New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-09
HERBERT sPENCER'S CAREER.

HERBERT SPENCER'S CAREER.
Herbert spencer's method OF thought was es-
sentialIy picturesque. This popularity Of his
mind must be thoroughly understood, since it is
the key 10 the merits and the defects Of what he
chose 10 call his Synthetic Philosophy. In spite
OF his encyclopedia grasp of details. he was less
cap. bic Of abstract thought than almost any
man OF high intellectual powers in ancient or
InoLern times. a significant example Of this de-
<ect in him IS given almost at the outset Of the
volume entitled First Principles" In his eff
.o-t 10 r7rove that the Power which the Uni
verse nanifests 10 US is utterly inscrutable' he
follows with slavish fidelity the line OF argument
proposed by Hamilton and Hamilton's great dis
clple Nansel. and when il comes TO defining the
conception Of the Cause. the Absolute and the
Infinite by means Of the contradictions neces-
ssrilv involved in each Of them he simply
quotes Mansel at length That this leaning on
The authority Of another al critical point Of
The investigation was not merely convenient but
necessary in his case is shown by his definition
81 the word conception. Far back in the history
OF PHILOSOPHY il was discovered that all human
thought I pressed 10 the uttermOst, must end
n contradiction and in the identity of the two
rerms az the contradiction with each other.
From Of old The formula of being equal to
not being had been used TO express this con
5radiction. What Hamilton and Mansel had TO
cay seems, If narrowly scanned, only a verbal
EXPANSION OF this PARADOX
The only advance that Spencer made as com
pared with them was an attempt TO rid himself
81 the negative member Of the contradiction.
He did this by declaring thoughts which men
had been thinking every day for countless ages
unthinkable and TO show that they were I'M
Thinkable h transferred the word conception
from the place il held with other philosophers
IS the name Of the most abstract data Of
thought, and made il the name Of what may, for
lack u q better term. be called secondary per
ceptions. While he uses the Technology in
vented by Hamilton, he cannot be understood,
- his technical words are interpreted in the
sense given them by that philosopher. When the
senses OF a normal human being are affected
the immediate result is mental picture more
or less faithful Of the external object, real or
supposed which caused the sensation. It is OBJ
rious that this mental picture is purely in
diyiduaI possession. II can be reproduced in the
individual mind with greater or less perfection.
y can be described in words or initiated with the
pencil or the chisel but the mental picture, the
perception, thus produced in the mind Of an
other can never be shown TO be like the orig
snail Throughout Herbert Spencers writings
This imperfect, untranslatable mental picture
more OF less remotely related TO the actual thing
Of which IL is supposed 70 be counterpart, does
duty as q conception, or what many netaphysi-
clans would call q concept He declares it i'm
possible 10 form any conception Of a sphere like
the earth eight thousand miles in diameter.
What ne means is that the mind has no means
OF forming q mental object resembling such a
sphere or OF rendering such vast proportions
vivid 10 the imagination. II is. Of course, al
Ways understood that q philosopher has the
right 20 use words in his own way. but the diff
ference between his way and that adopted by
Others must always be borne in mind when his
teaching is investigated. II is plain that If
Spencer had stopped with this meaning Of con-
cepuon he would have excluded as inconceiva-
be or ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS words with him
the more important part Of the thinking Of all
men But he qualified conception with an ad-
sective. and symbolic conception became with
him approximately what a concept is TO most
philosophers This remains 10 him an iIlegit-
innate conception. because he refused the name
o. thought 10 anything less definite than
mental picture.
DEMANDED CLEARNESS OF THOUGHT.
The reason for this popularity Of his method
may Vel be sought IN the education which he
received He was born II Derby in $50 and
sfeT ~ under the tutelage OF his father,
tsaeher IN the town and Of his uncle. the Rev.
SPENCER z 1AAlrA % A-A454siA+- NAS- .
-Sh and OF phianthropic views and con-
80 The main difference between private and
S-0-e education Of children down to a compare
s recent date has been that in one case the
~l-ef began as nearly as possible on & level
cs'Is ne chlld's mind, while in the other the
49, az forced 10 adapt itself 10 Z system
So -sa been found capable OF producing ce--
-. eeAefal results. Obviously the former
So. -o- would tend 10 strengthen and to render
y~..tNal e spencers tendency 10 pictorial
g. OF thinking j would make him the
So =. mysticism ana mystery and indeed Of
= ing Indefinite in thought This may wei
4. ,S@tL as nls special gift 10 the world for Il
.s - ypen question whether or not the doctrine
- .t'.uuon as he formulated IL. without the aid
s.,. - DsfIYinians. would stand the test OF
-1le observation. not 10 speak of the more
s,-,-i.iils test O. metaphysical review and
So IS Just Is Socrates persisted in MS ques-
49, IAli mas opponent was brought 70 confess
- mi ne supposed ne knew was not known
80 10 al al. 20 Spencer demanded that every
eshl enguld De subjected 10 a bringing-out
II II was capable OF being realized.
sA ~ was q true conception. according TO his
.L.44lioh OF the word: IL not, Il was altogether
ssIiC0s Hho llnElTe, and n no waV distinguisha-
- IRON pure fiction The distinction is one
Ia would have led most minds d, ultra
ss4IAonlsIn, for, as IL stands 4 leaves no room
- Ag tsst OF reality external 20 Nae mind it.
- 20 lar. Spencer was an ideaIist But the
sSs nscsosas tendency Of bis thinking, his vivid