700 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ideal reading-book on the subject in hand. 

 The present work is an attempt to apply 

 these principles to geographical topics. The 

 order of the topics is the same as is found 

 in any well-arranged text-book on the sub- 

 ject ; and the articles are from writers of ac- 

 knowledged excellence. We have in twenty 

 chapters selections on the several varieties 

 of natural features and scenery, on the sur- 

 face of the earth, volcanic and meteorolog- 

 ical phenomena, natural curiosities, wild 

 animals, national characteristics, peculiar 

 customs, regions, and people, cities, ancient 

 works and ruins, and modern works, , etc., 

 given in the form of essays, popular descrip- 

 tions, narratives of travel, scientific ac- 

 counts, and poems, by a list of writers em- 

 bracing the names of European and Ameri- 

 can authors who have become distinguished 

 in various fields of literature and science. 



The Science of Ethics. By Leslie Ste- 

 phen. New York : G. I\ Putnam's Sons. 

 Pp. 4G2. Price, $4. 



The author of this book has his own 

 views of morality, and, although he does not 

 profess to have made any great revolution 

 in the science, he has still made a book 

 which is worthy of careful consideration. It 

 is an unusually spirited and attractive vol- 

 ume on what is commonly regarded as the 

 dullest of subjects. 



Mr. Stephen began as an orthodox utili- 

 tarian in morals, and avows that the Gama- 

 liel at whose feet he sat was John Stuart 

 Mill. This, however, he regards as an im- 

 mature proceeding, in which he merely joined 

 other thoughtful lads in deferring to one 

 whose authority was decisive. At a later 

 period his mind was much stirred by the 

 appearance of Darwin's " Origin of Spe- 

 cies." He acknowledges great indebted- 

 ness to Darwin's writings, but so far as 

 ethical problems are concerned he came at 

 length to think that the Darwinian resources 

 were unsatisfactory, and that a deeper view 

 was necessary this conviction being due 

 to the influence of Herbert Spencer's writ- 

 ings. After an historical examination of the 

 English moralists of the eighteenth century, 

 Mr. Stephen read the " Methods of Ethics," 

 by Henry Sedgwick, and, although admiring 

 the work, he found himself differing from it 

 at so many points that he resolved to publish 



systematically upon the subject himself. 

 Mr. Stephen regards the relation of evolu- 

 tion to ethics as its critical point, while Mr. 

 Sedgwick belittled it, and thus left a great 

 deal to be done in clearing up the in-- 

 quiry. 



Of his attempt Mr. Stephen says : " At 

 times I have been startled at my own impu- 

 dence when virtually sitting in judgment 

 upon all the deepest and acutest thinkers 

 since the days of Plato. But I easily com- 

 fort myself by remembering that the evolu- 

 tion of thought is furthered by the efforts of 

 the weak as well as of the strongest ; and 

 that, if giants have laid the foundations, even 

 dwarfs may add something to the super- 

 structure of the great edifice of science. So 

 far as my reading has gone, I have found 

 only two kinds of speculation which are ab- 

 solutely useless that of the hopelessly stu- 

 pid and that of the hopelessly insincere. 

 The fool who does not know his own folly 

 may be doing nothing, and the philosopher 

 who is trying to darken knowledge may be 

 doing worse than nothing, but every sincere 

 attempt to grapple . with real difficulties 

 made by a man not utterly incompetent has 

 its value. I claim to come within that 

 description, though I claim nothing more. 

 And I have the satisfaction not a very edi- 

 fying one, it may be said, for a professed 

 moralist to reflect that i f my book does no 

 good to anybody else, it has provided me 

 with an innocent occupation for a longer 

 time than I quite like to remember ; while 

 I hope that there is nothing in it if I may 

 apply to myself what a discerning critic has 

 said of Dr. Watts's sermons " calculated to 

 call a blush to the cheek of modesty." 



Modern Aitlications of Electricity. By 

 E. Hospitalier. Translated and en- 

 larged by Julius Maier. New York : 

 D. Appleton & Co. 1882. Pp. 456. 

 Price, $4.50. 



In the present state of public interest in 

 the applications of electricity, any author 

 who succeeds in presenting the subject in a 

 popular manner may expect a favorable re- 

 ception, and we doubt not such will be ac- 

 corded to this latest addition to works of 

 this character. M. Hospitalier's exposition 

 is clear and concise, and popular enough in 

 form to be interesting and intelligible to a 

 wide circle of readers. The work consists 



