Appendix II 257they throw light on these (in my view) most immediate
human questions. These pages are meant to offer a philos-
ophy of freedom.
If it were not aimed at heightening the value of exist-
ence for the human personality, all science would be
nothing but satisfaction of idle curiosity. The sciences at-
tain their true value only by showing the human signifi-
cance of their results. The ultimate goal of an individual
cannot be ennoblement of only a single capacity of the
soul. Rather, it must be the development of all the capac-
ities dormant within us. Knowledge has value only
through contributing to theall-around development of
thewhole of human nature.
Therefore, this book interprets the relationship of sci-
ence to life not in the sense that human beings must bow
down before the idea and dedicate their forces to its ser-
vice, but rather in the sense that we take possession of the
world of ideas to use them for ourhuman goals, which ex-
tend beyond those of mere science.
We must be able to confront anidea while experiencing
it;otherwise, we fall into its bondage.