ABSTRACT
T he object of this chapter is to inquire whether the being or the non-being of this present world deserves the pre ference. And here, more than at any other stage of our inquiry, must we crave the reader’s indulgence, since a tolerably exhaustive treatment of the subject would re quire a book to itself. In this place our exposition must be rather of the nature of an episode, both on external grounds and more particularly because the result of this inquiry, although important for the clearing up of the ultimate principles of Philosophy, has no direct bear ing on the main theme of the work as proclaimed in its title, “ The Unconscious.” Nevertheless, in a short exa mination, presenting many new points of view, I hope to afford suggestions even to the opponents of the opinions here advanced, which may to a certain extent compensate them for the perusal of this digression.
