342 A Century of Science 



the curtain for the benefit of the acquiescent audi 

 ence. For example, the fourth proposition quoted 

 with approval from Lotze reads thus : &quot; Physical 

 phenomena point to an underlying being to which 

 they belong, but do not determine whether that 

 being is material or immaterial.&quot; Now this is 

 Spencerism, pure and simple, and it is a crucial pro 

 position, too, pointing out the drift of the whole 

 philosophy before which it is set up. The fact 

 that Mr. Cook adopts such an opinion when stated 

 by Lotze, but vituperates the same opinion when 

 stated by Spencer, reveals to us, with a pungent 

 though not wholly delicious flavour, the &quot; true in 

 wardness&quot; of his fundamental method of proce 

 dure. 



That method, it must be acknowledged with due 

 regard to the bon mot of the old Greek states 

 man, is a method well adapted to conciliate the 

 favour of an immense audience, even in Boston. 

 We are all descended from fighting ancestors, and 

 many of us, who care little for the disinterested 

 discussion of scientific theories, still like to see a 

 man knocked down or impaled, provided the knock 

 ing down be done with a syllogistic club, or the 

 impaling be restricted to such a hard substance as 

 is afforded by the horns of a dilemma. It satis 

 fies our combative instincts, without shocking* our 



