How, then, can he recognize its aspects?
I should not like to be an artist who brought an architectural sketch
to a builder, saying, "This is the south aspect of Sea-View Cottage.
Sea-View Cottage, of course, does not exist." I should not even
like very much to have to explain, under such circumstances,
that Sea-View Cottage might exist, but was unthinkable by the human mind.
Nor should I like any better to be the bungling and absurd metaphysician
who professed to be able to see everywhere the aspects of a truth
that is not there. Of course, it is perfectly obvious that there
are truths in Kipling, that there are truths in Shaw or Wells.
But the degree to which we can perceive them depends strictly upon
how far we have a definite conception inside us of what is truth.
It is ludicrous to suppose that the more sceptical we are the more we
see good in everything. It is clear that the more we are certain
what good is, the more we shall see good in everything.
I plead, then, that we should agree or disagree with these men. I plead
that we should agree with them at least in having an abstract belief.
But I know that there are current in the modern world many vague
objections to having an abstract belief, and I feel that we shall
not get any further until we have dealt with some of them.
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