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This little book for the general reader represents an attempt to write a less detailed and less technical account of the author's philosophical theories, which were previously set forth in his book entitled “Spiritual Pluralism and Recent Philosophy.”
The first three chapters deal with the development of a general philosophical theory in which nineteenth century materialism is brought to
grief and in its stead is placed a monadal system modified after the original conception of Leibniz, and tending toward a monism which is essentially spiritual in nature, and supportive of immortality of spiritual existence. Here, in discussing the various trends and terms of expression of the several systems of philosophy, the author has fallen into the error shared by many philosophers, by apparently not recognizing the mere symbolic import of the terms used. The “materialist” and the “spiritualist” are thinking out the same problems and have arrived practically at the same conclusions, but use different word symbols in expressing their results, thus inviting unproductive controversy.
Several chapters apply the theories of the author to the relations of body and mind, and to the questions of the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious phenomena. Concerning the body-mind relation-the following quotation may be of interest: “Hence in early life the body plays the part of bringing the mind into more and more intimate and effective relation with the world around it. As this process continues the relation of mind and body becomes increasingly close and the mind gains a correspondingly more complete control”over the body. This goes on until maturity, at which mind and body may be said to have reached the most complete and harmonious stage of their interrelation. But the mind is capable of developing still further, while the body is not. Henceforward the latter is a hindrance to the development of the former and the bond between the two begins to loosen. This loosening is manifested so