BELIEF 143
that two presentations which are clearly inconsistent with each other are offered to the mind at the same time; as, for instance, two mutually exclusive hypotheses which are proposed as alternative explanations of the same phenome non. Each may have some points of agreement with the mental system, and neither may be in obvious discord with it. But while either hypothesis might, so far as its own evi dence is concerned, be tentatively accepted, manifest conflict with one another will keep either from being adopted until investigation has determined which of them stands in the more obvious and general agreement with our organized experience.
Or, third, this attitude may be due to the fact that there is manifest disagreement between that which offers itself and the mental system in which it seeks to be incorporated. The opposition may be more or less radical; but in such a case the acceptance will clearly require a more or less thorough reorganization of the mental life. The history of the conflict between science and theology is full of examples of this situation ; indeed, it is a frequently recurring phase of the progress of thought, and of the development of each individual mind which rises above the level of simple tra ditionalism. But when this conflict takes place between a new idea and old system of ideas and results in the specific mental attitude of doubt, it is evident that the disagreement is not absolute ; the new idea must find some point of attach ment to the mental organization, otherwise it would be in stantly rejected, and doubt, the attitude of suspended judg ment, would not occur.
6. The mind may positively and unequivocally reject the new presentation shut the door, so to speak, in its face. This may be called the attitude of the closed mind. The new idea is not given any showing at all. There is no suspension of judgment, no hanging fire, no investigation. Judgment is pronounced at once. The fact that its disagree ment with the mental system is profound, and that it would, if judged as real, necessitate a general reconstruction of the
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