262 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



To begin with, Psychology, the science which deals with 

 the problem of the soul, is now quite international, the 

 contributions of European and American thinkers being 

 speedily and easily absorbed everywhere ; the Theory of 

 Knowledge also is now studied and discussed much on 

 the same lines, exhibiting everywhere similar differences 

 or contrasts of view; English, French, and German thinkers 

 have contributed equally to a correct understanding of 

 the methods of the natural sciences and especially of 

 their limits. In Ethics also the theological and anthro- 

 pological views are represented everywhere. But when 



3. we come to Metaphysics and ^Esthetics we find that 



Especially 



astheprob- much greater differences characterise the philosophical 



lems be- 



sp^uiatfve literatures of the three countries. Metaphysics has 

 almost disappeared in Germany, its doubtful revival 

 being of quite recent date ; whereas Great Britain, and 

 latterly France, can in recent times boast of an increas- 

 ing and original metaphysical literature. On the other 

 side aesthetics, as a philosophical discipline, is hardly as 

 yet domiciled either in Great Britain or in France. 



4. Coming now to the problem which will occupy us 

 in the re- specially in the present chapter, the problem of the 



ligiousprob- ' 



icm. spirit, we find that national and local influences have 



here more than anywhere kept the philosophical litera- 

 tures apart. The very name of the philosophical dis- 

 cipline which deals with this subject viz., Philosophy 

 of Eeligion has only quite recently become current in 

 French and English literature : in Germany it formed 

 the central and most important subject of philosophi- 

 cal thought during the earlier half of the century. 

 Even at the present moment it is considered dim- 



