All nature, all existence, which is a living, substantial reality, metaphysicians have analyzed and sublimated into a ghost, called the "absolute," and to this ghost they have given a shadow, called the "relative;" and, then, they are unable to tell which is which or what is either. They follow closely the directions of Mephistopheles to the student: "See that you conceive profoundly what is not meant for human brains. A fine word will stand you instead for what enters and what does not enter there.... Generally speaking, stick to words. You will then pass through the safe gate into the temple of certainty.... It is precisely where meaning fails that words come in most opportunely." A system may be built with words, the devil truly adds. And systems have been built with the terms "absolute" and "relative," and kindred terms used, without real and definite meaning, such as substance and noumena, as opposed to quality and phenomena.—
Articles
WORDS FOR THINGS
From the December 1886 issue of The Christian Science Journal
Philosophical Realism
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