This is perhaps the innate disposition of the human mind, at least
of the European mind--for I have some doubts about the Chinese.
Theology drives obstinately towards an ultimate unity in God,
science towards an ultimate unity in law, towards a fundamental
element and a universal material truth from which all material
truths evolve, and in matters of conduct there is the same tendency
to refer to a universal moral law. Now this may be a simplification
due to the need of the human mind to comprehend, and its inability
to do so until the load is lightened by neglecting factors. William
James has suggested that on account of this, theology may be
obstinately working away from the truth, that the truth may be that
there are several or many in compatible and incommensurable gods;
science, in the same search for unity, may follow divergent methods
of inquiry into ultimately uninterchangeable generalizations; and
there may be not only not one universal moral law, but no effective
reconciliation of the various rights and duties of a single
individual.
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