As/cs a/at result/nn ,/, although/cs we/ppss still/rb make/vb use/nn of/in this/dt distinction/nn ,/, there/ex is/bez much/ap confusion/nn as/in to/in the/at meaning/nn of/in the/at basic/jj terms/nns employed/vbn ./.
Just/rb what/wdt is/bez meant/vbn by/in ``/`` spirit/nn ''/'' and/cc by/in ``/`` matter/nn ''/'' ?/. ?/.
The/at terms/nns are/ber generally/rb taken/vbn for/in granted/vbn as/cs though/cs they/ppss referred/vbd to/in direct/jj and/cc axiomatic/jj elements/nns in/in the/at common/jj experience/nn of/in all/abn ./.
Yet/cc in/in the/at contemporary/jj context/nn this/dt is/bez precisely/rb what/wdt one/pn must/md not/* do/do ./.
For/cs in/in the/at modern/jj world/nn neither/cc ``/`` spirit/nn ''/'' nor/cc ``/`` matter/nn ''/'' refer/vb to/in any/dti generally/rb agreed-upon/jj elements/nns of/in experience/nn ./.
We/ppss are/ber in/in a/at transitional/jj stage/nn in/in which/wdt many/ap of/in the/at connotations/nns of/in former/ap usage/nn have/hv had/hvn to/to be/be revised/vbn or/cc rejected/vbn ./.
When/wrb the/at words/nns are/ber used/vbn ,/, we/ppss are/ber never/rb sure/jj which/wdt of/in the/at traditional/jj meanings/nns the/at user/nn may/md have/hv in/in mind/nn ,/, or/cc to/in what/wdt extent/nn his/pp$ revisions/nns and/cc rejections/nns of/in former/ap understandings/nns correspond/vb to/in ours/pp$$ ./.


	One/cd of/in the/at most/ql widespread/jj features/nns of/in contemporary/jj thought/nn is/bez the/at almost/rb universal/jj disbelief/nn in/in the/at reality/nn of/in spirit/nn ./.
Just/rb a/at few/ap centuries/nns ago/rb the/at world/nn of/in spirits/nns was/bedz as/ql populous/jj and/cc real/jj as/cs the/at world/nn of/in material/nn entities/nns ./.
Not/* only/rb in/in popular/jj thought/nn but/cc in/in that/dt of/in the/at highly/ql educated/vbn as/ql well/rb was/bedz this/dt true/jj ./.
Demons/nns ,/, fairies/nns ,/, angels/nns ,/, and/cc a/at host/nn of/in other/ap spiritual/jj beings/nns were/bed as/ql much/ap a/at part/nn of/in the/at experiential/jj world/nn of/in western/jj man/nn as/cs were/bed rocks/nns and/cc trees/nns and/cc stars/nns ./.
In/in such/abl a/at world/nn the/at words/nns ``/`` matter/nn ''/'' and/cc ``/`` spirit/nn ''/'' both/abx referred/vbd to/in directly/rb known/vbn realities/nns in/in the/at common/jj experience/nn of/in all/abn ./.
In/in it/ppo important/jj elements/nns of/in Christianity/np and/cc of/in the/at Biblical/jj view/nn of/in reality/nn in/in general/jj ,/, which/wdt now/rb cause/vb us/ppo much/ap difficulty/nn ,/, could/md be/be responded/vbn to/in quite/ql naturally/rb and/cc spontaneously/rb ./.


