Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-02-14
SPENCER BArrL-u.


rhs Great Phifosopher Practically
Admits Himself Conquered.
Spcncer's great life work, "a System
Of Synthetic Philosophy" Is probably
the greatest scientific literary work
ever undertaken and accomplished by
one man. Its ten volumes have occu.
pied the author for practically forty
years This wonderful work, a library
In itself. was begun In 1850. 1t is an
encyclopedia philosophy. summing w
the evolution OF life In all its phases
from the general law OF the aggrega,
ton and dissolution of bodies, the evo-
luton OF organic nature and the devel-
opment and variation or plants and an.
finals 20 the origin and growth or mind
the laws OF psychology and the newer
science OF sociology. Yet after all his
labors. all his struggles against adverse
circumstances, Mr.. Spencer at the close
OF his great work admits failure. He
set out to know the unknowable and
coupled his Degation OF God with the
assertion OF some strange. unknown
absolute thing which.can neither know
nor feel nor think, yet which is behind
the cosmos. directing in some mystic.
rious way the universe. This has prov.
ed far from satisfying to minds such as
could comprehend the philosophy OF
Herbert Spencer
1t has not followed that all who have
mastered his science OF life and system
OF philosophy and have been filed with
admiration for his profound thought
and vast research have become "Spen.
cerians." in fact. faithful disciples OF
Herbert Spencer are few and far be-
tween. Yet the world of thought owes
much TO Mr.. Spencer for which Il has
not given him full credit. His name Is
seldom associated with the growth of
the theory OF evolution. yet its accept.
ance I'm the modern sense is largely due
to him. Mr.. Spencer had accepted and
preached the theory of evolution long
before Darwin published 1.-THE Origin
OF Species" In 1859, and be II was who
coined the phrase THE survival OF the
fittest."
For years and years Herbert Spencer
worked at his synthetic Philosophy"
gathering together oil the material az.
forded by scientists In almost every
branch OF knowledge, with the inten-
ton OF publishing at last a browning
work dealing with the principles of
ethics. which would give practical
Issue to all his former theoretical stud
les. When the time came TO write this
last book of all. when his Hfe of self
denial and struggle was about to be
ended with the placing OF the capstone
OF the edifice he had erected TO be a
guide to all mankind. the philosopher
found himself baffied. All the immense
mass OF material which he had gather
ed proved insufficient to give the con-
elusive and irrefutable evidence which
would satisfy the philosopher. And so
IN the preface to his last book Herbert
Spencer practically admits himself con-
quered by the too difficult problem of
the complexity OF human nature. Still
he is one OF the worlds great thinkers.
and bis fame grows every day. And
besides the value OF his philosophy
there Is the value OF the example OF
his life, an example much needed In
these days when men work SO much
for the things of the moment and are
unwilling to make sacrifices TO accom-
plish the things which are lasting
New York Press.