New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-17


and the mnrky, cynical and despairing spirit OF
| Arthur Scbopenhauer His doctrine may be de-
scr;hed as a transitional form from the dealism OF
Kant TO the realism of the present. lie maintains
with Kant that space and time and the categorles
of thought have purely subjective origin, and are
valid only for representations IN CONSCIOUSNESS.
But in opposition TO Kant, he denies tha' inc
reality which 10 independent of our representations
| is unknowable. This be finds in the phenomena
of the will, which are fully known to us
through internal perception He includes IN
the viii, not only conscious desire but also I'M
conscious instinct, and the forces which manifest
themselves in inorganic nature All intelligence
serves originally the will to live. His ethical re-
qurements are sympathy with the suffering, and,
above all, the modification in ourselves by ascetic
discipline not only of life but of the viii to live.
In his opinion the world the worst of all possible
worlds. The lot of man is invincbe misery The
hope of happiness is but dream of sentiment The
highest ethical work Of man, accordingly, is the
annhaton of the viii to live. For time it was
the fashion TO believe in Schopenhauer But his
system has no coheTGRCe. and hence no peTmanenoe.
Original aphOrsms. loosely united with each other
in a seeming whole, can produce only transient
effect.
The method of the author in the composition Of
the work must be eminently satisfactory TO the
student, who demands eXactness OF analysis, com
pleeness Of detail, and lucidity of statement. 1t
presents, in the first place. sketch of the general
principles Of the philosophical system which is the
subject of investigation then succinct biographi-
cal notice of the author this is followed by full
exposition of his ideas as developed in his different
works while the discussion is closed with biblio-
graphy remarkable for s accurate and often It's eX-
haustive character. The reader is thus furnished
with a complete apparatus for studying the history
Of opinion and it viii be his own fault if he does not
obtain an adequate mastery of the subject.
The second volume of the American edition re-
ceives rich suTplusage of value from the disserta-
ton of President Porter on English and American
Philosophy" and that of Professor Botta, on
Italian Philosophy" which are contained in
copious appendix at the end of the work Dr. Porter
presents an admirable survey OF English philosophy
prior to the time Of Locke, including notices of
the profound idealists Of that age, Sir
John Davies, Lord Herbert of Cnerbury,
Henry More, Ralph Cudworth, and John
Smith of Queens College. Cambridge. This
is succeeded by a terse account Of Locke, and Of his
critics and defenders under which latter head
variety Of information is set forth which cannot
but be novel, for The most part even to readers who
are familiar with eprogress of English philosophy
The hisOryis brought down to recent dates describ
ing the systems of Reid. Dugald Stewart, Thomas
Brown, Sir William Hamilton, and closing with
John Stuart Mill. Alexander Balm and Herbert
Spencer, with references to many thinkers and
writers of less prominent note. DR.. Porter sthen
passes in review the meager List Of American philo
sOphoal writer's at the head Of whom he justly places
Jonathan Edwards with the remark, that "wlile
America cannot boast of many writers Of pre-
eminent philosophical ability or achievements, II
can show record of honorable interest on the part
of not few of its scholars in speculative studies,
both pure and applied. These have attracted the
attention of a large number of the educated men Of
the country, and have lent special fascination 10
some of its most eminent writers and to special de-
partments of its literature" The singuIariy im-
partial manner in which President Porter has
handled this subject, without regard TO theological
preferences or personal associations, does the
highest credit to his fairness Of mind,
and his eminent sense Of justice as the
expounder of opinions often at direct variance with
his own. The wealth of bbliographcal detail
which accompanies his record of speculative
thought indicates thoroughness and accuracy OF
literary research which is not always connected
with the habit of profound reflection.
Professor Botta's essay Italian philosophy is a
full and valuable monograph for the student Of the
philosophical history of the present century. Passing
lightly over the development Of ideas at the
revival of letters, it presents series OF
brief but felicitous sketches Of the earlier
philosophers, reservng its principal strength
for 1.-THE exposition of 1.-THE more important
cotemporary systems. One Of the most interesting
sections of the dissertation is devoted TO Bosniui
the founder Of modern Idealsm in Italy Accord
ing TO him. philosophy is the product Of the highest
reflection, forming the science Of ultimate reasons.
II is the basis of all sciences in the universal sphere
1,o az MI
morality the three forms under which being mani
tests itself. He reduces the problem of knowledge
to the intellectual perception Of reality, rejecting
the solutions given by the principal philosophers Of
ancient and modern times, He, however, ac-
cepts the views Of Kant Oh tho nature OF
perception, placing it in a Judgment, the sub
ject Of which is given by our sensbty
and the attribute by our mind, the one being fur
nished by experience, the other having transcend
entail origin. The objective form OF the mind is
Being in its idealty. The idea OF being is the con-
dition of all mental acts Essentially simple one
and identical il cannot originate in consciousness
1t has divine origin. Indeed it is the very nell
gence of God communicated TO the mind under the
form of ideality. An appreciatiye exposition IS
given of the philosophy of GiOborti, which must
pass over in order to mako room for a few words
on the most conspicuous living Italian philosopher,
Terenzio Mamiani the chief dcfonder of the method
of anthology. In his system, the knowledge
of the real and the ideal is effected through pcrcop
ton and intellection two faculties essentially ais
tinct, though acting together in the subjective unity
of the mind. The first consists in an immediate TO-
latiOn of the mind to finite realities. The second Is
the relation of the mind to ideas, which have an
essential connection with absolute reality giving
the mind an intrinsic relation to the most real be-
ing Ideas are intellectual symbols of the absolute
reality i'll its relation of causalty. While to our
consciousness, they are mere representatiye eIn-