New-York tribune., 1878-04-16
ENGLISH MAGAZINES.
MIND. April. Rrentano.l


A sequel TO the paper on Spinoza IN tne
February number Of The Nineteenh Century by Fred
srck Pollock il contained In the present issue oil None"
entitled Notes the Philosophy of spinoza' anu Jus
eussng the sources Of his system among the "rcrs Vi
his own nation. The article Is emnenty ihsuuc'iNe'
throwing not little light the character as wei as 'he
origin of spinozas philosophy. Without cang I'D ques
tion the claims Of Spinoza az an oiigha Ihihke'
The influence OF previous writers on his concepions
from whom he may have derived pregnant hints IN mat
ters OF detail though net the foundation OF his phllo
,oplical specuations Mr. Pollock regards the Ethics
OF spinoza "a one Of the most remafkaDie
achievements OF constructive phiosophic genus
ever given to the world. But IN his view true mas
er fame has nothing to fear the utmost that can
be done by critical research in discovering the elements
sde use Of in his work True creation is not the pro
ductjon OF something out OF nothing, but TO make
rev life out OF the heritage OF the past III
the case OF Spinoza, the system ol 'he
"Ethics seems TO have sprung from MS pI"in
armed at all points, ana his conceptions Whhe theS stoo
out In isolated grandeur have been more admired 'nu
Appreciated Leibnitz indeed asserted tDaV Hl"hoN"
merely carried out one Of the aspects OF the principles
Of Descartcs This is repeated by NJ francisque Bo"l-
er I'm his History OF Cartesan Philosophy, ana St!i
more recently by Professor Card in his article on Care-
sanism" IN the Encyclopedia Britannica MI
Pollock can only account for sdch statements
On the suppositiou OF prec0nceivcd theoTy
phiosophy There is no doubt he comedies. that there
IL Carteslan element In the writings OF SpiBOza espe
eiay In their method and form. But the most striking
specific points Of Spin0zas philosophy are nov a'-
counted for by Cartesan sources. or by any other
ources that were open him in common with the gen
eral world of letters But Of late the riddle mas
been solved from an unexpected quarter and great Gt
thrown on the genesis OF spinozhs thought from the
modern literature Of his people This point Is sat
sfactory elucidated by Mr. Pollock in citations from
unfamiliar names he afns that nothing has come
10 light which challenges the claim of SpnOza to orig
na possession The remainder Of the article Is devoted
10 n discussion Of his philosophical system, which the
writer contends s neither materiaism naturasm,
nor vet idealism SpinoZa would have nothing to do
with phantom universe; with him eXten-
,ion was as real as thought; or rather one
and the same reality He approaches indeed the con
teption Of ideal MOnism, now held by great living
thinkers and which, in the opinion OF the author the
cience and phOsOpy OF the present day are cOnNerg
Ing The dualism OF matter and mind he declares, IL
becoming not only inadequate, but unthnkaOe Neither
Tynda nor Huxley expects TO build up soul out OF
toulless atoms. The lfepOtent atom of the Belfast al
dress is not piece Of the old material substance OF the
schools It is rather mOnad instinct with its share
however lowly of mind soul, spirit whatever other
name may given to the reality which finds its highest
known manifestation in the consciousness of man. a
valuable paper on Philosophy in Education by j. A.
Etewart and the Editor treats OF the methods OF phlo-
Iophca study discussing the different aspects Of several
questions connected with the subject and pointing out
the most rational for the acquisition Of compe-
bensve philosophical knowledge.