Some Difficulties of Modern Materialism [pp. 344-372]

THEt PRINCE T0V RE VIE W.
not received the attention from materialists which it deserves_
In general, they have never considered the problem of know —
ledge at all, but have taken the crude theories of common-sense
for granted. But the problem is a real one and demands a solution. And for the materialist there is no solution except some
debased form of the pre-established harmony. He must assumenot only that matter can generate thoughts, but that it is shut
up by its nature to the generation of thoughts which correspond to the outward fact. He must even assume that bodies.
are so related to their surroundings as to be under obligation togenerate correct thoughts about things in general. We call this
a debased form of the pre-established harmony, because it denies
the pre-establishment which alone saves the doctrine from imbecility. Many materialists have taken refuge from this admission
in agnosticism; but materialism will not unite with that viewexcept as a dogmatic affirmation. The entire proof of materialism rests on the assumption that we have a valid knowledge of'
matter. The thought-series, then, must correspond to things;
but why? The only answer is, that matter is such that in the
main it must produce true thoughts; but this is simply to affirm
the fact without giving any insight into its grounds. But this.
theory is far worse than Leibnitz's pre-established harmony.
Leibnitz found some reason for the harmony in the fact of its.
pre-establishment, but the materialist has simply to assert it and
leave it unexplained. Moreover his harmony is not such a harmony between thought and thing as between body and thing.
As the materialist degrades the Cartesian occasionalism intomagic, so he degrades the Leibnitzian pre-established harmonyinto an opaque and unintelligible fact. This is a rather sorryoutcome for a system of reasoned truth. Instead of progress.
we have a remarkable case of reversion, or atavism, and also a
somewhat striking illustration of the law that degradation is as.
possible as progress.
Still the problem has not been entirely unnoticed. Notably
the Spencerian evolutionists have sought to account for the harmony in question by a theory framed from natural selection and
heredity. According to this view there is no original need that
matter should think rightly; but if any organism should think
wrongly, it would soon collide with reality and perish. Right
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