New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-09-19
celebrated aphorism of Sir James Macintosh that

grows; development is not only common to both
but it is the supreme fact in the nature Of both
Development" is undoubtedly the term OF deepest
import in modern science. A few years ago animals
were considered and classified according to their
obvious pecularities of aspect end structure; but
it is now found that the true aiHities of organisms
and the homoogues of their parts can only be made
ont by the study Of their evolution, and hence en-
bryology has become the basis Of natural history
So the old mode of treating mind vas by simple
ANALYSIS of the faculties Of the adult but now the
method is TO trace the mind in its growthto study
the intellectual and emotiye faculties in their gene.
sis and the laws Of their unfolding.
II is therefore in accordance with the rpest tend
encies Of science that Professor Draper has consd
cred the intellectual history of Europe as devcl
opment," with It's ombryoogy ard its definite career
of evolution, and made our knowledge Of the more
familiar cases of growth guide TO the more OBJ
scure. His plan is first TO trace the intellectual
career of Greece and afterward that Of the remaining
European continent. In his first chapter lie says
OR obvious course is first to study the progress
of that member of the European family the eldest
in point of advancement and TO endeayor TO asceT-
tain the characteristics of its mental unfolding
We may reasonably expect that the younger mem-
beers of the family more or less distinctly Will appear
as illustrations of the same mode OF adv anceihcht
that We shall thus find for Greece, and that the
whole continent. which is the sum Of these different
parts Will in its secular progress compor itself III
ike way. Proceeding from those times e pre-
historic. we shall i'll detail examine the iniellee-
tual or philosophical movement first exhibited II
Greece, ondcayoring TO ascertain lis character al
successive epochs, and thereby 10 judge OF is com
plete nature. Fortunately for or purpose, the IL
formation is here sufficient both in amount and
distinctncSs Tho intellectual progress of Europe
being of nature answering 20 that observed in the
case Of Greece and this in lis iu being like that
of an individual we may conveniently separate u
into arbitrary periods sufficiently distinct from one
another. though imperecptibly merging into each
other. To these successive periods shall give the
titles of: ]. The Age Of Crcduhty; :. The Age o'
INQUIRY: 3. The Age of Faith 1. Tho Age Of itea-
son; ). The Age OF Decreptudc and shall Use these
designations in the division Of subject IN IFS sew
eral characters
Its impossible in our limited space 10 convey
any adequate idea Of The scope and contents ~ II
worL Ike tie present., but we may briefly refer 10
the anal isis of the phases Of Greek thought. The
Greek age O: crodulity was marked ty cxirayaean'
supcrstiiions, belief in sorccry, epchai'ments'
MYTHS and legend. innumoIabie. With no know!-
edge Of nature, weak and helpless in the midst OF
her inexorablo activities. with reason urdeyoloped
and Imagination unchecked, the earth, sea and All
were peoplcd With isnciiui beings who were sup
posed 10 control all terrestrial events. Blending
with mythical traditions from India and Egypt,
these suporstitons grew at length inoGy inytho-
logical system which ." recommended itself 10 a
people who found pleasure IL accepting without any
question statements 10 matter how marvellous, in
posiures 10 matter how prcposiorous. Gods, heroes
monsters and men might figure together without
any outrage to probability when there was no as
tronomy, no geography, 10 rule Of evidence no
standard Of belief. But the downfall q such q
sv-,on was inevitable soon as men began T. deal
with facts, as soon as hifiory commenced TO record
and philosophy 20 discuss"
The Greek age Of Inquiry may be said 70 com
meuoe with the opening Of the ports Of TIE M'dl-
tcrranean by the Egyptians, Is. {. go. Tbs gave
An impulse 10 Groek commerce, aud aroused tnni
Of adventure AMI maritime discovery. The expo
rence thus acquired tended to dissps'e mythology
cal srperstit.ons. How was it possible that all
the rnarvels Of the Mediterranean and Black ssas,
the sorccrcrs cnchantors, giants and monster 81
tie deep. should survive when these seas were
dali, crossed in all directions How was il poss-
bic tin, the notion Of fat earth bounded by the
horizon and borlorcd by the circumhnous ocean
could maintain itself, whom colonies were being
founded in Gaul, and the Phcnicians were bringing
Tin from beyond the Pillars of licrculerl' The
frs, ouickcung If the intellect cast discrcd upon
thcmythoocica cIirayagances, aud they began 40 be
INTERPRETED in an unliiera. sense Is fablsoi wisdom
81 II was an olniuous circumstance that The lOlian
Greeks. WHO first began 70 phlosophizc, commenced
their labors by depersonifying the elements, and
treating not Of Zeus, PoSeidon, and liades, but OF
air water, and fire. The destruction Of theological!
conceptions led iuesstby 70 the destruction Of ro-
ligious practices. To diyinitos whose existence he
denied, the philosopher ceased 10 pray. or what
use were sacricia olerngs and en,rcaiies directed
10 phantasms Of the imagnatOnl But advantages
night accrue from the study Of the impersonal ec-
inents." The early Greek philosophy is considered
as originating with TLales, Go IL. &. The ques-
,ions were still the same. How was the world
forInedl What Is the origin Of all thingsI But
while these ambitious inquiries were ct first all
swered myttolog'coiy, they now began to be an
swered physicaiiy. Thaes ascrbcd the principle OF
water as the cause Of all things; Anaximencs be-
heyed 1t to be air; Hcraclitus, fire. Numerous
systems of mental philosophy arose embracing the
whole field of speculation; but the interminable
disagreements Of tho sects ended in utter discord
and anarchy Of thought. Al this point commenced
the action Of the Sophsts who BY setting the doc
u. ncs OF nna schnol IN OppOsitiOn 70 those Of