138 Herbert Spencer 



and functions of nerve fibres and nerve cells, the very objec- 

 tive existence of which is as yet unjustified. We fuUy agree 

 with a declaration elsewhere ^ made by Mr. Spencer when he 

 says — * Clearly,- then, the metaphysician's first step must be 

 to shut out from his investigation everything but what is 

 subjective; not taking for granted the existence of anything 

 objective corresponding to his ideas, until he has ascertained 

 what property of his ideas it is which he predicates by calling 

 them true.' It seems to us manifest that the psychologist's 

 first business is to settle an ultimate criterion, and to show 

 what must necessarily be postulated if we would rise from 

 utter and absolute scepticism. Were it not for the prevalent 

 cavils against human intelligence, we should heartily approve 

 of starting from objectivity, and so making a progressive 

 ascent from mere nutrition to the most abstract intellectual 

 action, according to the great example of psychological in- 

 vestigation given to us by Aristotle. But such a process 

 cannot now be followed without falling into a petitio prin- 

 cipii. Now, it is necessary first to justify our perceptions 

 and our reasonings, and only after such an introduction can 

 we logically proceed to investigate the universe of objective 

 being. 



We may now pass to matters supplementary to our first 

 point, and consider the bearing upon our perception of truth 

 of some positions more peculiar to Mr. Spencer himself, and 

 not shared by all those who generally agree with him. 

 And here we would express hearty thanks to our author for 

 the vigour, persistency, and skiU with which he has ex- 

 hibited the question as to the ultimate foundation of philo- 

 sophy and the true basis of certitude. Although, as we 

 have seen, in order to be perfectly consistent, Mr. Spencer 

 ought to deny the existence of any basis of certitude, or of 

 any absolute and fundamental truth, yet, by a happy incon- 



* Easays (stereotyped edition, 1860), vol. ii. p. 400. 



