Man's life is not to be confined to his own particular sphere, his life must extend far beyond that--he must concern himself with the infinite in the universe; "He must view life--nay, more, he must live it--in the light of this larger whole." A life based upon individualism then, will seem, even in the case of strong personalities, to be extremely narrow.

How much more so will this be true of the ordinary man, who takes little interest in his own individuality, or pleasure in its development?
Thus it is that both forms of humanistic culture--socialism and individualism--fail to give a real meaning to life.

"Socialistic culture directs itself chiefly to the outward conditions of life, but in care for these it neglects life itself." Individualistic culture, on the other hand, endeavours to deal with life itself, but fails to see life as a whole, or as possessing any real inwardness.
Both types of culture are apt to deceive themselves in regard to their own emptiness, because, unconsciously, they make more out of man than is consistent with their assumptions.

"They presuppose a spiritual atmosphere as a setting for our human life and effort.

In the one case, this cementing of a union between individuals appears to set free the springs of love and truth; in the other, each single unit seems to have behind it the background of a spiritual world whose development is fostered by means of its individual labour." In this way life acquires in both cases a meaning, but it does so only by departing from both positions, and taking up what is, at least partly, an idealistic position.
The theories, too, can only be made really plausible by idealising man to an unwarrantable extent.