Taken in this way, the absolute makes all good things certain, and
all bad things impossible (in the eternal, namely), and may be said
to transmute the entire category of possibility into categories more
secure. One sees at this point that the great religious difference
lies between the men who insist that the world MUST AND SHALL BE,
and those who are contented with believing that the world MAY BE,
saved. The whole clash of rationalistic and empiricist religion is
thus over the validity of possibility. It is necessary therefore to
begin by focusing upon that word. What may the word 'possible'
definitely mean?
To unreflecting men the possible means a sort of third estate of
being, less real than existence, more real than non-existence, a
twilight realm, a hybrid status, a limbo into which and out of which
realities ever and anon are made to pass. Such a conception is of
course too vague and nondescript to satisfy us. Here, as elsewhere,
the only way to extract a term's meaning is to use the pragmatic
method on it. When you say that a thing is possible, what difference
does it make?
It makes at least this difference that if anyone calls it impossible
you can contradict him, if anyone calls it actual you can contradict
HIM, and if anyone calls it necessary you can contradict him too.
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