f
the movements of his own body, he readily attributes movements elsewhere
to analogous agencies--the theory of _animism_ in Nature thus becoming
the universal theory in all early stages of culture. It also appears to
be the theory most natural to our own children during the early years of
their dawning intelligence, and would doubtless continue through life in
the case of every individual human being, were he not subsequently
instructed in the reasons which have led to its rejection by many other
members of his race. These reasons, as already observed, have been
furnished in their entirety only within comparatively recent times; not
until Physiology was able to prove how intimate is the association
between cerebral processes and mental processes did it become possible
for materialism to turn the tables upon spiritualism, by simply
inverting the hypothesis. Lastly, although the theory of Monism (III)
may be traced back at least as far as the pantheistic thought of
Buddhism, it there had reference to theology as distinguished from
psychology. And even as presented in the writings of Bruno, Spinoza, and
other so-called monists prior to the present century, the hypothesis
necessarily lacked completeness on account of the absence of knowledge
afterwards supplied by physiology. For Monism, in the sense of this term
as I shall use it, may be metaphorically regarded as the child of the
two pre-existing theories, Spiritualism and Materialism. The birth of
this child was necessarily impossible before both its parents had
reached mature age. On the one hand it was necessary that the theory of
Spiritualism should have outgrown its infancy as Animism, its childhood
as Polytheism, before it entered upon its youth as Monotheism--or before
it was able to supply material for the conception of Monism as a theory
of cosmical extent. On the other hand, Materialism required to grow into
the fullness of manhood, under the nursing influence of Science, before
it was possible to engender this new-born offspring; for this offspring
is new-born. The theory of Monism, as we are about to consider it, is a
creature of our own generation; and it is only as such that I desire to
call attention to the child. In order, however, to do this, I must
follow the example of biographers in general, and begin by giving a
brief sketch of both the parents.

CHAPTER I.

SPIRITUALISM.

In proceeding to consider the opposite theories of Spiritualism and