120 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



nized as supreme throughout the sphere 

 of the phenomenal, and when the dis- 

 tractions of theology become unbear- 

 able, it will then be found that Mr. 

 Spencer has proved that science, so far 

 from being its destroyer, is itself the 

 promoter of the profoundest faith, 

 while the central truth of all religion 

 is saved to humanity. Malignant zeal- 

 ots will probably continue to secrete 

 their vitriolic criticism, as, if stopped, 

 they would probably die of their own 

 acridities ; but there are not wanting 

 indications that many religious men of 

 candor and discernment are already 

 recognizing the claims of Mr. Spencer's 

 system upon the serious consideration 

 of their class. For example, a late 

 number of the Nonconformist, the or- 

 gan of the English dissenters, and an 

 orthodox paper of high influence, says 

 of Spencer: " He is not an idealist, nor 

 is he a materialist. Like Goethe, he 

 believes that man is not born to solve 

 the problem which the universe pre- 

 sents." Yet the writer holds his views 

 to be of very great importance, and 

 speaks of it as " an importance, in our 

 opinion, so great, that the future, not 

 only of English philosophy, but of prac- 

 tical theology, will be determined by 

 its acceptance or rejection." 



As for ourselves, differing widely 

 from Mr. Godwin in his estimate of 

 Spencer's system of philosophy, we 

 record our opinion that, as it becomes 

 more fully known, it will be recognized 

 as an unequalled performance in its rig- 

 orous conformity to scientific method, 

 and as the first grand alliance of sci- 

 ence and philosophy; that it will exert 

 an all-reconciling influence upon the 

 chaos of doctrine ; that, while based 

 upon progress, it will prove powerfully 

 conservative, and will leave all other 

 systems behind in its value for guid- 

 ance, both to the individual and the 

 state. We believe that the time is not 

 greatly distant when even theologians 

 will seek it as a shelter against the ris- 

 ing tide of "materialism" and "athe- 



ism ; " and, finally, we predict that, 

 if Mr. Spencer lives to complete his 

 " Principles of Sociology," with the 

 accompanying tabular scheme of " De- 

 scriptive Sociology," that which Mr. 

 Godwin says is now only a "hope" 

 will become an assured and authori- 

 tative science which is certainly one 

 of the most imminent desiderata of 

 civilization. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Education in Japan. A Series of Letters 

 Addressed by Prominent Americans to 

 Arinori Mori. New York: D. Apple- 

 ton k Co., 1873. 255 pages. 



And now Japan comes forward to con- 

 found the theories of publicists, and give a 

 new problem to political philosophers. An 

 ancient Oriental nation, with a history 

 stretching over 2,500 years, and claiming 

 the oldest dynasty in the world, containing 

 34,000,000 people, and which has long been 

 shut out from the world by its exclusive 

 system, now throws open its gates to inter- 

 course with other nations, and raises the 

 great question as to how it may best ac- 

 quire the highest benefits of civilization. 

 Its youths are sent away to be educated 

 (there are some 300 in this country), 

 and learned foreigners are sent for, that 

 the modern arts and sciences may be ac- 

 quired, and there are even indications that 

 this proud and exclusive people meditate 

 a change of language, and the adoption of 

 English in place of their native speech. 

 The Japanese envoy at Washington, Mr. 

 Arinori Mori, a liberal and well-educated 

 young gentleman twenty seven years of age, 

 has addressed a circular letter to a large 

 number of the distinguished men of this 

 country, asking their views and advice as 

 to how the Japanese can best gain the ad- 

 vantages of education, free commerce, and 

 enlightened industry, and best improve the 

 social, moral, and physical condition of the 

 Japanese people. The present volume em- 

 bodies the replies which he received from 

 Presidents Woolsey, Stearns, Hopkins, 

 McCosh, Eliot, Profs. Seelye, Henry, Mur- 

 ray, Northrup, Whitney, the Bev. O. Pe- 

 rinchief, and the Honorables G. S. Bout- 



