IS IDEALISM WANING?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 4

IS IDEALISM WANING?

In the course of an interesting address at St. Paul'a Pro-Ciithedral on Sunday last, the chaplain of H.M.S. Now Zealand (the Rev. J. H. Scott) expressed the opinion that idealism is losing its hold on modern life. The context showed that Mr. Scott was not referring to idealism as a philosophical theory, but as a practical view of things, moulding man s daily life and influencing his attitude to the world around him. It is generally admitted that the wonderful progress of natural sciencc in modern times, the great expansion of commerce and industry, and the theory of evolution (which at first seemed to obliterate the unique spiritual characteristics of 1 mankind) oombined to set in motion a wave of materialism which for a time dominated the intellectual outlook; but during recent years a marked change has come over modern thought; and the mechanical theory of the universe has broken down under criticism. If, as Professor Euoken points cut, man is only a part of Nature of Nature, that is, as represented in the mechanical sciences—his _ existence would be simply a succession of individual events. Ideals and values would be meaningless: all. would simply be matter of fact without any further implication. Human life as 'we actually know it is, however, something much more than this, and it can only be adequately interpreted in terms of spirit. It is probable that the present generation is witnessing the last phases of a partial eclipso of idealism. It has already reasserted its pre-eminenco in the higher realms of modern thought, but has not yet filtered down to the man in the street. We seem to be just marking time, as it were, before making tho next step forward, and this accounts for the different interpretations of the tendencies of the presont I age. Some observers tell us thatthc influence of idealism is waning, while others clearly seo tho beginnings of a great revival of tho spiritual view of life, Me. J. E. C. Bodley recently delivered an address in Paris before tho Academic des Sciences Morales et Politiques on tho decline of idealism in Franco as an active principle influencing the I spirit and destiny of the nation. He thinks thfft this is one of tho effects of the present mechanical age, and that it is also a result of the tendency of modem amusements to ruin the brilliant art of conversation which, since tho idea of the Revolution was first cultivated in tho salons of the eighteenth century, has been a powerful vehicle for tho convoyanco of ideas. In Me. Bodley's opinion, Socialism, which in its principle is entirely opposed to tho individualistic idea of the Revolution, has also tended to undermino thoi idealistic elements in tho character of tho French people. Other equally competent authorities tell ub that tho trend of thought in _ tho _ younger generation in Franco is quite in tho opposite direction, and thoro are many indications which support this view. •M. Bergson, _ the most distinguished French philosopher of the present time, is responsible for somo very severe criticism of the foundations of Naturalism, and M. Boutroux, and other eminent thinkors are preaching the gospel of idealism in otic form or another. When tho ideas of these writers begin to grip tho mind of the average Frenchman a change in the goneral intellectual and moral attitude of the nation may reasonably be expected. Indeed, we aro told that tho beginnings, of this change aro already discernible, In England the movement of thought in tho direction of idealism is still more marked. The mechanical conception of Nature tfhich was so pronounced twenty or thirty years ago has been very largely abandoned both by scientists and philosophers; and probably no one has done more to bring about this change than Dr. Jajies Ward, the distinguished Professor of Mental Philosophy at Cambridge University. Tho B.YGURQ Efwlishman, however) r v (- . - " f - •

is probably still living in tho intellectual at'mosplicro created by the materialistic thinkers of a couplo of generations ago; but in spite of that thcro has always been a strongly idealistic element in his practical outlook on life, and this will be greatly strengthened when lie comes to realise that it has a sound basis in philosophic thought. Germany has often been spoken_ of as the stronghold of materialism, but no j less an authority than Professor Harnack tells us that the study of religious questions and an earnest idealism arc increasing in that country; while Dr. Eucken declares that men aro becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the shortcomings of Naturalism. A new age is at hand, he says, and tho trend is away from a merely humanistic culture to a transforming spiritual culture. This leads to a demand for a new reality, and hence towards religion. To sum up the position, it is probable that though Me. Soott and those who take a pessimistic view of things can certainly point to many features of modem life which lend support to their contention; yet they ao not give sufficient weight to the new tendencies that are at work _ which can hardly fail to bear fruit in the days to come. Tho world just now seems to be in a state of balance preceding the turn of the tide in the direction of a new and broader idealism which will eventually reassert the supremacy of those elements which emphasise the dignity and permanent value of human life.