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PARTISAN REVIEW
that their meaning cannot in general be adequately specified by
enumerating a definite class of observable attributes. My sole point
is that even in the case of attributes which are defined in terms of a
complex theory, a warranted decision as to their presence or absence
in a situation can be made only on the basis of "public experiments."
Mr. Wheelwright may claim, however, that while other people
can discover his spiritual qualities only on the basis of a procedure
such as outlined, he himself has other means at his disposal. He may
claim that he has a
direct insight
into his own character which others
cannot have. I am not sure whether he does make such a claim, but
if he should and if his claim were true, he would be unusually fortu–
nate. For most men can discover what sort of creatures they are only
by painful public experience : by noting their responses to m:en and
events, and by piecing together the evidence so gathered. But however
this may be, the essential point is that such a claim, were it made,
would itself require adjudication- it could not be taken as self-certi–
fying, and would have to be examined in the light of public evidence.
But if this is admitted, the scientific naturalism for which I am arguing
against Mr. Wheelwright is in principle also granted.
Consider next Mr. Wheelright's views on the possibility of ex–
plaining so-called "higher emergent qualities" (such as purposive be–
havior ) in terms of theories of inorganic matter. He thinks that al–
though the question is at present undecided if taken strictly, such
explanations would be
practically worthless
even if they were avail–
able; for according to him "no group of mundane scientists could
ever live long enough to calculate the equation" connecting the move–
ments of inorganic particles of matter with the actions of men. More–
over, and this is perhaps his chief point, although there may be ma–
terial conditions for human behavior, that behavior is radically con–
tingent and is not necessitated absolutely by those conditions: "No
total synthesis, no
super-super-fo~ula
comprehending all behavior–
patterns in the universe is ever possible. For time is open; there is
always a next case, which may or may not conform to the formulas
already elaborated.... The really important, epoch-moulding,
his–
torically decisive actions of men have a way of defying the best laid
predictions." For these reasons the human scene is said to be so distinct
from inorganic nature that the logic which is authoritative for inquiry
into the latter cannot be adequate for inquiry into the former.
But this is really a curious argument. In the first place, Mr.
