Philosophic Evolution. 179 



physics ends in scepticism, in nihilism, as the ultimate 

 result of materialism and idealism. 



It will naturally be asked, then, If such is not to be the 

 end of philosophic evolution, what is the remedy, and how 

 is recuperative force to be obtained ? 



The reply here offered is, that a remedy is to be ob- 

 tained by digging deeper. No mere return to Kant is 

 adequate to meet a scepticism which so much of Kant's 

 system completely justifies. It is impossible to secure to 

 practical reason its objective validity, if "pure" reason 

 be declared fallacious. If the view here advocated be 

 correct, what is needed, and what evolution will infallibly 

 bring about, is not a return to a philosophy, but a return 

 to the philosophy. For if metaphysics are possible, there 

 is not, and never was or will be, more than one philosophy 

 which, properly understood, unites all speculative truths 

 and eliminates all errors : the philosophy of the phi- 

 losopher Aristotle. 



But, it will be exclaimed, This is throwing us into con- 

 fusion ; all the speculative discussions of the last two 

 thousand years and more will have to be gone through 

 again ! Aristotle is understood in many senses, and has 

 given rise to many schools. It would be hardly less 

 irrational to refer us to the Bible for theology than to 

 refer us to Aristotle for philosophy ! And the propriety 

 of the objection would be conceded, did there not exist 

 a continuous traditional line of philosophic evolution, 



