New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

losophy Victor Cousin is certainly the most re-
,narkable. whether we regard his profound Snowl-
edge of the history Of philosophical development,
his own sagacity and acuteness IN the solution OF
the problems psychology, or the singular elegance
and symmetry with which Represents the systems
of great metaphy steal thinkers. His Eclecticsm
has been urged as an objection to his originality.
But this charge ia quite superficial. As COUSIN
explains Eclec tcism, it is not an arbitrary picking
and choosing here and there of notions that seem
fitted to be wrought into a sort of metaphysica
mosaic, but scientific procedure founded, IN re"'
ty, on the necessary laws Of human thought. Coh-
pare the Eelectcism of Cousin with the EN- 'rici'h
of English philosophy, and the accusation Is seen
10 be ridiculous. Cousin has shown, by most
admirable analysis, that the fruit OF all specnla-
ton hitherto is of these four systein' sensu-
alism idealisrn, skepticism, mysticism. ms ilct
grows cut Of the nature Of the human mIni ana
the inherent limitation of its faculties. Each Oh
these systems is partial and so far as 1T excludes
+be others il erroneous. But each contains
NORTON of trth-renects certain aspect OF real
;tv-bas its prototype in the essential laws OF the
universe. perfect philosophy must combine the
elements of truth involved in each system. COUSIN
to the facts Of consciousness. We regard TINS
portion of his writings as of great philosophical
value. No finer specimens Of profound analysis can
be found in any language. Their sharp discriml-
nation is equaed only by their crystalline clear
ness.
Nor less important are Cousins striking genera
izations on the progress of history True, they
were suggested by the arid distractions OF Hegel.
So much the greater is the merit OF reproducing
them in forms of such captivating beauty. They
have been reproached for their love of paradox.
We admit that Cousin sometimes sports with an
ingenious theory but apart from this, no writer
has more firmly seized the true spirit of history
or presented more fruitful views the charac-
teristics of its great epochs.
We do not claim for Cousin the position OF
mere system maker. lie is something more than
that. He represents the philosophy of the present
century, which he has greatly enriched by his own
labors. He has absorbed all that is original and
permanent in the speculation of the age; but
submitting it to the forming action of his own in
tellect he has reduced it to a shapely synthesis,
which we shall look for elsewhere in vain Cousin
is thus far the last word Of European philosophy
its direction and its results can in no way be SO
well understood as by the study of his writings.
But we did not intend to indulge in any length
ened remarks on this attractive subject. We must
hasten to less agreeable one, and point out the
merits of these volumes as an aid to the study of
Cousins Ececticism.
The translator mtmates that there are many
young men in this country to whom his abors in
presenting u "work of extraordinary merit and
beauty" will be welcome, earnest thinkers who
are determined to fathom every system, who mean
that the United States shall excel all other nations
in sound speculation, in scholarship, in literature,
az well rs in political institutions, commerce, and
the useful arts" We venture to suggest, Blythe
by, that Fourth Of July patriotism can hardly be
made available a motive for sincere philosophical
] studies. Judging from the preface, however, we
infer that the translator is sangunc in regard to
the effects which will be produced by his introduce
ton of nj. Cousin to the American public. He
evidently assumes the position Of pioneer in the
good work, or he would not have maintained such
guarded silence in respect to his predecessors IN
the same field. His opening sentence, we will not
say is Intentionally deceptive but it is, certainly,
unfortunately ambiguous. IN. Cousins Course
of the History of Modern Philosophy is here for
the first time entire presented to the English read
er." But the fact is that, of the three volumes
from which this translation is made the whole of
the first volume-a complete work in itsef-was
translated in Boston in 1882, by DIR. Linberg, and
gave no small impulse to the study of Cousin
among the young men" of that day. This trans
1ation Of the Introduction to the History of Phi
losophy" is made with admirable spirit and fidelity,
and is in every way superior to the present trans
Iaton, except in those portions where we observe
a singular coincidence between the two.
A short time after, the greater part of the third
volume was translated by Professor G. :. Henry,
of this City. under the title of Elcpents of Psy-
chology," and passed rapidly through three edi-
tions, having been adopted as a part of tho aca-
IDENTICAL course in several literary institutions. No
allusion, whatever, is made BY the present trans
lator to these antecedcnts he virtually ignores
their labors; he would seem to claim a monopoly
of Cousin with American students; and hence
challenges a scrutiny into his pretensions, as a
matter of literary justice. On this account, we
have examined his translation with more attention
than we can usually give to the publications which
1t is our duty to review We regret that our con-
illusions are so little favorable to tho author.
His translation is wholly unworthy of the great
work which it undertakes to represent. In numer-
Gus instances it mistakes the sense of the original.
1t completely fails to reach the delicate precision
essential to philosophical language, and of which
Cousin Is such consummate master. His glow
ing eloqnence could perhaps scarcely be expected
to survive translation; but surely its decent burial
required something more appropriate than the
starched winding sheet in which it is here arrayed.
No effort appears to have been made to exclude
French idioms; a word similar to that in the orgi-
anal is often ssed where an important shade Of diff
ference exists between the French and English