ferred
to by William Wallace. It finds its highest reality in an experience
born within itself and differentiated for ever from the natural and even
the intellectual life. To such a conclusion man is forced; and if the
situation is evaded, something within his soul never comes to birth. It
is seen at once that in order to know the content of this _new world_,
it is necessary for a long series of struggles to take place. And to
this point we now turn.

The deeper consciousness has relegated the natural world to a secondary
place, and has further shown man that the main object of life includes
not only finding a footing against the dangers of natural things, but to
plant oneself within a spiritual world of meanings and values. This
cannot be done without _an independent and decisive act of the soul_. A
meaning of life has now revealed itself beyond that of the "small self."
This meaning can be reached only through this decisive act of the soul.
This meaning is _over-individual_ in its nature; [p.46] it is a truth,
goodness, or beauty, which presents itself as an idea and ideal formed
by the experiences of many individuals, at different epochs and in
different circumstances. Thus the individual, in order to realise his
own life, must work with material presented in the community. Such
material has been found helpful in the life of the community. It
consists of collective results made up of large numbers of single
factors. These have been tied together in the form of various syntheses.
Such various syntheses comprise a larger meaning than what ordinarily
happens from moment to moment in connection with the relation of the
individual to the external world or, indeed, within the individual's own
ordinary life. Many of the isolated, fragmentary experiences of the
individual have to give way when tested in the light of any larger
synthesis. If this were not so, no commercial, social, civilised life
would be possible at all. The more real life is now perceived to be that
of the larger meaning and value. The individual, solitary experiences
may be legitimate, for they often express wants and needs of the
individual which have a certain right to obtain satisfaction. But the
extent and limits of these rights have to be measured by some norm or
standard other than themselves, or else each individual will proceed on
his own course regardless of the rights of others. It is the presence of
various syntheses which express the [p.47] col