The sun., 1880-10-10


Among those disciples who. begin ming with an
exposition Of his doctrines. went on 10 modify
the kantan philosophy. Ficbte and Schelling
we're most cone picuous The Kantinn dualism
according to which tho Ego as thcorotic is
subjected To the external world. while rs practi-
col IL Is Its master. Fichto sought to remove by
emphasizngthe primacy oithe practical roason.
All that Ia is the Ego" IL tha principle OF the
perfected Fchtean system which thus repre-
sonts subjective ideaism In Its consequence
and completion. Schelling's philosophy, on
the other hand, which Schwiegler would do
scribe as an objective idealism differed from
Fichtes system through Its abstract. objective
apprehension OF the absolute. To Schclling the
absolute WIS pure indifference. identity; thcro
was no possibility OF q transition from 1t to the
definite and real. and in 1t the spiritual sur
rendered it's primacy to the physical. the one
being equated with tho other. and the pure OBJ
jective Indifference Of the ideal and the real
beinR placed as conception above both mind
and matter. BY violent reaction from these
doctrines arose the Hegeian philosophy. which
admits nothing higher than the idea. neither
nnythin apart from it. since everything which
exists Is only the actuaizaton OF the idea. As
Scholling had posted an objective in the place
OF Flchte's subjective idcalism. so Hegel lifted
himself above both these opposites. striving
UitoT hH dUNOlutB lueuIlSn1, which BnOulu once
more subordinate the natural to the spiritual
and yet at the same time comprehend both as
inwardly one and the same. Like the systems.
however. OF his predecessors ,Hegel's philoso-
ply was based upon q one-sidcd Interpretation
OF Kant. In his Logic and Science OF Ma
ture" he made the ideaistic element OF Kant's
system the apriority and spontaneity OF pure
thought. superior to tho corresponding realistic
element. and postulated 1t as the ground from
which this latter is to be logically dc.
duced. Now the entire Significance OF
the Critique OF the Pure Reason rests
upon the fact that 1t posits these elements
as coordinate. and their relation as that OF re-
ciproeal determination. II was inevitable. there
fore. as is pointed out in the appendix to this
volume. that as soon as the real antaeonism be-
tween the two systems should be clearly dis
cerned. reaction toward the true Kantinn
theory would set In. This did in fact occur
and 1t was one OF the prime causes OF the down
fall OF the Hegelian philosophy. Moreover, tho
central doctrine OF Hegelianism, viz, that
knowledge Is possible through pure thought
alone (which was the immediate result OF the
euhordination Of Kant's realism to his ideal
ism) involved consequences which modern
thought cannot fer n moment admit. II in
volved not only the afflrmance Of the possibility
OF absolute knowledge. bur. ms an obvious in
ference from this postuate. the assumption that
the physical no less than the purely speculative
sciences can be determined a prio,t and that the
same m ethod. too. is applicable in both cases.
The faisty OF this assum ption Ia demonstrated
by the whole history OF the iniuctive sciences
md it is. no doubt in this astounding contra
diction Of the firmly rooted realism OF modern
thought that the paramount cause OF the wide
spread and vehement reeoil from Hegel is TO be
found. Within thirty years after his death his
authority was almost wholly destroyed. and
to-day although his indirect influence In Ger
many and elsewhere is still large, but few Of
his doctrines are generally acknowledged to be
valid principles Of thought. Tho simple truth
is that HeGclianism is not only Incompatible
with the modern attitude Of physical research
but irroconcilabie with the social political. and
religious radicalism OF the present age.
With his account OF Hegel's system Schwie-
Gler concludes his history OF philosophy. but
the lines OF inquiry followed by still later think
ers arc indicated In some supplementary chap
ters now added to the volume. The immediate
effect OF the eclipse OF HeGelianism in Germany
and elsewhere has been the introduction Of the
greatest confusion into speculative thought
and the widest possible spread Of individualism
and ececticlsm. In this chaos OF opinions. how
ever. certain tendencies are traceable which
express clearly tho underlying drift OF con-
temporary thought. and formulate the
problems whose solution the new epoch
on which philosophy is now entering
must inevitably attempt or these move
ments. two in particular are carefully do
lineated in Mr.. Smiths appendix to this
book. Both movements are. so far as they are
yet developed. realistic and pantheistc. II not
more strictly atheistic. and each is in differ
ent way tho logical opposite OF HegelianIsm-
sIA Hr1N L., t1,aNt 10
perceived above the subject perceiying. and the
will above the idea; the second in that it as
serts the supremacy OF the mechanical rela-
tions OF things over the ideal relations OF
thoughts. The first school, or rather tendency.
is represented by Schopenhauer and Hartmann.
OF the second which is manifestly a general
movement OF the age, the most prominent ex-
ponents are Comte ]. s. Mill, and Herbert
Spencer. who reached thoir point OF view how
ever. by logical procession from Locke and ia
entire independence of German philosophy. To
the well-known views OF Mill and to the princi-
pies formulated by Spencer we need not now
advert but no Survey. however cursory of this
admirable work would be at all adequate with
out some reference TO the analysis of Comte's
postivlst doctrines and OF Schopenhauer's pes
smistic system.
What the positivism OF Comic is may be dis
stages" which contains the central conception
OF his system. This law asserts that in its his
torcal growth intelligence. whether consid-
cred on the whole or in the separate sciences
through which it Is manifested, necessarily
passes successfully through three different
theoretical conditions or stages Of development.
viz. the theological or fictitious. the metaphysi-
cal or abstract and the positive or scientific.
In the highest or positive stage. not only does
anthropomorphism in all its forms disappear.
butthe abstract notion OF causality itself is re-
moved. and the idea OF lac takes its place. All
questions in reference to the how and why are
thsnceiorth set aside. and tho mind devotes
itself to the simple inquiry. What? to tho OBJ
servaton and classification OF phenomena ms
they are actually experienced in their inyara-
BILE relations of coeXistence. succession. and
resemblance. Whatever may be said OF tho
originality and value Of Comtes special doc
trines-and the author OF these supplemental
chapters would not assign to thom much signih-
cance-it is not gainsaid that Gs regards his
general standpoint Comic was the exponent