The matter covered by both these words is Humanity and the totality of its conditions, nothing short of the entire world of phenomenal expeirience, — mineral, vegetable, animal, and human, — " Nature " culminating in, whilst " Society " starts from, the moral and religious conscious-j -^ ness of man. This is why Tsaid the system could hospitably house anything that naturalistic evolutionism might ever have to say about man; for, according to both doctrines, man's morality and religion, his consciousness of self and his moral, conscience, are natural products like everything! ^ else we see. Now, for Mr. James, the consciousness of self and the conscience are the hinges on which the process of creation turns, as it slowl; revolves from its formative and natural to it redeemed and spiritual position of equilibrium What I say will still be dark and unreal enough to those who know nothing of the original; but the exercise of a little patience Will erelong make things clear.
Citable passage
Introduction to The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James
William James. Introduction to The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James. 1885. The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James, edited by William James (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1885), vii-119.
Citation
William James. Introduction to The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James. 1885. The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James, edited by William James (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1885), vii-119. Premodern Concordance passage passage-ac88128ce3eee33fef69.