Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/389

 THE MODERN MIND 37!

volition, which is naturally developed by living in an environ ment humanly organized and controlled.

These conditions are producing a notable change in the whole realm of philosophical thinking. The pervasive in fluence of modern conditions has not been crystallized into a complete and definite philosophical system; indeed, these conditions are not favourable to the formation and general acceptance of a logically finished system of thought. Life is too complex, too dynamic, too changeful to yield itself read ily to finished theoretical formulation. The elaboration of completed systems of philosophy was much better suited to a simpler and more static condition of society. But if no rounded system of philosophy has sprung from the condi tions of our present-day life, nor is likely to, there is never theless a well-defined drift in philosophical thinking. Those types of theoretical thought, known as Pragmatism, Human ism, Voluntarism, Personalism, seem to be in part at least the natural reaction upon the speculative intellect of the relative prominence of the humanly controlled environment. Underlying them all is the general idea that human wills are dynamic, creative forces co-operating with or opposing, it may be, a higher will or wills, and all together fashioning a universe which is in course of construction. It looks like a simple, universal inference which a theoretical mind could hardly fail to draw from the visible and evermore thrilling achievements of man s intelligence in actually fashioning the world in which he lives. This type of thought has had a profound influence upon the theological thinking of our times, for theological thought must always take the colour of the philosophy that prevails in any given age. Elaborately wrought out and widely accepted systems of theology seem to become more rare, though perhaps there has been no de cline of interest in the intellectual problems of religion. Men think upon these problems yet, and think profoundly, and the conclusions which they reach seem to be notably in fluenced by the humanistic and pragmatic modes of thought which have come to be so prevalent in our times.

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