I rather anticipate that superficial critics who do not like the
argument of this essay will accuse it of pessimism, a charge which
perhaps means little more than that they do not like it. Nevertheless,
it may be worth while to point out, (1) that pessimism is not a
logical objection to a contention of which the truth cannot otherwise
be questioned, and (2) that though the argument of _Tantalus_ may be
said generally to corroborate that of _Daedalus_ and _Icarus_, yet its
conclusion is much less pessimistic than theirs, because (3) it makes
it very plain that the evils which threaten the future of mankind are
in no case unavoidable. If it is called ‘pessimism’ to point out the
methods by which men may escape destruction, because men do not care
to adopt them, I suppose it must be ‘optimism’ to rush violently and
open-eyed down a precipice, and to expect to be saved by a miracle.
Certainly such would appear to be the belief upon which human affairs
are at present conducted.