Abstract

A word of explanation may be appropriate regarding the title chosen for this thesis. Its selection was made prior to the investigations which are embodied in the text, and was taken chiefly because it expressed a point of view regarding human motivation which seemed to hold possibilities of fruitful exploration. Much has been written about the will, in theology and moral philosophy, so that it seemed idle to add more words on a subject about which past controversy has chiefly succeeded in hanging a thick fog, unless some new way of piercing the gloom lay open. [...]