	The/at progress/nn of/in science/nn over/in these/dts last/ap few/ap centuries/nns and/cc the/at gradual/jj replacement/nn of/in Biblical/jj by/in scientific/jj categories/nns of/in reality/nn have/hv to/in a/at large/jj extent/nn emptied/vbn the/at spirit/nn world/nn of/in the/at entities/nns which/wdt previously/rb populated/vbd it/ppo ./.
In/in carrying/vbg out/rp this/dt program/nn science/nn has/hvz undoubtedly/rb performed/vbn a/at very/ql considerable/jj service/nn for/in which/wdt it/pps can/md claim/vb due/jj credit/nn ./.
The/at objectification/nn of/in the/at world/nn of/in spirit/nn in/in popular/jj superstition/nn had/hvd certainly/rb gone/vbn far/rb beyond/in what/wdt the/at experience/nn of/in spirit/nn could/md justify/vb or/cc support/vb ./.
Science/nn is/bez fully/ql competent/jj to/to deal/vb with/in any/dti element/nn of/in experience/nn which/wdt arises/vbz from/in an/at object/nn in/in space/nn and/cc time/nn ./.
When/wrb ,/, therefore/rb ,/, it/pps turned/vbd its/pp$ attention/nn to/in the/at concrete/jj entities/nns with/in which/wdt popular/jj imagination/nn had/hvd peopled/vbn the/at world/nn of/in spirit/nn ,/, these/dts entities/nns soon/rb lost/vbd whatever/wdt status/nn they/ppss had/hvd enjoyed/vbn as/cs actual/jj elements/nns of/in external/jj reality/nn ./.
In/in doing/vbg so/rb science/nn has/hvz unquestionably/rb cleared/vbn up/rp widespread/jj misconceptions/nns ,/, removed/vbn extraneous/jj and/cc illusory/jj sources/nns of/in fear/nn ,/, and/cc dispelled/vbn many/ap undesirable/jj popular/jj superstitions/nns ./.
There/ex have/hv been/ben ,/, indeed/rb ,/, many/ap important/jj and/cc valuable/jj gains/nns from/in the/at development/nn of/in our/pp$ present/jj scientific/jj view/nn of/in the/at world/nn for/in which/wdt we/ppss may/md be/be rightly/ql grateful/jj ./.


	All/abn this/dt has/hvz not/* ,/, however/rb ,/, been/ben an/at unmixed/jj blessing/nn ./.
The/at scientific/jj debunking/nn of/in the/at spirit/nn world/nn has/hvz been/ben in/in a/at way/nn too/ql successful/jj and/cc too/ql thorough/jj ./.
The/at house/nn has/hvz been/ben swept/vbn so/ql clean/jj that/cs contemporary/jj man/nn has/hvz been/ben left/vbn with/in no/at means/nns ,/, or/cc at/in best/jjt with/in wholly/ql inadequate/jj means/nns ,/, for/in dealing/vbg with/in his/pp$ experience/nn of/in spirit/nn ./.
Although/cs the/at particular/jj form/nn of/in conceptualization/nn which/wdt popular/jj imagination/nn had/hvd made/vbn in/in response/nn to/in the/at experience/nn of/in spirit/nn was/bedz undoubtedly/rb defective/jj ,/, the/at raw/jj experience/nn itself/ppl which/wdt led/vbd to/in such/jj excesses/nns remains/nns with/in us/ppo as/ql vividly/rb as/cs ever/rb ./.
We/ppss simply/rb find/vb ourselves/ppls in/in the/at position/nn of/in having/hvg no/at means/nns for/in inquiring/vbg into/in the/at structure/nn and/cc meaning/nn of/in this/dt range/nn of/in our/pp$ experience/nn ./.
There/ex is/bez no/at framework/nn or/cc structure/nn of/in thought/nn with/in respect/nn to/in which/wdt we/ppss can/md organize/vb it/ppo and/cc no/at part/nn of/in reality/nn ,/, as/cs we/ppss know/vb and/cc apprehend/vb it/ppo ,/, with/in respect/nn to/in which/wdt we/ppss can/md refer/vb this/dt experience/nn ./.
Science/nn has/hvz simply/rb left/vbn us/ppo helpless/jj and/cc powerless/jj in/in this/dt important/jj sector/nn of/in our/pp$ lives/nns ./.


