The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18

OF the great periods of human thought can be
said to DO scientific in the proper sense OF that
term. 1t is necessary MS well that the law or
laws which the evolution follows, either as II
whole or in its separate periods and stages,
should DO 80 clearly graspcd that they can bc
laid down at the outset: and that the procession
OF the facts should be scon to conform so closely
eothese laws that, when regard is had TO the
great complexity of the subject matter. the re-
suit may fairly be held to constitute q scientific
demonstration. Such is the task which Mr..
Crozicr has set himself in tho present and sue
cooding volumes.
It 10 we'll to note the authors reasons for be-
Heving that the task contemplated has been
unaccomplished by any Of his forcrunncrs In
the same field. 1t is pointed out by him. in the
6rsJ place. that only within our own times have
the labo-s of the higher critics brought together
o body of historical facts sufficient to justify the
ondeavor to reduce them to fixed and scientific
laws. Such a body Of facts not having been
collected in his time, Hogcl was obliged TO limit
himself to the cnunciation of a single general
law for the whole field OF intellectual
d. v%clopmeut instead OF propounding Il num-
Dor OF moro closely fitting laws for its
separate divisions and sections. Hegel's
INV. although, in our authors Judgment. tho
true law OF tho movements OF intelligence in the
abstract. was. Xix. a hat too big for the head,
altogether too wide and general to be OF any
scientific value for determining the line of cvo-
luton Of the lesser divisions OF intellectual de-
vtlopment, except, perhaps. in relation to Ger
han metaphysics, from which. indeed, the law
WAS derived. Hence. when Hcgel came to trace
the evolution of Greek philosophy. for example,
Instead OF laying down at the outset n law that
biould keep so close 10 the facts that 1t would
Pms BILE us to track the course of that philosophy
through its various windings. side spurts. and
doublings. until IL was ut last run to earth in
Christianity, he offered instead T. law 80 vague
III its nature, so wide in its scope. and SO general
In its range that it enabled him 10 do little more
than to throw r!nS-iCnccs. so 20 speak, around
the various fields through which it was ,cs-
tined 10 pass. For a result NC had n history in
which. underneath Il hinge. i;:,re Isurab G.
metaphysical ~nightcnp the real features Of the
old Greek philosophy were as unacceptable as
the visagcs OF pigrties under tic he'll
nets Of Brobdinsnagians. When, next. some
OF his followers. nntab'y Strauss. Under
took to apply IIcgrl's ABSTRACT metaphy steal
law to the evolution of a flesh and
blood religion like Christianity. and when. in
stead of constructing their theory Of its origin
and rise out of such substantial human motives
as hope. fear, Imagination, passion, tradition,
devotion, and tho like. as one would construct n
rope out OF good. substantial hemp. they under
took to do 1t out of the network OF metaphysical
cobwebs, bloodless, nttenuatcd, and unsub-
Otantial as shades or dreams, the result was
CHASTITY In Its Appropriateness and absurdity.
Passing to the next great thinker. Comtc. who
Dtrove to trace in the history OF intellectual de-
velopment a clear and orderly evolution, our
author thinks that he has given us in his law of
the "Three Stages the most comprehensive,
VnnRf nhilnannhtCal and nynn nnpat prarti,a1y
useful working conception Of the march OF
human progress as a whole which has yet mp
poared. Nevertheless, as In the parallel case of
Hegel and his followers. the very width and gen
erality Of this law untitled it for the purpose of
scientific provision and for determining the
curve OF evolution Of the special systems which
It Ii the last object of a scientific history
10 achieve. For, although in his Three
Stages" the theological, the metaphysical.
and tho positive. respectively. Comte ac-
curately gathered up into their separate
catogories and compartments. as 1t were,
the facts OF evolution In the different periods
Of the worlds history; and. although in his
splendid march across the centuries, he sup
piled In these Three Stages" a torch which
really lights up the interiors OF these compart-
ments, so that the nature OF their contents is
everywhere fully and clearly seen; and, al
though. further. he showed by means OF them
NOW tuc bOCioi u I'nVdl Phenomena OF tie Sow
eral periods were connected together. he never
theless found his law too wide and general to
determine their Intellectual curve and line of
evolution. and no left this aspect OF then, al
most q virgin soil for future explorers.
O! Buckles performance little is said;
the opinion Is expressed that he added moth.
Ing to Comics great classification. but, on the
contrary, adopted IL entire, only undcr a different
form and under other names. Tho thcologH ictl
md metaphysical stages of Contc, in which
the mind. starting from unprovcn hypotheses
II gods on tho one hand, or OF vital forces"
essences" or spirits" on the other. reasons
from I iem downward, as It were. to the facts.
Buckle has caiiod, with regard to their intellec-
tnai aspects, the "dcductive" method OF In
quiry; while the positive or scientific stage Of
Comic. In which the mind. beginning from the
facts. reasons upward by means of ohscryn-
tiOn. experiment, and verifcation to scien.
:ihc congratulations and conclusion. Buckle
has OILED the ihductive method. But,
while Comte applied his law to all the great in
tellsctral periods OF tho worid's history, Buckle
applied his doctrine OF Intellectual methods only
to :hs period when scionco made Its first appear
apo In tho field against what Buckle regarded
rs Sho tdperstitions Of religion and metaphysics.
end Ills work. consequently, In spite OF the nota.
BILE powers OF generalization exhibited, 10 pro-
bounced rather a magnificent piece of special
pleading In the interests OF q particular stage Of
Intellectual deyelCpmnht and OF a particular
method OF Intellectual inquiry. the scientific,
than as Itself a scientific inq uiry into the eyolu.
ton OF all The successive stages.
1t 10 acknowledged by our author that Mr..
Herbart Spencer, the last Of the great thinkers
who has tried to reduce The history Of intel.
iectuAl development to Inv and order. has, by
his colossal work on evolution, mad" the world
OF thought his eternal debtor. Here, again,
however. as In tho cases OF Hegel and comte,
Ne law prOpoundsd BY Spencer. the great Jaw