Then individualism confined man to his own resources, and there resulted an inner hollowness which became painfully evident.

Socialism and individualism fail to provide a sure footing.

Instead of finding certainty, man has fallen into a still deeper state of perplexity.
What shall he do?
Must he once again leave the realistic systems of Naturalism, Socialism, and Individualism, and return to the older systems of Religion and Idealism?
Was he not wrong in giving up the thought of a higher invisible world?
Has not the restriction of life to the visible world robbed life of its greatness and dignity?
This it certainly has done, and there is little wonder that the soul of mankind is already revolting, and shows a tendency once again to look towards religion and idealism for a solution of life.
But the educated mind can never again take up exactly the same position as it once did in regard to religion and idealism.

The great realistic theories have made too great a change in the standard of life, and in man himself, to make it possible for him to revert simply to the old conditions, and the older orthodox doctrines of religion can never again be accepted as a mere matter of course.

But the great question has again come to the forefront--is there a higher world, or is the fundamental truth of religion a mere illusion?
This is the question that calls for answer to-day, an answer which must be different, as man is different, from the answers that were given in the past.