	The/at situation/nn in/in which/wdt we/ppss find/vb ourselves/ppls is/bez brought/vbn out/rp with/in dramatic/jj force/nn in/in Arthur/np Miller's/np$ play/nn The/at-tl Crucible/nn-tl ,/, which/wdt deals/vbz with/in the/at Salem/np witch/nn trials/nns ./.
As/cs the/at play/nn opens/vbz the/at audience/nn is/bez introduced/vbn to/in the/at community/nn of/in Salem/np in/in Puritan/jj-tl America/np at/in the/at end/nn of/in the/at eighteenth/od century/nn ./.
Aside/rb from/in a/at quaint/jj concern/nn with/in witches/nns and/cc devils/nns which/wdt provides/vbz the/at immediate/jj problem/nn in/in the/at opening/vbg scene/nn ,/, it/pps is/bez a/at quite/ql normal/jj community/nn ./.
The/at conversation/nn of/in the/at characters/nns creates/vbz an/at atmosphere/nn suggesting/vbg the/at usual/jj mixture/nn of/in pleasures/nns ,/, foibles/nns ,/, irritations/nns ,/, and/cc concerns/nns which/wdt would/md characterize/vb the/at common/jj life/nn of/in a/at normal/jj village/nn in/in any/dti age/nn ./.
There/ex is/bez no/at occasion/nn to/to feel/vb uneasy/jj or/cc disturbed/vbn about/in these/dts people/nns ./.
Instead/rb ,/, the/at audience/nn can/md sit/vb back/rb at/in ease/nn and/cc ,/, from/in the/at perspective/nn of/in an/at enlightened/vbn time/nn which/wdt no/ql longer/rbr believes/vbz in/in such/jj things/nns ,/, enjoy/vb the/at dead/jj seriousness/nn with/in which/wdt the/at characters/nns in/in the/at play/nn take/nn the/at witches/nns and/cc devils/nns which/wdt are/ber under/in discussion/nn ./.
A/at teenage/jj girl/nn ,/, Abigail/np Williams/np ,/, is/bez being/beg sharply/rb questioned/vbn by/in her/pp$ minister/nn uncle/nn ,/, the/at Reverend/np Samuel/np Parris/np ,/, about/in a/at wild/jj night/nn affair/nn in/in the/at woods/nns in/in which/wdt she/pps and/cc some/dti other/ap girls/nns had/hvd seemed/vbn to/to have/hv had/hvn contact/nn with/in these/dts evil/jj beings/nns ./.
For/in all/abn involved/vbn in/in this/dt discussion/nn the/at devil/nn is/bez a/at real/jj entity/nn who/wps can/md really/rb be/be confronted/vbn in/in the/at woods/nns on/in a/at dark/jj night/nn ,/, the/at demon/nn world/nn is/bez populated/vbn with/in real/jj creatures/nns ,/, and/cc witches/nns actually/rb can/md be/be seen/vbn flying/vbg through/in the/at air/nn ./.


	As/cs the/at play/nn unfolds/vbz ,/, however/wrb ,/, the/at audience/nn is/bez subtly/rb brought/vbn into/in the/at grip/nn of/in an/at awful/jj evil/nn which/wdt grows/vbz with/in ominously/rb gathering/vbg power/nn and/cc soon/rb engulfs/vbz the/at community/nn ./.
Everyone/pn in/in Salem/np ,/, saint/nn and/cc sinner/nn alike/rb ,/, is/bez swept/vbn up/rp by/in it/ppo ./.
It/pps is/bez like/cs a/at mysterious/jj epidemic/nn which/wdt ,/, starting/vbg first/rb with/in Abigail/np and/cc Parris/np ,/, spreads/vbz inexorably/rb with/in a/at dreadfully/rb growing/vbg virulence/nn through/in the/at whole/jj town/nn until/cs all/abn have/hv been/ben infected/vbn by/in it/ppo ./.
It/pps grows/vbz terribly/rb and/cc unavoidably/rb in/in power/nn and/cc leaves/vbz in/in its/pp$ wake/nn a/at trail/nn of/in misery/nn ,/, moral/jj disintegration/nn ,/, and/cc destruction/nn ./.
The/at audience/nn leaves/vbz the/at play/nn under/in a/at spell/nn ,/, It/pps is/bez the/at kind/nn of/in spell/nn which/wdt the/at exposure/nn to/in spirit/nn in/in its/pp$ living/vbg active/jj manifestation/nn always/rb evokes/vbz ./.


