Thisbookisinallprobabilitythelastofaseriesofwritings, ofwhich—disregardingcertainearlierdisconnectedessays— (orwhatyouwill) , questionsIcouldnotkeepoutofmywork, whichitdistressedmetotouchuponinastupidhaphazardway, andwhichnoone, sofarasIknew, , , therefore, Itriedtoreviewthesocialorganisationinadifferentway, toconsideritasaneducationalprocessinsteadofdealingwithitasathingwithafuturehistory, andifImadethissecondbookevenlesssatisfactoryfromaliterarystandpointthantheformer (andthisismyopinion), Iblundered, Ithink, moreedifyingly—, andcameoutofthatsecondeffortguiltyofmuchrashwriting, , , tocorrecttheminsomeparticulars, ; heremyintentionhasbeenalittlewideranddeeper, inthatIhavetriedtopresentnotsimplyanideal, , sincethismaybethelastbookofthekindIshalleverpublish, IhavewrittenintoitaswellasIcanthehereticalmetaphysicalscepticismuponwhichallmythinkingrests, andIhaveinsertedcertainsectionsreflectingupontheestablishedmethodsofsociologicalandeconomicscience....
Thelastfourwordswillnotattractthebutterflyreader, , becauseIwantitreadbyasmanypeopleaspossible, butIdonotpromiseanythingbutrageandconfusiontohimwhoproposestoglancethroughmypagesjusttoseeifIagreewithhim, ortobegininthemiddle, , andalittleexercisedinself-examination, "madeup" .
Thatmethodassumesanairofhaphazard, —evennowthatIamthroughwiththebook—, theformwhichappealsmostreadilytowhatiscalledthe "serious" reader, , heavylines, blackandwhite, yesandno, becausehedoesnotunderstandhowmuchthereisthatcannotbepresentedatallinthatway; whereverthereisanyeffectofobliquity, ofincommensurables, whereverthereisanylevityorhumourordifficultyofmultiplexpresentation, , -cliniccrystalsassystemsofcubes——! "serious" essayasaform, Iwasstillgreatlyexercised, Ispentsomevacillatingmonths, , thediscussionnovel, afterthefashionofPeacock's ('s) developmentoftheancientdialogue; butthisencumberedmewithunnecessarycharactersandtheinevitablecomplicationofintrigueamongthem, 'sJohnson, asortofinterplaybetweenmonologueandcommentator; butthattoo, althoughitgotnearertothequalityIsought, "hardnarrative." Itwillbeevidenttotheexperiencedreaderthatbyomittingcertainspeculativeandmetaphysicalelementsandbyelaboratingincident, , , howeverqueerthisbookappearsatthefirstexamination, itistheoutcomeoftrialanddeliberation, -silktexturebetweenphilosophicaldiscussionontheonehandandimaginativenarrativeontheother.
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