Is essential. They exist, in other words, for my present

aim, in that self which is merely given, and which is

not transcended. On the other hand, obviously, these

same particulars are essential and necessary, since (at

the least) somehow they are links in the causal sequence

of my history. Every particular in the same way has some

end beyond the moment. Each can be referred to an ideal

whole whose appearance it is; and nothing whatever is

left to belong merely to the "this-mine." The simplest

observation of what co-exists removes it from that

region, and chance has no positive content, except in

relation to our failure and ignorance.

And any psychology, which is not blind or else

biassed by false doctrine, forces on our notice this

alienation of content. Our whole mental life

moves, by a transcendence of the "this," by sheer

disregard of its claim to possess any property. The

looseness of some feature of the "what" from its fusion

with the "that"--its self-reference to, and its

operation on, something beyond--if you leave out this,

you have lost the mainspring of psychical movement. But

this is the ideality of the given, its non-possession of

that character with which it appears, but which only

appears in it. And Association--who could use it as mere

co-existence within the "this"? But, if anything more,

it is at once the union of the ideal, the synthesis of

the eternal. Thus the "mine" has no detail which is not

the property of connections beyond. The merest

coincidence, when you observe it, is a distinction which

couples universal ideas. And, in brief, the "mine" has

no content except that which is left there by our

impotence. Its character in this respect is, in other

words, merely negative.

Hence to urge such a character against our Absolute

would be unmeaning. It would be to turn our ignorance of

system into a positive objection, to make our failure a

ground for the denial of possibility. We have no basis

on which to doubt that all content comes together

harmoniously in the Absolute. We have no reason to think

that any feature adheres to the "this," and is unable to

transcend it. What is true is that, for us, the

incomplete diversity of various systems, the perplexing

references of each same feature to many ideal wholes,

and again that positive special feeling, which we have

dealt with above--all this detail is not made one in any

way which we can verify. That it all is reconciled we

know, but how, in particular, is hid from us. But

because this result must be, and because there is

nothing against it, we believe that it is.

We have seen that in the "this," on one side, there

is no element but content, and we have found

that no content, on the other side, is the possession of

the "this." There is none that sticks within its

precincts, but all tends to refer itself beyond. What

remains there is chance, if chance is used in the sense

of our sheer ignorance. It is not opposition, but blank

failure in regard to the claim of an idea. And opposition and exclusiveness, in any sense,

must transcend the bare "this." For their essence always

implies relation to a something beyond self; and that

relation makes an end of all attempt at solid

singleness. Thus, if chance is taken as involving an

actual relation to an idea, the "this" already has, so

far, transcended itself. The refusal of something given

to connect itself with an idea is a positive fact. But

that refusal, as a relation, is evidently not included

and contained in the "this." On the other hand, entering

into that relation, the internal content has, so far,

set itself free. It has already transcended the "this"

and become universal. And the exclusiveness of the

"this" everywhere in the same way proves self-

contradictory.

And we had agreed before that the mere "this" in a

sense is positive. It has a felt self-affirmation

peculiar and especial, and into the nature of that

positive being we entered at length. But we found no

reason why such feelings, considered in any feature or

aspect, should persist self-centred and aloof. It seemed

possible, to say the least, that they all might blend

with one another, and be merged in the experience of the

one Reality. And with that possibility, given on all

sides, we arrive at our conclusion. The "this" and

"mine" are now absorbed as elements within our Absolute.

For their resolution must be, and it may be, and so

certainly it is.

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CHAPTER XX

RECAPITULATION