| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: upon their own feet, surely abstract reasoning cannot give them
the support they are in need of. Conceptual processes can class
facts, define them, interpret them; but they do not produce them,
nor can they reproduce their individuality. There is always a
PLUS, a THISNESS, which feeling alone can answer for. Philosophy
in this sphere is thus a secondary function, unable to warrant
faith's veracity, and so I revert to the thesis which I announced
at the beginning of this lecture.
In all sad sincerity I think we must conclude that the attempt to
demonstrate by purely intellectual processes the truth of the
deliverances of direct religious experience is absolutely
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Mountains by Stewart Edward White: ON HORSES
I really believe that you will find more variation
of individual and interesting character
in a given number of Western horses than in an
equal number of the average men one meets on the
street. Their whole education, from the time they
run loose on the range until the time when, branded,
corralled, broken, and saddled, they pick their way
under guidance over a bad piece of trail, tends to
develop their self-reliance. They learn to think for
themselves.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: logue would be strong and manly (a base and a
tenor; no treble); and the ditty high and tragical;
not nice or dainty. Several quires, placed one over
against another, and taking the voice by catches,
anthem-wise, give great pleasure. Turning dances
into figure, is a childish curiosity. And generally
let it be noted, that those things which I here set
down, are such as do naturally take the sense, and
not respect petty wonderments. It is true, the al-
terations of scenes, so it be quietly and without
noise, are things of great beauty and pleasure; for
Essays of Francis Bacon |
