ABSTRACT
In the last chapter of Coleridge on Imagination, Richards returns to the theme of Science and Poetry by considering once again the condition of our society today. He proposes the rhetorical questionwhether Coleridge's " 'philosophie' approach to criticism" and consequent insights can help us today-and of course discovers that the answer is 'Yes'. His position is similar to what it was before, except for a greater tendency, when he makes a positive statement, to safeguard himself by adding, as a qualification, its contradictory. He thus follows the example he attributed to Coleridge, only writing in pro se, not poetry. But since much more emphasis is laid upon the positive statements than upon their contradictories, I will ignore the latter, save for an occasional footnote, concentrating rather upon the effect that Richards' writing makes.
