The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20

fuge In the strange notion that we are
possessed OF two consciousnesses' the
consciousness of ideas within us, and the
consciousness of motions without US; and
that neither Of these can be resolved into
the other, though both are the phenomena
Of an unknowable Absolute. 1t Is in this
citadel of ignorance that Huxley tries to
entrench himself: but the place was taken
before 1t could he occupied. The seif-con-
tradicti0n OF an unkuowable Absolute and
the equal, though less obvious self-con-
tradiction Of duaiistic separation be-
tween two aspects of our Hfe-which, as a
matter Of fact. are never and logically can
never be Givided-cOuld not long be MAIN
tanned against a criticism armed with the
weapons of Kant and his iiealistic success
sOrs. Already. in the 5os, the cry Back
to Kant was raised in Germany and not
long after. 1t led in England and America
to renewed study OF the German IDEAL
istic writer's. In which DIR. Hutchinson
Sterling and the late Prof. Green took
leading part 1t was soon obvious to every
one who had learned the lesson of critical
philosophy that the sgnostIc dualism of
Mr.. Spencer was due to a fundamental
miscoIception of what is meant by the
subjectivity of knowledge. 1t was pointed
out that il we have the consciousness Of
object ard subject only in relation 20 each
other, it is not necessary to seek for the
principle of their unity in any Tertium
Quld which is neither the one nor the
other. That which Mr.. Spencer sought in
an unknowable Absolute was in our
mouths and In our hearts," 1t was to be
found in the inseparable unity of ex-
perience. in which the inward and the out
ward are correlative elements. Agnosti-
cisrn was a sort of spiritual refuge for the
destitute, constructed by those who had
renowned their heritage; who, In other
words, had by their distractions separated
the elements OF experience from each
other. and were thus forced to seek be-
yond experience for the unity which they
had lost. The true remedy for the evil
was to give up such abstract ways of
thinking and to learn to think things to-
gether:" in other words. to recognize the
organic relation of the inner and the outer
life, and to explain the parts by the
whole, and not the whole by the artificial
ly severed parts.
The great distinguishing feature of the
last two decades of the century has been
a movement of approximation. partly con-
scious and partly unconscious, between
the representatives of science, and partic-
ularly of those sciences that deal with
special aspects or elements of human life
on the one hand and the representatives
of idealistic philosophy OIL the other. The
reconciling ideas of an earlier time have
become better understood and have
shown more effectively their power TO
reconcile. Not that this mediating power
had previously been entirely unfelt. Even
in the time when philosophy was most dis
credited in Germany. Lotze, in whom a
cautious critical temper was combined
with deep moral and religious sympa-
thies. and a practical knowledge of the
biological and medical sciences with care
full studies of Kant and Hegel, sought to
show how an ideaIistic view OF the uni
verse and of human life could be main
tanned consistently with the fullest recog-
milton of scientific methods and results.
And though his system was, on the whole.
rather a compromise than true reconcile
iation Of philosophy and science, yet it has
undoubtedly had very great influence in
modifying the ideas of the opposing
schools of thought and narrowing the
ground OF controversy between them
Thus the old English empirical psyehoi-
ogy which was represented by the Mills
and by Mr.. Balm. has gradually widened
its scope in the hands of writers Ike Prof
Ward and Mr.. Stout, at Sfrst probably
nd
contact with the revived idealistic 1ns've-
nent. On the other hand, we may nohce
how idealistic writer's like Mr. Bradiey
and Mr.. Bosanquet, have tried to absorb
every lesson that can be learned from en-
pirtcism and to shun with the utmost
care. the very suspicion of anything IKE
dopn,atism. Mr. Bradley's denunciauons
of a ..too easy n,onism" and philosophy
that turns the living world into ballet
of bIoodless categorles." are TOO wei
known to be more than referred to. Nor
is this the place TO discuss whether his
fear of such a result has not sometimes
led him into compromises which are in
consistent with his own fundamental prin-
ciple that the world must he conceived as
an Ineligible system. IN any case. We
/
work of other writer's animated by SINH
lar spirit as showing the growing preva-
!euce of that reconciling spirit which seeks
NJ once to do Justice to all the results Of
empirical enquiry and o. the investigations
ofthe special sciences. and vet. at the same
time to give them na'S inlerpreia
in the light of an ifciiiStic philosophy. 1t
is impossible within our limits to illus
tra,e this view Of the tendencies Of Il e
time by further reference to the recent
philosophical literature Of England and
America or of Germany and France. Still
less can l refer to the numerous books on
special departments If enquiry in ethics
and theoIo~y. in sociology aRd in history, IN
which the ideally organ lew of life and
the world" as We may call it, has shown
its rnediating and recoueiling influence
Nor can do more than refer to the coun-
| ter current of pessimism. which has found
its most distinguished representatives in
Hartmann and Nletzsche the former a
man of great wealth of thought and dia-
| lectical power, whose philosophy is ideal
istlc in all but It's ultimate principle and is
indeed pessimistic on.y by an exaggeration
| of the opposition between the conscious
and the unconscious working of reason:
the latter, hardly philosopher at all. but
-ather a writer of pungeHt and suggestive
aphorisrns winged with Indignant passion
against prevalent oruions-aphorisms
which always contradict some one, and
often contradict each other. From
| Nietzsche at his best We may receive
reafrI warning against too easily satisfy