New-York tribune., 1874-07-04


laities of their genius on any of the secondary
influences which affected their writings OF arose out
of them.
"For method of this sort" adds be scornfully,
sit would seem there is some need among us. we
have been learning of late to know much more
about philosophers but il is possible for knowledge
about philosophers to flourish inversely as the
knowledge of philosophy" He is Of opinion that
the revived interest noticeable IN the history oil
philosophy may be indication either OF phlosoph-
ical YigOr or of philosophical decay, and 1T Is not
very difficult to guess ut whom the following yigor-
ous passage is launched.
In those whom intellectual Incidence, or msunder-
stood and dsavowed metaphysic has landed IN skepti-
csm there often survives curiosity about the literary
history OF philosophy and the writings which this curl
osty produoes tend further TO spread the notion that
philosophy is matter about which there has been much
guessing by great intoec but definite truth Is to DO
attained. IL is otherwise with those who see IN phli-
osophy progressive effort toward fully-arlieniaed
conception Of the world rational TO them its past
history OF representing steps III thS pro
gress which have already been taken for u.s. and which,
if will make them our Own carry US 90 lar on our
way toward the freedom of perfect understanding;
while 20 ignore them return TO the simplicity OF
prephilosophC age but 20 condemn ourselves 10 grOe
IN the maze OF oultyated opinion itself the confused
result Of those past systems OF thought which we VIII
not trouble ourselves 10 think ont
student animated with that spirit of sincere
devotion to speculative inquiry is not likely to be the
docle pupil of any teacher; nor does Mr. Green fall
into the hero-wOrshiping mood common to editors
and biographers. Hume TO him is the thinker VINO
has given clearest expression to a certain system,
but the value of that system lies in Its being an
effort to think to their logical issue certain notions
which since then have become cOmmonpaces with
o4oI E,,ol liShr hut cannot
rightly appreciated without detaching ourselves
from popular controversy. Restored to their orig
inal significance they will carry us by an mtellec-
tual necessity to those truer notions which nave
been their sequel in the development of philosophy
bur have not vet found their way into the culture
of our time The attempt to restore this value may
seem like pulling to pieces. But those who under
stand the difference between philosophical failures
which are because they are anachronlsms' ana
those which in their failure have brought out new
truth and compelled step forward in the progress
of thought" viii see that this process may be the
true way of showing reverence for his greatness.
Mr.. Green finds the genius of Locke and Hume in
their readiness to follow the lead of Ideas; their
spirit was the spirit of Rationalsm,-the spirit
which however baiiled and forced into inconsistent
admissions is still governed by the faith that all
things may ultimately be understood
Mr. Green does not scruple TO accuse Hume of in
consistency. He finds in him occasionally some
thing of the charatanTy Ot common sense IN pas
sages more worthy of BOlingbroke than himself
where he writes a champion of facts against met
aphyscal iargon." 1t is he elsewhere alleges from
its ambiguity that Humes position in regard to
ideas of relation derives at its plausbity and
its weakness and this Mr. Green even considers to
be specially characteristic of Hume" Oar respect
for Hume's thoroughness as philosopher respect
certainly due him. Mr.. Green would qualify in many
instances He stops to remark that some of his
figures are awkward. He asserts sharply that Hume
ignores the difference between feeling and thought
between consciousness and self-consciOusncss.
Mental equivOcatiOn" is another of his SINS and,
worse than that we hear of the continued shuttle"
by which Hume evades particular difficulty, and we
are asked to say whether his solution OF 1t is sense
OF nonsense after which we can hardly be sur
prised to be told that Hume's version of another
theory has the full ring of empirical plausibility"
OF a little further on to behold him. through Mr.
Green's spectacles, " riding two hCrses at once" /
quote extracts from only Il few of the passages
hffftte Marked To anybody ever so little familiar
with the amenities ofmetaphysical controversy they
will seem in no way remarkable. L quote them
simply to point out the distinctly critical attitude
Mr. Green has taken in relation to Hume; attitude
however, winch uOtS uOl ItSStu MS Ollbi'u vi thO
importance of Hume position in philosophy. But he
deems his position historical and not such position
as any man of so healthy nature as Humes could
take up in this generation. Hume, in fact with Mr.
Green. terminates an epoch, and his editors effort
has been to show Vol. 2 p. ~ that the philosophy
based on the abstraction of feeling, in regard to
morals no less than to nature, was with Hume
played out q, and that the next step forward IN
speculation could only be an effort to rethink the
process of nature and human action from ITS true
beginning in thought If this object has been In
anv way attained, that the attention of English
men under five and twenty may be diverted from
the anaohronistic systems hitherto prevalent among
rs 70 The study OF Kant and Hegel. an irks9pt
labor will not have been in vain"
If will be seen that this edition of Humes Philo-
sophical Writings is something very different from
an ordinary trade reprint of classical author out
of the market The work spent on 1T has been'
if not labor of love- labor of conscientious intel
Iigence and original effort. The reader of Hume
must benceforth read this Introduction to him (;
with the help of which, and of a carefully revised
text and full Index. he will find his study made
lighter. | know of no other existing edition which
can be compared with this and this viii not soon be
superseded. u W. o.
ROCTOV LITERARY NOTES.