe is present to US. Is Just knowl-
| edge itself" And should one inquire
what knowledge may be. it Is "an ulti-
mate and foundational fact"-a sort Of
axiom, it would seem. In greater de.
tail, knowledge "is that within which
subject and object alike fall as it's own
! phases, and it cannot be described or
/ interpreted in any terms that go be-
yond it." A water tight conclusion this
1t will satisfy the very meek.
The parley in the borderland be.
tween philosophy and science end
with the philosopher begging the scien-
lists never to forget to criticize their
categories before employing them" ]
| think the workers everywhere in
laboratories, clinics and factories are
likely to. go right on working with
their inadequate bits Of reality. I hear
them telling Lord Haldane that he Is
always welcome to come and talk tc
them, but that when next he wades into
the borderland not to forget his rub
bers.
As metaphysician, Lord Haldane's
| bedside manner is not comforting, at
| least to the layman. He has taken a
bone dry. The interest Of the general
reader simply cannot rise above the
boring point. But, as the author re.
marks apropos relativity. "a book seems
obscure and dull; with fuller knowl
edge it becomes both lucid and en-,
crossing" He should have thought OF
that a long time ago.
But for me there is another Tsoro
Haldane, dearer TO my heart and bettes
suited to the plane I occupy in the
scale of reality. do not refer to the
honored and distinguished Lord Chan
cellor, diplomat, etc. I intand to sell
my copies Of "The Reign Of Rela'
tivity" and "The Philosophy Of
Humanism," together with all works Of
a similar nature, and buy with the
proceeds "The Life Of Goethe" which
that other Lord Haldane edited sne
completed out of love for the poet and
for his dead friend, Hume Brown.