An ideal is nothing if not expressed in personality. Subjectively
every ideal is the ideal of "some one," an ideal of a conscious,
personal, and living entity. Objectively every ideal must be
embodied in "some one": and must be a standard, a measure, a
rhythm, of various energies synthesized in a living soul. This is
really the crux of the whole matter. Vaguely and obscurely do we
all feel the pressure of these deep and secret impulses. Profoundly
do we feel that these mysterious "ideas," which give life its
dramatic intensity, are part of the depths of our own soul and part
of the depths of the souls of the immortals. And yet though they
are so essentially part of us and part of the universe, they remain
vague, obscure, contradictory, confused, inchoate; only gradually
assuming coherent substance and form as the "rapport" between
man and his invisible companions grows clearer and clearer.
We are confronted at this point by one of the most difficult of all
dilemmas. If by reason of the fact that we are driven to regard
personality as the most real thing in the universe we are compelled
toward the act of faith which recognizes one side of the eternal
duality of things as embodied in actual living souls, how is it that
we are not equally compelled to a similar act of faith in relation to
the other side of this duality? In simpler words, how is it that while
we are compelled to an act of faith with regard to the existence of
powers which embody the spirit of love, we are not compelled to
an act of faith with regard to the existence of powers which
embody the spirit of malice?
How is it that while we have a right to regard the ideas of truth,
beauty, goodness as objectively embodied in living personalities
we have no right to regard the ideas of falseness, hideousness, evil
and malice, as objectively embodied in living personalities? To
answer this question it is necessary to define more clearly the
essential duality which we discover as the secret of the universe.
One side of this duality is the creative power of life, the other side
is the resistant power which repels life. The emotion of love is the
motive-force of the power of creation, a force which we have to
recognize as containing in itself the power of destruction; for
destruction is necessary to creation and is inspired by the creative
energy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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