XIV NOTICE OF HERBEIiT 81 ENCER s 



If it is urged that his scheme is too vast for any one man to 

 accomplish, it may be replied : 1st. That it is not intended to 

 treat the various subjects exhaustively, but only to state general 

 principles with just sufficient details for their clear illustration. 

 3d. A considerable portion of the work is already issued, and 

 much more is ready for publication, while the author is still iu 

 the prime of life. 3d. It must be remembered that intellects oc 

 casionally appear, endowed with that comprehensive grasp and 

 high organizing power which fits them for vast undertakings. 

 The reader will find at the close of the volume Mr. Spencer s 

 Prospectus of his system. That he who 1ms so clearly mapped 

 out his work is the proper one to execute it, we think will be 

 fully apparent to all who peruse the present volume. 



An impression prevails with many that }Ir. Spencer belongs 

 to the positive school of M. Auguste Comte. This is an entire 

 misapprehension; but the position having been assumed by sev 

 eral of his reviewers, he repels the charge in the following letter, 

 which appeared in the New Engl&amp;lt;inilcr for January, 1864. 



To tlic Editor of the New Englander: 



Sin: &quot;While recognizing the appreciative tone and general 

 candour of the article in your last number, entitled &quot; Herbert Spen 

 cer on Ultimate Kcligious Ideas,&quot; allow me to point out one error 

 which pervades it. The writer correctly represents the leading 

 positions of my argument, but lie inadvertently conveys a wrong 

 impression respecting my tendencies and sympathies. lie saya 

 of me, &quot; the spirit of his philosophy is evidently that of the so- 

 called positive method which has now many partial disciples, 

 as well as many zealous adherents among the thinkers of Eng 

 land.&quot; Further on I am tacitly classed with &quot; the English ad 

 mirers and disciples of the great Positivist ; &quot; and it is presently 

 added that &quot; in Mr. Spencer we have an example of a positivist, 

 who does not treat the subject of religion with supercilious neg 

 lect.&quot; Here and throughout, the implication is that I am a fol 

 lower of Comte. This is a mistake. That M. Comte has given a 