	If/cs one/pn asks/vbz about/in this/dt play/nn ,/, what/wdt it/pps is/bez that/dt comes/vbz upon/in this/dt community/nn and/cc works/vbz within/in it/ppo with/in such/jj terrible/jj power/nn ,/, there/ex is/bez no/at better/jjr answer/nn to/to give/vb than/cs ``/`` spirit/nn ''/'' ./.
This/dt is/bez not/* to/to attempt/vb to/to say/vb what/wdt spirit/nn is/bez ,/, but/cc only/rb to/to employ/vb a/at commonly/rb used/vbn word/nn to/to designate/vb or/cc simply/rb identify/vb a/at common/jj experience/nn ./.
In/in the/at end/nn the/at good/jj man/nn ,/, John/np Proctor/np ,/, expresses/vbz what/wdt the/at audience/nn has/hvz already/rb come/vbn to/to feel/vb when/wrb he/pps says/vbz ,/, ``/`` A/at fire/nn ,/, a/at fire/nn is/bez burning/vbg !/. !/.
I/ppss hear/vb the/at boot/nn of/in Lucifer/np ,/, I/ppss see/vb his/pp$ filthy/jj face/nn ''/'' !/. !/.
The/at tragic/jj irony/nn of/in the/at play/nn is/bez that/cs the/at very/ap belief/nn in/in and/cc concern/nn with/in a/at devil/nn who/wps could/md be/be met/vbn in/in the/at woods/nns and/cc combatted/vbn with/in formulae/nns set/vbn out/rp in/in books/nns was/bedz the/at very/ap thing/nn that/wps prevented/vbd them/ppo from/in detecting/vbg the/at real/jj devil/nn when/wrb he/pps came/vbd among/in them/ppo ./.
We/ppss marvel/vb at/in their/pp$ blindness/nn for/in not/* seeing/vbg this/dt ./.
Yet/cc are/ber not/* we/ppss of/in the/at mid-twentieth/od century/nn ,/, who/wps rightly/rb do/do not/* believe/vb there/ex is/bez any/dti such/jj ``/`` thing/nn ''/'' as/cs the/at devil/nn ,/, just/ql as/ql bad/jj off/rp as/cs they/ppss --/-- only/rb in/in a/at different/jj way/nn ?/. ?/.
In/in our/pp$ disbelief/nn we/ppss think/vb that/cs we/ppss can/md no/ql longer/rbr even/rb use/vb the/at word/nn and/cc so/cs are/ber unable/jj to/to even/rb name/vb the/at elemental/jj power/nn which/wdt is/bez so/ql vividly/rb real/jj in/in this/dt play/nn ./.
We/ppss are/ber left/vbn helpless/jj to/to cope/vb with/in it/ppo because/cs we/ppss do/do not/* dare/vb speak/vb of/in it/ppo as/cs anything/pn real/jj for/in fear/nn that/cs to/to do/do so/rb would/md imply/vb a/at commitment/nn to/in that/dt which/wdt has/hvz already/rb been/ben discredited/vbn and/cc proved/vbn false/jj ./.


