Chapters on the Art of Thinking Author:James Hinton Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ever inevitable a certain conclusion may be in presence of it, the proof means not truth, but simply the direction of least resistance to an imperfect thought. ... more » But the relative truth given by the introduction into our starting-point of an element that had not been perceived is a result in no degree unsatisfactory. In relation to the question that had been before us, it is final, however much beyond it may leave unsettled. Thus, to take the question of one or many forces ; the unity of force textit{as against its multiplicity is demonstrated: what is not proved is that there is force at all; that is, that our conception of force is truly applicable to the external world. textit{This awaits further study. But if we postulate the idea of force, and ask respecting it, " Is it one or manifold ?" the answer is complete enough: it is so far absolute. Our idea of many forces rests solely on our non-perception of the constancy of force: it is one. Eelatively to that question the elements present to our thoughts are complete. The expression that thought takes the direction of least resistance?that is, of least opposing thought?may be subject to various remarks; as, for example, that thought exists where there is no resistance, has impulses of its own, has power to overcome resistance, and doubtless various others. But I do not dwell upon them, for this reason : that the parallel law in mechanics affords the answers. What is meant by the assertion of it in respect to thought is, that it has the same application in the mental world as the physical. It covers a certain ground in the latter, and has to be used with certain limitations: no other use is claimed for it in the world of mind. CHAPTER III. ON THE ANALOGY BETWEEN THE ORGANIC AND THE MENTAL LIFE. In the working out of a ...« less