Chapter 8

           

           Ifhistorydealtonlywithexternalphenomena,theestablishmentofthissimpleandobviouslawwouldsufficeandweshouldhavefinishedourargument.Butthelawofhistoryrelatestoman.Aparticleofmattercannottellusthatitdoesnotfeelthelawofattractionorrepulsionandthatthatlawisuntrue,butman,whoisthesubjectofhistory,saysplainly:Iamfreeandamthereforenotsubjecttothelaw.

           Thepresenceoftheproblemofman’sfreewill,thoughunexpressed,isfeltateverystepofhistory.

           Allseriouslythinkinghistorianshaveinvoluntarilyencounteredthisquestion.Allthecontradictionsandobscuritiesofhistoryandthefalsepathhistoricalsciencehasfollowedareduesolelytothelackofasolutionofthatquestion.

           Ifthewillofeverymanwerefree,thatis,ifeachmancouldactashepleased,allhistorywouldbeaseriesofdisconnectedincidents.

           Ifinathousandyearsevenonemaninamillioncouldactfreely,thatis,ashechose,itisevidentthatonesinglefreeactofthatman’sinviolationofthelawsgoverninghumanactionwoulddestroythepossibilityoftheexistenceofanylawsforthewholeofhumanity.

           Iftherebeasinglelawgoverningtheactionsofmen,freewillcannotexist,forthenman’swillissubjecttothatlaw.

           Inthiscontradictionliestheproblemoffreewill,whichfrommostancienttimeshasoccupiedthebesthumanmindsandfrommostancienttimeshasbeenpresentedinitswholetremendoussignificance.

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