Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis III 1922 1.djvu/120

 112 BOOK REVIEWS

tive powers of man— of some men— expanded without any power- except in the classical age, of discriminating sense from nonsense. There- fore, looking back, we see everywhere superstition and the kingdom ol darkness' (p. 341).

As an ex-professor of Philosophy Mr. Read is hard on many of his predecessors. ' Philosophy has derived from Animism most of her problems — free-will and predestination, final causes, creation and miracles, emanation and intuition, ideaHsm and materialism, immortality, the being and attributes of God, eternity, infinity — in some of which, indeed, magical ideas are deeply concerned; all of them the exercise of the most eminent minds, exercise so delightful and so disappointing. Considering their source, we cannot wonder that these problems remain problems, and that philosophical discussion has, of late years, turned from them to questions concerning the theory of knowledge ' (p. 342).

Not only as regards the past but as regards the future Mr. Read is by no means optimistic. While some beliefs concerning supernatural things are being lost, others are being resuscitated, but whereas 'the lapsing beliefs arc noble and venerable and have exerted great public power and authority. , . those now eagerly propagated are the raw infatuation of quacks, on a level with the Animism of an Australian medicine-man and, indeed, much inferior to his, as having no moral influence or authority. What must come of this is so dubious as to dis- courage one about the future of the world' (p- 343)- Furthermore, while our evolution from the hunting pack has ensured us leaders of a certain level of abilitj' (since Natural Selection has operated in producing the necessary degree of variability) and while ' the leading nations have of late years made wonderful progress in science and in everything that can be done by machinery. . . there is no reason to suppose that anything has been done towards raising the average intelligence and character; and in default of that, in my judgement, nothing has been done to advance civilisation. The world is no safer against war, revolution, demagogy, despotism, degeneration' (p. 343). 'Anyone who anxiously desires to foresee the future of our race is in a position to sympathise with the ancients. Go, inquire at Delphi orDodona; or sleep in Stone- henge, or at the tomb of Merlin, or by the barrows at Upsala, and dream of things to come; or consult the stars, cast the nativity of Ly cop itli ecus, and read in heaven the fate of his posterity. If these methods are not very hopeful any one of them is as good as guessing. The only safe refiection is that he who lives longest will see most'.

These brief excerpts and comments will perhaps suffice to show something of the outlook, style and nature of this interesting and important book— a book which (though in itself in no sense technically psycho-analytic) will certainly repay careful thought and study on the