logical.

The perilous choice between the invention of an arbitrary symbol
which shall represent in its full complexity this idea of the sons of
the universe, and the acceptance of a symbol already supplied by
that chaotic mixture of accident and human purpose which we call
history is a choice upon which more than we can imagine or
surmise may ultimately depend. It is necessary in all matters of
this kind, wherein the rhythmic totality of the complex vision is
involved, to remain rigorous in our suppression of any particular
usurpation of the whole field by any isolated attribute of the soul.
It is a most evil usurpation, for instance, an usurpation of which
the sinister history of dogmatic religion is full, when the
conscience is allowed to introduce the conception of a "duty," of
an "ought," of a "categorical" imperative, into such a choice as
this. There is no ought in philosophy. There is no ought in faith.
And there can be, in no possible way, any ought of the usurping
conscience, in regard to this choice of an appropriate symbol
which shall represent a thing so entirely beyond the conception of
any single attribute, as this eternal protagonist of the ultimate
struggle. The risk of choosing for our symbol a mere arbitrary
invention is that it should remain thin and cold and unappealing.

The risk of choosing for our symbol a form, a figure, a gesture, a
name, offered us by history, is that it should carry with it too many
of the false accretions of accident, chance, the passions of
controversy and the hypocrisies of malice. But after all the
anonymous creative spirit of the generations is so full of the
wisdom of the earth and so involved with the rhythmic inspiration
of innumerable souls, that it would seem better to risk the presence
of certain sinister accretions, than to risk the loss of so much
magical suggestiveness.

If we do select for our symbol such a form, such a shape, such a
gesture and such a name, as history may offer, we shall at any rate
be always free to keep it fluid and malleable and organic. We shall
be free to plunge it, so to speak, again and again into the living
reality which it has been selected to represent. We shall be free to
extricate it completely from all its accretions of chance and
circumstance and material events. We shall be free to extricate it
from all premature metaphysical syntheses. We shall be free to
draw it from the clutches of dogmatic religion. We shall be free
to