eject[11]. This great difference, however, although obviously
depriving me of any such direct corroboration of psychism in the
world-eject as that which I thus derive of psychism in the friend-eject,
ought not to be regarded by me as amounting, in the smallest degree, to
_disproof_ of psychism in the world-eject. The fact that I am not able
to converse with the world-eject is merely a negative fact, and should
not be allowed to tell against any probability (otherwise derived) in
favour of psychism as belonging to that eject. There may be a thousand
very good reasons why I should be precluded from such converse--some of
which, indeed, I can myself very clearly perceive.

The importance of Monism in thus enabling us rationally to contemplate
all processes of physical causation as possibly immediate exhibitions
of psychism, is difficult to overrate. For it entirely discharges all
distinction between the mechanical and the mental; so that if physical
science were sufficiently advanced to yield a full natural explanation
of all the phenomena within human experience, mankind would be in a
position to gain as complete a knowledge as is theoretically possible of
the psychological character of the world-eject. Already we are able to
perceive the immense significance of being able to regard any sequence
of natural causation as the merely phenomenal aspect of the ontological
reality--the merely outward manifestation of an inward meaning. Thus,
for example, I am listening to a sonata of Beethoven's played by Madame
Schumann. Helmholtz tells me all that he knows about the physics and
physiology of the process, both beyond and within my brain. But I feel
that, even if Helmholtz were able to tell me very much more than he can,
so long as he is dealing with these objective explanations, he is at
work only upon the outer skin of the whole matter. The great reality is
the mind of Beethoven communicating to my mind through the complex
intervention of three different brains with their neuro-muscular
systems, and an endless variety of aerial vibrations proceeding from a
pianoforte. The method of communication has nothing more to do with the
reality communicated than have the paper and ink of this essay to do
with the ideas which they serve to convey. In each case a vehicle of
symbols is necessary in order that one mind should communicate with
another; but in both cases this is a vehicle of _symbols_, and nothing
more. Everywhere, therefore,