New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-02


sketch BY William Henry Hudson. Associate
Professor Of English Literature IN the i,eAnh
Appleton Co
This book will be a boon to many who would
like to understand Herbert Spencers philosophy
but are dsmayed at the array Il volumes in
which il is enshrlned. Professor Hudson writes
with the vigor and animation OF a partisan. and
his work is easier reading than more Impair
tial statement might be. His account OF Mr..
Spencers life and writings shows that the author
of the Synthetic Philosophy is himself an ad-
mirable illustration Of his own theory OF evolu-
ton The biography II Mr. Spencer is almost
exclusively record Of mental development along
strongly individual lines. Classical training and
lessons in the languages were practically wasted
upon him. but in all those studies where the pu-
pill had 10 think for himself young Spencer easily
distanced competitors much older than himself
While this was largely due to the native quail
ties Of the youths mind. much must be attributed
also TO the unconscious training which ne re-
ceived from his earliest years in hearing the free
and thoughtful discussions carried on by the vsit-
ors at his fathers house. Professor Hudson draws
a vivid contrast between Mr. Spencer and John
Stuart Mill in the matter Of education. Both
Mil and Spencer were trained by their fathers.
but NILS learning was obtained wholly from
far away from the things OF everyday life. HIS
fragile health as child delayed all attempts TO
turn his attention to books. and he was hardly
able to spell at an age when Mil already
deep in Greek and Latin. Thus NH grew up
almost unconscious Of his environment Spencer
on the other hand became acutely sensitive to
the facts OF life about him. mill was taught 70
look upon all the problems Of social and political
science as capable Of rapid and entire rcscttle-
ment while Spencer early learned to consider
every possible question on every possible subject
as open to fresh examination ana totally new
answer" Mills father seemed almost 10 deiy
nature In planning the education OF his SON. whlc
Spencer's father aimed rather to be natures as
sstant Mil in youth hardly felt the contact Of
anv other mind except that Of his father, bat
spencer was subjected to the vigorous influence II
his uncle the Rev. Thomas Spencer, a Rad
clergyman in a Tory church. teetotaler when
tippling was universal. Chartist when Chartsm
seemed the sum OF all nquites pioneer In the
anti-corn law agitation and an urgent reiormer
in all that concerned the physical moral ana So
cal welfare OF the people. Fresh from the teach
ing Of such a man, 1t is not TO be wondered at
that Spencer's earliest ventures as an author were
directed at political and social questions.
The lack Of the traditional university training
much debate. Professor Hudson devotes several
paves to It, Mr. Spencers dislike. often expressed
for the classical curriculum has given this uni
versity dispute more prominence than 1t de-
serves It is possible that II ne had gone to Cam
bridge and had found 1t as antique. aristocratic
exclusive and conservatively humanistic as 1t is
said to have been half century ago. he might
with all these drawbacks have found university
life more suggestive than he anticipated. 1t GER
tainly could not have modified seriously the bent
Of a mind so decided as his 1t might even nave
FASTENED his development. No university could
have prevented him from working out his syn
thetic scheme Of philosophy. That passionate
love Of order which is the incoherent homogeneity
nj the bottom of the coherent heterogeneity Of his
writings would have been lessened. Professor |
Hudson alludes to the fact that In Social sta
tics" one Of Mr. Spencer's early books, there are
many turns OF thought and expression which |
connect the authors later thinking with the |
theology of the eighteenth century. In that book
Mr. Spencer's theory OF progress was Intimately |
associated with the metaphysical conception Of a |
preordained order In the universe. In his system |
as finally matured this pre-ordained order has no |
place: but II remains In his youthful work to show
that his synthetic system is not an isolated |
phenomenon in the history OF philosophy but |
that 1t has some roots In the past. University
training would probably have made him more
clearly conscious OF his relation to the past than
he or mis- partlsans seem TO be. Formally the
early writings OF Mr.. Spencer are In contradic-
ton with his more mature thought, but his
toricaly they not, They record the steps
Of his progress toward the goal which he was
seeking. II is curious fact that he should have
wished to suppress his work on Social States"
II would seem to indicate that the apostle o:
evolution would have been glad TO prevent the
application Of bis favori,e principle to the study
Of his own career Without the preliminary
essays. the Synthetic Philosophy would seem 10
be related only to contemporary science: but with
them It can be viewed In long perspective.