John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

N
104(a)
fighting for reception, it is at the
height of its fervour, but the loss of
power at a later stage is due to other
causes than the absence of opponents.
Mill s illustration from Christianity is
) I hardly in point. Never, since the
= I
< but
suppression
of pagan philosophy, was
Christianity more attached than it is now;
we cannot say thst the attacks have
\ led, or are likely to lead, to a
resuscitation of its spirit in the minds
of Christians: the opposite would be
nearer the truth.
The last branch of the argument for
Free Thought is constituted by Mill s
favourite maxim that conflicting
doctrines usually she re the truth" be
tween them. This view is, I think, both
precarious in itself, and of very doubt
ful relevance to the author s main thesis.
The example from the two stte-partres^~
the party of order and the party of
progress will not stand a severe scrutiny.
Not to mention, what he admits, that there
is perfect freedom of discussion on the
matter, the war of parties is, in point of
fact, scarcely conducted according to his
ideal.
He ventures into the field of Theo
logical discussion, by a criticism of the
morality of Christianity, which he pro
nounces to be incomplete ?:.nd one-sided.
The remarks would "be interesting and
suggestive, if we could view them dis
passionately; but that is next to im
possible. Such a line of observation is
felt at once as challenging the