New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
rHr PHILOSOPHY OF EVOLUTION.
THE PRINCIPLES OF PsYCH0LQGf; ~ H = ro

,,o,us of a New system of Philosophy, proposing to
.-,,,nize our latest knowledge of Life. Mind, and
Society into unified scheme. and upon great prin-
.;nle original with himself; and when it was init
mated that this system would require some ten
volumes and twenty years work; and when, more
over il was known that Mr.. Spencer was man III
broken health. and without pecuuiary means 10
carly on his undertaking, and proposed to rely upon
subscriptions to his philosophc serial to carry If on
The project was regarded the most chimerica ana
Quixotic of anything TO be found in all the annals
of literary adventure. Still, person who copre-
bonded the immense advance of modern knowledge
oould thourhtfillly consider that remarkable pros
pectus without perceving that the mind that. drew
twas also the mind to execute II, and there were
some who had strong faith in it's realization IhaG
system is now far advanced in it's construction
having reached the fourth volume. First Princpies
LAYS the foundations of the methods two volumes OF
Biology present the general principles OF the science
of Life and in the first volume of the Psychology
Just published, we have elaborate and orig
inal presentation of the general principles OF the
Science of Mind. The system has been translated
into French and Russian all the works have been
reprinted in this country, and the views developer
in them are affecting the cultivated mind Of the age
more profoundly, perhaps, tben chose Of any other
living man. Tie latest exemplifcation of tins is
its report Of Parliamentary proceedings In deoa'e
in the House of Lords on the policy of education AT
Oxford the Marquis of Salisbury the Chancellor OF
that University In enumerating the agencies by
which the higher mind of that great seat OF learning
Is most powerfully influenced, stated that the
First Principles and the Psychology of Mr. Herbert
Snencer are beginning to be very widely studied"
These volumes have indeed been introduced as text
books into that University, and examination papers
set 70 them.
Tn disnossionate student of the progress of opin-
ion will recognize that these works of Mr. Spencer
mark and embodv great transition Of thought, and
rs in all transitions there cannot fail to be much
that is painful the views of Mr.. Spencer have natu-
rally provoked great amount of adverse criticism
But with much wanton Misrepresentation there has
been more unfavorable criticism due to misappre-
hension Of so large a subject.
In his late volume on Science Philosophy, and Re
licion Dr. BascOm refers to the writings OF Herbert
Spencer in the following terms: 6 1t is an utterly III
ADEQUATE and unsatisfactory treatment of such works
as those of Herbert Spencer to blow against them
swarn of petty criticisms. They are too compacty
constructed too consistent with themselves, to be
affected by minor measures. They are IN their lead
ing drift either greatly right or greatly wrong ana
which 1t is must be determnd by the key OF the po-
sition. the psychology If il be erroneous, 1t is
prealy erroneous and its errors cannot fail i'll this
critical age 10 be unspariugy exposed; but if Mr..
Spepcers doctrines turn out to be substantially true
in tber Diff, and rs system, their influence will be
indeed momeutous for the leading branches of hui
man thourh theoretical and practical will be radi-
cay affected by them.
Yet the kew To a Judgment of the system which DR..
Bascom suggests is hardly the right one and viii be
very liable TO prove misleading That system is
coherent and cOngTuOus body OF doctrines when
claims 10 be based upon universal law, and 1t must
be iudged by the validity of the evidence brought
forward in behalf of that law. This is the law of
Evolution Mr.. Spencers philosophy is the philos-
ophy Of evolution, and by this principle ii must
stand or fall No doubt if the principle of evolution
is not operative in the world of mind Mr. Spencers
system VIII be dscredited yet that is not the place
to send the student for data to make up his mind as
10 the truth Of the principle itself because II is the
most complex, obscure, and difficult of all de-
partments Of investigation. 1t would be as
If an opponent of Newton had insisted
upon Judging Of the truth of the law of
eravitation 10y appealing To those remote and uncer
tain cases in which the working of the law was least
verfable Itisnot thus that new theories are to be
Judged II the broad dnft of evidence is in favor of
theory ana il explains whole tracts of phenomena
before inexphcable though there remain Outsand-
ing difficulties il is yet entitled TO acceptance The
history of the growth of all science is the history of
views accepted first grounds of partial evidence
and general probability, and the well-established
policy in such is TO trust to time to clear
anomalies. 1t was 80 with the law of TavltatiOn.
Facts were against il which Newton admitted, and
could not remove, and which were only harmOnized
with it long after hs death-whie the most conclu-
sive proofs Of the theory only reached by the
present generation.
The conscientious student Of Spencer will there
i. . e., III hot
is the proof that there is a law Of evolution in
nature and. if there be such law, what is its
extent and what the formula by which it is eX-
pressed That there IS q great principle OF develop
Inent in nature however formulated, may be looked
upon now as very generally admitted. The scientific
world has been gradually rallying to this position,
and the leaders in the religious world are not far
behind them. In a recently published sermon the
Rev Henry Ward Beecher thus fairly indicates the
state of thought upon the subject: Although there
is much yet to be made known, it seems to me that
all thinking who have taken the trouble to
inform themselves about these facts believe in the
theory Of evolution. that the theory by which
God created the world and the races consists in the
development, the unfolding of everything from
seine anterior and less perfect state. , Although
many Of the later applications of the theory of
DEVELOPMENT require ripeniug, yet they foreshadOw,
think if not the very truth, yet the direction in
which the truth lies; and we may as well prepare
Oulselyes 10 accept il. Tor one, am ready
But II tlis be a true principle if the human mind
has arrived at the mighty conception OF a a"rerse
a. eroloa his is surely one of the greatest events
in The intellectual career of humanity To know
the order # things in the midst Of which we are
placed is not only the first aspiration of awakening
mind but it is the eternal problem of philosophy,
and to have reached profound clue to that order
as is furnished by a law of universal evolution
gives 4 me-. and greatly advanced standing point