against the Spirit” which literary Europe has upon its conscience.

53. Why Atheism nowadays? “The father” in God is thoroughly refuted; equally so “the judge,” “the rewarder.” Also his “free will”: he does not hear — and even if he did, he would not know how to help. The worst is that he seems incapable of communicating himself clearly; is he uncertain? — This is what I have made out (by questioning and listening at a variety of conversations) to be the cause of the decline of European theism; it appears to me that though the religious instinct is in vigorous growth, — it rejects the theistic satisfaction with profound distrust.

54. What does all modern philosophy mainly do? Since Descartes — and indeed