	Even/rb Mr./np Miller/np himself/ppl seems/vbz uncertain/jj on/in this/dt score/nn ./.
In/in a/at long/jj commentary/nn which/wdt he/pps has/hvz inserted/vbn in/in the/at published/vbn text/nn of/in the/at first/od act/nn of/in the/at play/nn ,/, he/pps says/vbz at/in one/cd point/nn :/: ``/`` However/rb ,/, that/dt experience/nn never/rb raised/vbd a/at doubt/nn in/in his/pp$ mind/nn as/in to/in the/at reality/nn of/in the/at underworld/nn or/cc the/at existence/nn of/in Lucifer's/np$ many-faced/jj lieutenants/nns ./.
And/cc his/pp$ belief/nn is/bez not/* to/in his/pp$ discredit/nn ./.
Better/jjr minds/nns than/cs Hale's/np$ were/bed --/-- and/cc still/rb are/ber --/-- convinced/vbn that/cs there/ex is/bez a/at society/nn of/in spirits/nns beyond/in our/pp$ ken/nn ''/'' ./.
(/( page/nn 33/cd )/) On/in the/at other/ap hand/nn ,/, a/at little/ql later/rbr on/rp he/pps says/vbz :/: ``/`` Since/in 1692/cd a/at great/jj but/cc superficial/jj change/nn has/hvz wiped/vbn out/rp God's/np$ beard/nn and/cc the/at Devil's/nn$-tl horns/nns ,/, but/cc the/at world/nn is/bez still/rb gripped/vbn between/in two/cd diametrically/rb opposed/vbn absolutes/nns ./.
The/at concept/nn of/in unity/nn ,/, in/in which/wdt positive/nn and/cc negative/nn are/ber attributes/nns of/in the/at same/ap force/nn ,/, in/in which/wdt good/nn and/cc evil/nn are/ber relative/jj ,/, ever-changing/jj ,/, and/cc always/rb joined/vbn to/in the/at same/ap phenomenon/nn --/-- such/abl a/at concept/nn is/bez still/rb reserved/vbn to/in the/at physical/jj sciences/nns and/cc to/in the/at few/ap who/wps have/hv grasped/vbn the/at history/nn of/in ideas/nns ./.
When/wrb we/ppss see/vb the/at steady/jj and/cc methodical/jj inculcation/nn into/in humanity/nn of/in the/at idea/nn of/in man's/nn$ worthlessness/nn --/-- until/cs redeemed/vbn --/-- the/at necessity/nn of/in the/at Devil/nn-tl may/md become/vb evident/jj as/cs a/at weapon/nn ,/, a/at weapon/nn designed/vbn and/cc used/vbn time/nn and/cc time/nn again/rb in/in every/at age/nn to/to whip/vb men/nns into/in a/at surrender/nn to/in a/at particular/jj church/nn or/cc church-state/nn ''/'' ./.
(/( page/nn 34/cd )/) 

	Apparently/rb he/pps does/doz not/* intend/vb that/cs those/dts who/wps read/vb or/cc view/vb this/dt play/nn should/md think/vb of/in the/at devil/nn as/cs being/beg actually/ql real/jj ./.
Yet/rb such/abl is/bez the/at dramatic/jj power/nn of/in his/pp$ writing/nn that/cs the/at audience/nn is/bez nevertheless/rb left/vbn in/in the/at grip/nn of/in the/at terrible/jj power/nn and/cc potency/nn of/in that/dt which/wdt came/vbd over/in Salem/np ./.
It/pps casts/vbz a/at spell/nn upon/in them/ppo so/cs that/cs they/ppss leave/vb with/in a/at feeling/nn of/in having/hvg been/ben in/in the/at mysterious/jj presence/nn of/in an/at evil/jj power/nn ./.
It/pps is/bez not/* enough/ap in/in accounting/vbg for/in this/dt feeling/nn to/to analyze/vb it/ppo into/in the/at wickedness/nn of/in individual/jj people/nns added/vbn together/rb to/to produce/vb a/at cumulative/jj effect/nn ./.
For/cs this/dt does/doz not/* account/vb for/in the/at integral/jj ,/, elemental/jj power/nn of/in that/dt which/wdt grows/vbz with/in abounding/vbg vigor/nn as/cs the/at play/nn unfolds/vbz ,/, nor/cc does/doz it/ppo explain/vb the/at strange/jj numinous/jj sense/nn of/in presentness/nn which/wdt comes/vbz over/rp those/dts who/wps watch/vb the/at play/nn like/cs a/at spell/nn ./.
The/at reality/nn of/in spirit/nn emerges/vbz in/in this/dt play/nn in/in spite/nn of/in the/at author's/nn$ convictions/nns to/in the/at contrary/nn ./.



