Meanwhilethepracticalneedsandexperiencesofreligionseemtomesufficientlymetbythebeliefthatbeyondeachmanandinafashioncontinuouswithhimthereexistsalargerpowerwhichisfriendlytohimandtohisideals。Allthatthefactsrequireisthatthepowershouldbebothotherandlargerthanourconsciousselves。Anythinglargerwilldo，ifonlyitbelargeenoughtotrustforthenextstep。Itneednotbeinfinite，itneednotbesolitary。Itmightconceivablyevenbeonlyalargerandmoregodlikeself，ofwhichthepresentselfwouldthenbebutthemutilatedexpression，andtheuniversemightconceivablybeacollectionofsuchselves，ofdifferentdegreesofinclusiveness，withnoabsoluteunityrealizedinitatall。[364]Thuswouldasortofpolytheismreturnuponus——apolytheismwhichIdonotonthisoccasiondefend，formyonlyaimatpresentistokeepthetestimonyofreligiousexperienceclearlywithinitsproperbounds。[Comparep。130above。]
SuchanotionissuggestedinmyIngersollLectureOnHumanImmortality，BostonandLondon，1899。
Upholdersofthemonisticviewwillsaytosuchapolytheismwhich，bytheway，hasalwaysbeentherealreligionofcommonpeople，andissostillto-daythatunlesstherebeoneall-inclusiveGod，ourguaranteeofsecurityisleftimperfect。
IntheAbsolute，andintheAbsoluteonly，ALLissaved。Iftherebedifferentgods，eachcaringforhispart，someportionofsomeofusmightnotbecoveredwithdivineprotection，andourreligiousconsolationwouldthusfailtobecomplete。Itgoesbacktowhatwassaidonpages129-131，aboutthepossibilityoftherebeingportionsoftheuniversethatmayirretrievablybelost。Commonsenseislesssweepinginitsdemandsthanphilosophyormysticismhavebeenwonttobe，andcansufferthenotionofthisworldbeingpartlysavedandpartlylost。Theordinarymoralisticstateofmindmakesthesalvationoftheworldconditionaluponthesuccesswithwhicheachunitdoesitspart。Partialandconditionalsalvationisinfactamostfamiliarnotionwhentakenintheabstract，theonlydifficultybeingtodeterminethedetails。Somemenareevendisinterestedenoughtobewillingtobeintheunsavedremnantasfarastheirpersonsgo，ifonlytheycanbepersuadedthattheircausewillprevail——allofusarewilling，wheneverouractivity-excitementrisessufficientlyhigh。Ithink，infact，thatafinalphilosophyofreligionwillhavetoconsiderthepluralistichypothesismoreseriouslythanithashithertobeenwillingtoconsiderit。Forpracticallifeatanyrate，theCHANCEofsalvationisenough。Nofactinhumannatureismorecharacteristicthanitswillingnesstoliveonachance。Theexistenceofthechancemakesthedifference，asEdmundGurneysays，betweenalifeofwhichthekeynoteisresignationandalifeofwhichthekeynoteishope。[365]Butallthesestatementsareunsatisfactoryfromtheirbrevity，andIcanonlysaythatI
hopetoreturntothesamequestionsinanotherbook。
TertiumQuid，1887，p。99。Seealsopp。
TheroadbywhichWilliamJamesarrivedathispositionofleadershipamongAmericanphilosopherswas，duringhischildhood，youthandearlymaturity，quiteascircuitousandunpredictableaswerehisfather’sideasonthetrainingofhischildren。ThatSwedenborgiantheologianforesawneitherthecareerofnovelistforhissonHenry，northatofpragmatistphilosopherfortheolderWilliam。Thefather’smigrationsbetweenNewYork，EuropeandNewportmeantthatWilliam’seducationhadvarietyifitdidnothavefixeddirection。From13to18hestudiedinEuropeandreturnedtoNewport，RhodeIsland，tostudypaintingundertheguidanceofJohnLaFarge。Afterayear，hegaveupartforscienceandenteredHarvardUniversity，wherehismostinfluentialteacherswereLouisAgassizandCharlesW。Eliot。
In1863，WilliamJamesbeganthestudyofmedicine，andin
hejoinedanexpeditiontotheAmazon。Beforelong，hewrote：
“IfthereisanythingIhate，itiscollecting。”Hisstudiesconstantlyinterruptedbyillhealth，JamesreturnedtoGermanyandbeganhearinglecturesandreadingvoluminouslyinphilosophy。HewonhismedicaldegreeatHarvardin1870。ForfouryearshewasaninvalidinCambridge，butfinally，in1873，hepassedhisgravestphysicalandspiritualcrisesandbeganthecareerbywhichhewastoinfluencesoprofoundlygenerationsofAmericanstudents。From1880to1907hewassuccessivelyassistantprofessorofphilosophy，professorofpsychologyandprofessorofphilosophyatHarvard。In1890，thepublicationofhisPrinciplesofPsychologbroughthimtheacknowledgedleadershipinthefieldoffunctionalpsychology。TheselectionofWilliamJamestodelivertheGiffordlecturesinEdinburghwasatonceatributetohimandarewardfortheuniversitythatsponsoredtheundertaking。Theselectures，collectedinthisvolume，havesincebecomefamousasthestandardscientificworkonthepsychologyofthereligiousimpulse。DeathendedhiscareeronAugust
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