Finally, we have to note that this psychological environment is cumulative in character as being is all powerful in its influence. By its own unceasing activity humanity is continually triumphing over the difficulties of its material environment and adding to the complexity and power of its mental one. Inevitably the environment thus becomes more psychic in character and more powerful in its operations. We may overcome the difficulties of climate, poor soil, geographical position, etc., but it is impossible to ignore the great and growing pressure of this past mental life of the race. It defies all attempts at material coercion, and gradually transforms a material medium into what is substantially a psychological one. Man cannot escape the domination of his own mental life. Its unfettered exercise supplies the only freedom he is capable of realising, as it constitutes the source of his influence as a link in the causative process of determining his own destiny and moulding that of his successors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber's Note: Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Inconsistent hyphenation has not been changed. In the plain-text version, decorative italics have not been represented. The following corrections were made to the text: p. 17: contantly to constantly (constantly enlarging and more comprehensive) p. 24: admiting to admitting (even while admitting) p. 24: which which to with which (with which it is used) p. 28 (Footnote 2): contraint to constraint (Freedom and constraint) p. 30 (Footnote 3): acton to action (all volitional action) p. 34: Maudesley to Maudsley (says Dr. Maudsley) p. 41: missing "from" added (shall be expelled from our) p. 58: occured to occurred (occurred in the past) p. 86: absurdem to absurdum (argument _ad absurdum_) p. 98: condiitons to conditions (certain conditions, circumstances) p. 107: Hamiliton to Hamilton (Sir William Hamilton) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ End of Project Gutenberg's Determinism or Free-Will?, by Chapman Cohen