New-York tribune., 1874-09-21
virtues and igh qualities of the people OF Ulster
have nothing but sincere admiration. O. IS.
LOGICAL VIEW OF THE MATERIALIST
THEORY.


A LOGICAL VIEW OF THE MATERiALlsT
THEORY.
LECTURE BY DR. McoosH-PRoF. rYsDALLs HISTORIC
Cal. CITATIONS FRAGMENTARY AND DEFECTIVE
GREAT DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY IGNORED
--aREAr TRUTHS WHICH TYNDALLs THEORY CAN
NOT EXPLAIN.
fyeoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.l
PRINCETON N. j., Sept. 16.-The enterprise
OF THE TRIBUNE publishing so soon a1ter their de-
livery the full OF the recent remarkhoe hddresses
of Professors TyDdan and Huxley before the British
Association, has received much commentator In this
community OF students and scholars. And since the
great majority of those interested In those grand topics
constantly look to the columns OF The TRIBUNE for In
formation concerning them. hasten TO send you an
account OF lecture delivered In the Metaphysical de-
partment OF the College to-day by fresluenS MeCosn
Its chief interest present lies IN the fact tnat large
portion Of it was occupied with mastery reply to
Prof. Tyndalls address In favor OF Materallsm
The term mastery deliberate one although the
lecture must have been hastily prepared. since Its
famous author returned only Thursday last from his
vacation visit TO Scotland and must nave oeen very
busy since his return with the various duties winch the
opening Of College year OF necessity lays upon
him.
The occasion of Dr. McCoshs lecture to-day was
the opening OF his annual course 70 the Senior
Class on the History OF Philosophy" 1t is
customary to give, in connection with the general
outline Of the course, discussion OF some
special topic as an introduction, and Prof TyndaPs re-
cent defense of Materaiism afforded fitting text for
the special discourse to-day pretty fuli abstract OF
which herewith present from copious notes.
"Deep thinkers" began DIR. McCosh when he reached
this part of his subject from the earliest times have
had profound views of Nature. Tynda, in his recent
lecture, gives account OF some OF the views among
the ancients and, however able and sklfu he may be
in science he shows he is yro In philosophy
apparently obtaining his knowledge at secondhand,
and not always from the best authorities Oae would
gather from his lecture that the ancents were chiefly
Materiasts, who had no perception OF an intelligent
designing cause In Nature whereas, the fact is that
the great leading philosophers among the ancients-
those had done most TO mold present thought-are
the ones who persisted In claiming the existence OF some
intelligent designing back OF Nature Six hundred
years before Christ In the person OF Buddha reflected
thought wss awakened, and the reformation he set In
motion was simply recoi from the sensuahty ana
materiasm OF the Brahmns About the same time'
Confucius led in q similar reformation in China.
Then came the leading Greek philosophers, all seeking
TO find out the great prevailing or underlying idea OF
nature and each school OF philosophy contributing some
idea to the solution OF the problem thereby securing
steady progress from vague aud general ideas up to
that OF one controlling and intelligent personal cause
The Ionic school, which fourished about 500 years be-
fore Christ discovered elements which they con-
sdered 10 udere nature Then the Py thagoreans
who saw not only certain primary elements In nature
but some power regulating these elements Their at
tention was attracted toward Number and Form as
beng prominent part in the structure OF the universe
And Hersche said that modern science goes 10
show that they did not unduy magnify NnmDer; bu.
there must be something besides Form ana Number 10
bind together the heeting. And 80 the Eeauc schoo
discovered something beneath Number ana f0rmLs9me
which be increased or diminished
which be the origin OF that great ana important
doctrine now recogn zed as the o tUrce
Anaxagoras and although none OF his WRITINGS are eIl,
his cotemporaries He introduced two important lueas'
% the Noces which is the Greek term for mnd Anaxa-
goras could not avoid the conclusion that behind nature
there must be an intelligence produce all this variety
and harmony OF organization ana this power ne desg
mated The Noees He also introduced ~ the doctrine oi
Homogeneous Elements which now holds a prominent
place under the form or chemical eq1lVa-
lens Then came the scian Pnios0pner r ic
now appears the great scientific truth expressed by
attraction and repulsion. Cotemporaneous with TINS
latter philosopher was Denocrl'us oi wnoh ~,
gives a correct enough account But the dOctrlne OF
life His atoms" are all without sensation. and the
problem is how 10 generate sensation e ami personal
Intelligence from a lot Of insensate particles
After Democrtus comes Socrates with his grand, In
vincibe truth Foresight and Design which mas never
TO he present time He illustrates his doctrine by ref
erence to the eye Saws Socrates: Is not that Proy
dence in a most eminent manner conspicuous, which,
because eye of Is so delicate Ia IT'S conjecture
hath prepared eyelds ike doors whereby TO
secure il; which extend of themselves whenever 1t
needful, aud again close when sleep approaches Are
Ss Ss eds dsse Of h@ 20 on the Wind and
eyei Is 1t not TO be admired that the ear should
TOO too much ilIed by themi That the fOre-teeth
OF the animal should be formed IN 81 suea s manner %
on the side grinding 1t 10 pieces Nor dld Plao,
in many things, attempt to set aside the grand doc
trne of intelligent design III Nature but added 10 IL MS
equally i'm portant doctrine Of Ideas which he cou-
sidered the essence and archetypes OF the Infinite
Mnd-the principles 10 which we refer, IN tnough tne
great variety of things which principles however de-
Seloped By experience cannot have originated in IL.
Everything is governed by the laws Impressed upon 1t
siyays and the another form. accordance Wi IN
the la v 9 Impressed by infinite Intelligence.
carried forward doctrines OF Plato and Socrates by
the introduction OF his great doctrine In reference to
cause; 2) the Efficient cause 90 th9 Formal cause
which recognizes Patos doctrine OF Ideas III iorms)
statue III which the rough marble would DO the Nate
rial cause the sculptor would be the Efficient cause, the
likeness THAT Of Hercules for example, the Formal
cause and the purpose for which the statue was made
Bacon to whom the world is indebted for the grand
reconstruction OF the philosophical method OF the
ients fast by these four causes Of Aristotle Half
century after Bacon DescaItes took up the subject,
| and established complete distinction between mind
and matter But he carried the distinction SO far that
it required another great mind TO harmonic them. Tls
WAS In the OF Leibntz the most profound
| and comprehensive thinker Germany mas produced In
his doctrine OF PreGstaDshed Harmony, which is de-
velOpment of socrates doctrine OF Design, he brings
mind and matter together Inls great department Of
PHILOSOPHY through which, for 1880 years, the
cognition OF an Intelligent, designing back of
nature and which has had for champion the greatest
| philosophers OF all ages, Prof. Tyndal has entirely
| g1ored.
Tnat there is true doctrine OF Evolution. and one
which recognized in Scripture. hardly be doubted
But the question is, How far carry this doctrine
in accounting for tbs origin OF things animate and in
| animated Some think 1t is sufficient TO account for
everything think IT is not. Some think there Is no
limit 10 H. think there is, for there many things
which it cannot account for. IL is mere hypothesis
aud one contrary the facts In many cases Evolution
implies something to be evolved from, as IL ia utterly
account for the hrs form. Tynda thinks
the first form atom But 1t Is far easier 10 believe
and prove that there a personal God infinitely wise
and good 10 prove that insensate atoms the
source Of the systematic order In the world well as
of life and reason aud conscience This hypothesis OF
Tyndal utterly fails explain many great and mpor.
tant truhs patent observation OF those who choose
| TO reflect What are they}
i Irfat tIfaana in rp--TV