Spirit/nn-hl and/cc-hl community/nn-hl 


	There/ex is/bez nothing/pn in/in the/at whole/jj range/nn of/in human/jj experience/nn more/ql widely/rb known/vbn and/cc universally/rb felt/vbn than/cs spirit/nn ./.
Apart/rb from/in spirit/nn there/ex could/md be/be no/at community/nn ,/, for/cs it/pps is/bez spirit/nn which/wdt draws/vbz men/nns into/in community/nn and/cc gives/vbz to/in any/dti community/nn its/pp$ unity/nn ,/, cohesiveness/nn ,/, and/cc permanence/nn ./.
Think/vb ,/, for/in example/nn ,/, of/in the/at spirit/nn of/in the/at Marine/nn-tl Corps/nn-tl ./.
Surely/rb this/dt is/bez a/at reality/nn we/ppss all/abn acknowledge/vb ./.
We/ppss cannot/md* ,/, of/in course/nn ,/, assign/vb it/ppo any/dti substance/nn ./.
It/pps is/bez not/* material/nn and/cc is/bez not/* a/at ``/`` thing/nn ''/'' occupying/vbg space/nn and/cc time/nn ./.
Yet/cc it/pps exists/vbz and/cc has/hvz an/at objective/jj reality/nn which/wdt can/md be/be experienced/vbn and/cc known/vbn ./.
So/rb it/pps is/bez too/rb with/in many/ap other/ap spirits/nns which/wdt we/ppss all/abn know/vb :/: the/at spirit/nn of/in Nazism/np or/cc Communism/nn-tl ,/, school/nn spirit/nn ,/, the/at spirit/nn of/in a/at street/nn corner/nn gang/nn or/cc a/at football/nn team/nn ,/, the/at spirit/nn of/in Rotary/jj-tl or/cc the/at Ku/np Klux/np Klan/np ./.
Every/at community/nn ,/, if/cs it/pps is/bez alive/jj has/hvz a/at spirit/nn ,/, and/cc that/dt spirit/nn is/bez the/at center/nn of/in its/pp$ unity/nn and/cc identity/nn ./.


	In/in searching/vbg for/in clues/nns which/wdt might/md lead/vb us/ppo to/in a/at fresh/jj apprehension/nn of/in the/at reality/nn of/in spirit/nn ,/, the/at close/jj connection/nn between/in spirit/nn and/cc community/nn is/bez likely/jj to/to prove/vb the/at most/ql fruitful/jj ./.
For/cs it/pps is/bez primarily/rb in/in community/nn that/cs we/ppss know/vb and/cc experience/vb spirit/nn ./.
It/pps is/bez spirit/nn which/wdt gives/vbz life/nn to/in a/at community/nn and/cc causes/vbz it/ppo to/to cohere/vb ./.
It/pps is/bez the/at spirit/nn which/wdt is/bez the/at source/nn of/in a/at community's/nn$ drawing/vbg power/nn by/in means/nns of/in which/wdt others/nns are/ber drawn/vbn into/in it/ppo from/in the/at world/nn outside/rb so/cs that/cs the/at community/nn grows/vbz and/cc prospers/vbz ./.
Yet/cc the/at spirit/nn which/wdt lives/vbz in/in community/nn is/bez not/* identical/jj with/in the/at community/nn ./.
The/at idea/nn of/in community/nn and/cc the/at idea/nn of/in spirit/nn are/ber two/cd distinct/jj and/cc separable/jj ideas/nns ./.


	One/cd characteristic/nn of/in the/at spirit/nn in/in community/nn is/bez its/pp$ givenness/nn ./.
The/at members/nns of/in the/at community/nn do/do not/* create/vb the/at spirit/nn but/cc rather/rb find/vb it/ppo present/jj and/cc waiting/vbg for/in them/ppo ./.
It/pps is/bez for/in them/ppo a/at given/vbn which/wdt they/ppss and/cc they/ppss alone/rb possess/vb ./.
The/at spirit/nn of/in the/at Marine/nn-tl Corps/nn-tl was/bedz present/jj and/cc operative/jj before/cs any/dti of/in the/at present/jj members/nns of/in it/ppo came/vbd into/in it/ppo ./.
It/pps is/bez they/ppss ,/, of/in course/nn ,/, who/wps keep/vb it/ppo alive/jj and/cc preserve/vb it/ppo so/cs the/at same/ap spirit/nn will/md continue/vb to/to be/be present/jj in/in the/at Corps/nn-tl for/in future/jj recruits/nns to/to find/vb as/cs they/ppss come/vb into/in it/ppo ./.