Chapter 1

Some Facts in Nature

If I were asked what, in my opinion, distinguishes the thought of the present day [ca. 1910] from that of a previous generation, I should feel inclined to say, it is the fact that people are beginning to realize that Thought is a power in itself, one of the great forces of the Universe, and ultimately the greatest of forces, directing all others. This idea seems to be, as the French say, "in the air", and this very well expresses the state of the case — the idea is rapidly spreading through many countries and through all classes, but it is still very much "in the air". It is to a great extent as yet only in a gaseous condition, vague and nebulous, and so not leading to the practical results, both

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