Carl du Prel takes apart the failure of materialist philosophy to account for the mind and soul and provides an alternative explanation founded on the facts of experience. He shows not only how this alternative explanation identifies the place of humanity in the world and the nature of human existence, but also the world's role in humanity. He draws on the evidence from such disparate fields as hypnotism and Kant's writings on psychology to create a synthesis which gives meaning to life without having to rely on faith in dogma.