If it were, then man's effort towards the ideal would be helped by the whole universe, but that is far from being the case; progress means fight, and difficult fight; there is definite opposition to the efforts of man to raise himself.

Moreover, there is evil in the world, let pantheists and others say what they will.

Eucken refuses to close his eyes to, or to explain away, opposition, pain, and evil--the world is far from being wholly reasonable and harmonious, and idealists must acknowledge this fact.

The natural sciences, too, by emphasising the reign of law, tend to limit more and more the possibilities of the human being, ultimately robbing him of all freedom--hence of all possibility of creation.

And how can one be an enthusiastic devotee of idealism if he is led to doubt man's power to aim at, fight towards, or even choose the highest?
Idealism was at its height in those red-letter days when a high state of culture had been attained, and great personalities produced masterpieces in art, music, and literature.