New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS
APT AID EVOLUTION.

they informed WIN Il pulpost NAiOh' "hi-N
nowhere obtrudcd or insisted upon. imparS speclal
significance even 80 the most apparently discurSive
The author in his preface, speaking in need
1csslv dcprecatng tone, says: Written IN the
isolation Of this Alpine retreat, they express the
opinions and surmislngs of one VINO mas lop3
watched in solitude, as from ruined tower
the world of thought and circumstance, ana
action To such az one it may, perhaps he
hardened if he prove trifc whimsical In specula-
ton and fantastic in suggestion" And he ADDS
Possibly my prolonged seclusiOn from populous
cities and the society of intellectual equaIs-a
sccusion which has lasted now. with short ard
occasional Interruptions, through twelve years
the remuneration of ambitious aims and active
interests implied in such life. and the peculiar
influences to which those are subjected who spend
q seven months winter, year after year. among
white snowdrfts and nhospitable, stormswept
mountains have bred in me a mystical hablt oil
regarding mans relation 10 the universe. III
these conditions. and forced by broken heaIoi'
TO mediate upon the problem of approaching
DEATH student comes inscnslbly to thlnk more
of nature and the world. less OF humanity ana
self than when he is swimming down the stream
of competitive existence. The particular loses
inheritance in his range of vision The universal.
little understood, but powerfully felt, assumes
asccndancy over his Imagination. He is like one
who surveys the world of things from solitary
mountain peak, or from the centre of boundPsS
desert Faiths spring up in him which have
closer analogy with the first intutiOns of primitive
races than with the logical and analytical systems
of reasoned thought. Such as they are, THESE
penetrate his mind, and give peculiar tone to
all his utteranccs."
Cndoubtcdly.thc influence of locality and isola.
ton is apparent in these essays. but assuredly
not, to our thinking, with any diSparaglnS cnect
upon them. On the contrary the point Oh we"
resulting is such To enhance their NGor' orlS-
inalty dignity and interest greatly FOR me
atmosphere of populouS cities is not congenlal 10
profound speculation in any kmd ana the con-
slant IMPACT of alien intclligcnceS, however Guilt
yated tends rather TO destroy freshness ana DoIl-
ness of thought and 10 deprccate, instead OF I'M
proving, such work as these volumes cohtaln'
Broadly speaking. the purpose of Mr.. Symonds
has bccn in consider tie incidence Of the evou-
tionary philosophy npon art. literature ana ll'e'
No more interesting subject of meditation OF
speculation could he suggested for 1t involves
tho crave questions Of the future of civilization;
of the effect of establishment upon all those
nhoscs of human action and thought which depend
more or less upon belief in undemonstrahlc crccds'
of the ethics no less than the art, OF the future
of tie practical effects upon the world wmch
evolutionary science and philosophy are hcN
10 produce All speculation upon these mon'en-
tous questions must. in the nature OF Things u"
for the present tincturcd more or less strongly
by educational and traditional bias. No matter
low radical may be the changes, surrenderS ana
notifications in old positions necessltated Dy ao-
ccptancc of the new beliefs il Is certain tha'
for time these can only take effect 1hcoiftlc'IN
and not practically More than the lifetime OF
generation is required 70 bridge over the space
hetvcrn an old and a new faith, and Whlc lhc
change is still proceeding all discussion OF IL Will
certainly be tinced by the old beliefs
This is t. be expected, and perhaps IN an
especial way from thinker at once so enthusiastic
in regard to aesthetics and predlsposed ny long
communion with nature to reverential attitude
of mind. But the main effect upon these ESSAYS
of the intellectual and emotional conditions III
dictated is to invest them with a higher poetry
and lofticr ethic. If, indeed it were admissible
TO bring against them grave charge rs that oil
instrumentation il would rest upon the ohcc-
ton that the authors beauties of style, nobility OF
thought, and sustained moral purity OF tone nave
O tendency to giOriiy undulX method oil III
terprcting life and the universe which. III tue
opinion Of many, adds nothing to the charms OF
existence and in stripping away every Illusion
leaves nature unsympathetc, iIrespons'Ve, amen
and automatic There are, indeed, some qncs-
tons which no amount Of reflection brings salts
factory answers 10. What is to be the basis Of
The Spcnccrans have attacked il boldly and in
Ceniously but even they have shown how i'm
possible il is for educated in and inhcrtinG
one code Of morals u eliminate the teachings OF
that code in dealing with new and contradictory
philosophy. So Mr. SvnondS finds les difficulty /
in finding an ethical basis for art in evolution
than he otherwise would do. for the reason that ne
unconsciOusy reads into evolution many OF the !
implications Of the older crccdS.
The acknowledged aim of the author is TO
show reason why the Philosophy of Evolution, in
stead of crushing the aspirations of humanity and
reducing our conceptions of the world TO chaos
may he expected to rcannate religion and 10 re-
store spirituality to tho universe" Beyond quos-
ton this is a fine aspiration, but whether it be
practicable undertaking the readers of these cs !
says may finally doubt. They will certainly en- !
counter in M Symonds's spcculatioas strong
religious element and refreshing elevation of
thought but when they to consider how
much Of this is attributable 10 the Philosophy Of
Evolution. and how much TO the Inherited and
absorbed Christianity which cons lousy or uncon-
sciously Influences every civilized nine ,eenth-ccn
fury thinker it may not appear clear that the
optimistic conclusions reached here are justified
by the inherent tendencies of the new Philosophy
Nevertheless the essays will Re found helpful in !
many ways and covering a broad field of intel
lectual culture. The FIRST which treats of The
Philosophy of Evolution" should, the author
suggests he read only after several g. these which
deal more in particulars, though il seemed proper
10 put it in the front explaining the general (
direction and purpose of the discussion The |
other essays in the first volume are On the APP |
plication of Evolutionary Principles TO Art and
Literature, "a very suggestive paper; "On Some
Principles of Criticism" The Provinces of the |
Several Arts" On the Relation Of Art to Science
and Morality; Realism and Idcalism"; The |
Model; Beauty, Composition, Expression, Char |
Attenuation; "Caricalure. the Fantastic, the
CroteSquc"; Notes or Style The second volume !
continues the last named essay, and contains also