[MD] Dreary old Royce again

[John Carl]

Philosophy necessarily involves a good deal of courage; but so does life in
general. It is pretentious to wrestle with angels; but there are some
blessings that you cannot win in any other way. Philosophy is an old affair
in human history; but that does not make the effort at individuality in
one's fashion of thinking a less worthy ideal for every new mind. As to the
dreariness of metaphysics, it is always the case, both in religion, and in
thinking about religion, that, just as the letter killeth, and the spirit
giveth life, so the mere report of tradition is dreary, but the inward life
of thinking for one's self the meaning within or behind the tradition
constitutes the very coming of the Spirit of Truth himself into our own
spirits; and that coming of the Spirit, in so far as it occurs at all, never
seems to any of us dreary.