On the Law of Certainty

That disquisitions on psychological topics should, to a great many persons, be devoid of interest, as having no moral or practical result, is one of the strongest evidences of the need of such inquiries, and betokens the undue sway which physical science, the inferior grade, the democracy of knowledge, exercises among us. To imagine that psychological inquiries are unprofitable speculations?a mere juggle of words, and good only to sharpen the intellect?is to exhibit the grievous ignorance which is so prevalent on matters intimately connected with the progress of the human mind. It has been remarked, but with just sufficient truth for a jest, that on metaphysical subjects there are more writers than readers. That there is, indeed, no adequate psychological public is manifest by the slow sale of works on psychology, and by the few and generally insufficient reviews which appear thereon. With few exceptions, professional critics do not seem up to the mark, and so, perhaps to conceal their ignorance, altogether slight an infinitely important study, or notice it only to condemn. As Wordsworth has done for him-