A VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 9

A VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

. In reading-The Way: Man's Place in the Known and Unknown Universe, by Arnold Ure, one is puzzled «••3. d, w Vc ,-i vvhy this book -s called "fhe Way"; for that term, familiar to students of mysticism generally describes a path of human thought and conduct leading to the perfecting of the soul. This work is rather an attempt to build up a general view of the seen and unseen universe We suppose the name is justified by the fact that the conclusion brings us into touch with lheosophic views of life. Starting from the standpoint of physical and biological science—with which the writer shows an acquaintance almost too wide to be profound, he explains tho evolution of Instinct. Intelligence and Reason; and then along the familiar track suggested by the "fourth dimension," he passes into the consideration of higher planes or spheres, of which the material world is an imperfect expression. It would be unjust to deny that the writer carries us along with a brilliant and interesting rush of analogies. Illustrations and surmises. We suspect that he has been studying Bergson and has endeavoured to emulate'that writer's entrancing style, without attaining his closely reasoned sequence of thought. In fact, with perfect candour he tells us that his "argument" is not of the "because and therefore" type, in which a slight uncertainty in tho early stages causes the whole structure to become unsound. His

argument is rather set forth *as a hawker displays his wares" so that weak points here and there do not affect the conclusion. He also very rightly complains of the difficulty of using words accurately when their meanings change so fast: therefore ho leans much on simile, metaphor, and even poetical diction. Wo sympathise entirely with both confessions, but they rather put him out of court in dealing as he does with the exact sciences. For example, in describing a system of evolution' accomplished entirely by chance, it is confusing to say, "if Nature works by chance, sho must always produce results far below what she might otherwise accomplish. Does not this exalt our ideas of the concealed iwwer of Nature, and of the Majesty of the Creator?" Hero we have a masculine Creator, a Feniininu Nature, and an evolution accomplished by chance, all iv the same sentence. At the very end of the book, chance is discovered to be tho 'result of the interaction of a more exalted sphere in which the will of God finds place. In fact, the author's array of illustrations are fitted into a mystical scherao of thought previously laid down. Wo are told repeatedly that "Philosophy" teaches this or that: a "Wisdom of the ages" is dimly hinted at; and purple patches sometimes cover an awkward transition of argument. It is well to point out these peculiarities, not by way of censure, but as a warning to the unwary reader, who might be led to think that a book so full of science and mathematics must be very reliable indeed. Perhaps too much must not be expected of a writer who deals with the whole order of things known and unknown, in 270 pages. (London: Mothuon and Co.)