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against the main deductions of the materialist that； right or wrong；
they gradually destroy his humanity； I do not mean only kindness；
I mean hope； courage； poetry； initiative； all that is human。
For instance； when materialism leads men to complete fatalism （as it
generally does）； it is quite idle to pretend that it is in any sense
a liberating force。 It is absurd to say that you are especially
advancing freedom when you only use free thought to destroy free will。
The determinists come to bind； not to loose。 They may well call
their law the 〃chain〃 of causation。 It is the worst chain that ever
fettered a human being。 You may use the language of liberty；
if you like； about materialistic teaching； but it is obvious that this
is just as inapplicable to it as a whole as the same language when
applied to a man locked up in a mad…house。 You may say； if you like；
that the man is free to think himself a poached egg。 But it is
surely a more massive and important fact that if he is a poached egg
he is not free to eat； drink； sleep； walk； or smoke a cigarette。
Similarly you may say； if you like； that the bold determinist
speculator is free to disbelieve in the reality of the will。
But it is a much more massive and important fact that he is not
free to raise； to curse； to thank； to justify； to urge； to punish；
to resist temptations； to incite mobs； to make New Year resolutions；
to pardon sinners； to rebuke tyrants； or even to say 〃thank you〃
for the mustard。
In passing from this subject I may note that there is a queer
fallacy to the effect that materialistic fatalism is in some way
favourable to mercy； to the abolition of cruel punishments or
punishments of any kind。 This is startlingly the reverse of the truth。
It is quite tenable that the doctrine of necessity makes no difference
at all； that it leaves the flogger flogging and the kind friend
exhorting as before。 But obviously if it stops either of them it
stops the kind exhortation。 That the sins are inevitable does not
prevent punishment； if it prevents anything it prevents persuasion。
Determinism is quite as likely to lead to cruelty as it is certain
to lead to cowardice。 Determinism is not inconsistent with the
cruel treatment of criminals。 What it is （perhaps） inconsistent
with is the generous treatment of criminals； with any appeal to
their better feelings or encouragement in their moral struggle。
The determinist does not believe in appealing to the will； but he does
believe in changing the environment。 He must not say to the sinner；
〃Go and sin no more；〃 because the sinner cannot help it。 But he
can put him in boiling oil； for boiling oil is an environment。
Considered as a figure； therefore； the materialist has the fantastic
outline of the figure of the madman。 Both take up a position
at once unanswerable and intolerable。
Of course it is not only of the materialist that all this is true。
The same would apply to the other extreme of speculative logic。
There is a sceptic far more terrible than he who believes that
everything began in matter。 It is possible to meet the sceptic
who believes that everything began in himself。 He doubts not the
existence of angels or devils； but the existence of men and cows。
For him his own friends are a mythology made up by himself。
He created his own father and his own mother。 This horrible
fancy has in it something decidedly attractive to the somewhat
mystical egoism of our day。 That publisher who thought that men
would get on if they believed in themselves； those seekers after
the Superman who are always looking for him in the looking…glass；
those writers who talk about impressing their personalities instead
of creating life for the world； all these people have really only
an inch between them and this awful emptiness。 Then when this
kindly world all round the man has been blackened out like a lie；
when friends fade into ghosts； and the foundations of the world fail；
then when the man； believing in nothing and in no man； is alone
in his own nightmare； then the great individualistic motto shall
be written over him in avenging irony。 The stars will be only dots
in the blackness of his own brain； his mother's face will be only
a sketch from his own insane pencil on the walls of his cell。
But over his cell shall be written； with dreadful truth； 〃He believes
in himself。〃
All that concerns us here； however； is to note that this
panegoistic extreme of thought exhibits the same paradox as the
other extreme of materialism。 It is equally complete in theory
and equally crippling in practice。 For the sake of simplicity；
it is easier to state the notion by saying that a man can believe
that he is always in a dream。 Now； obviously there can be no positive
proof given to him that he is not in a dream； for the simple reason
that no proof can be offered that might not be offered in a dream。
But if the man began to burn down London and say that his housekeeper
would soon call him to breakfast； we should take him and put him
with other logicians in a place which has often been alluded to in
the course of this chapter。 The man who cannot believe his senses；
and the man who cannot believe anything else； are both insane；
but their insanity is proved not by any error in their argument；
but by the manifest mistake of their whole lives。 They have both
locked themselves up in two boxes； painted inside with the sun
and stars； they are both unable to get out； the one into the
health and happiness of heaven； the other even into the health
and happiness of the earth。 Their position is quite reasonable；
nay； in a sense it is infinitely reasonable； just as a threepenny
bit is infinitely circular。 But there is such a thing as a mean
infinity； a base and slavish eternity。 It is amusing to notice
that many of the moderns； whether sceptics or mystics； have taken
as their sign a certain eastern symbol； which is the very symbol
of this ultimate nullity。 When they wish to represent eternity；
they represent it by a serpent with his tail in his mouth。 There is
a startling sarcasm in the image of that very unsatisfactory meal。
The eternity of the material fatalists； the eternity of the
eastern pessimists； the eternity of the supercilious theosophists
and higher scientists of to…day is； indeed； very well presented
by a serpent eating his tail； a degraded animal who destroys even himself。
This chapter is purely practical and is concerned with what
actually is the chief mark and element of insanity； w