124 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



place in a comprehensive scheme of human interests — first 

 presented itself in modern times with the revival of 

 philosophy and general literature in Germany during the 

 latter half of the eighteenth century ; that a series of 

 attempts to answer these questions was there made in 

 the course of the period which begins with Lessing and 

 Winckelmann, and ends in Germany with Lotze and von 

 Hartmann ; that after the latter period the interest in 

 these higher metaphysical questions has gradually dis- 

 appeared, giving way to details of psychological or psycho- 

 physical inquiry, and to attempts in criticism and matters 

 of taste such as had been dispersed through English and 

 French literature previous to, and outside of, the meta- 

 physical movement. Hand in hand with this descent 

 from the high philosophical platform has gone a greater 

 appreciation in Germany for the unsystematic writings of 

 French and especially of English authors/ 



Whilst Germany has thus abandoned the metaphysical 



1 Both the philosophy and the [ and more felt. Also the growing 

 science of the Beautiful have, interest abroad in the works of 

 wherever either or both existed , Ruskin tends in this direction, and 

 during the nineteenth century, pre- ! yet Vernon Lee, as late as 1904, 

 served distinctive national colour- 1 can still complain that the yEsthe- 

 ings. Xot only has ^Esthetics been I tics of M. Souriau, "a most sug- 

 in Germany pre-eminently meta- ' gestive psychologist, would have 

 physical, in England psychological, ! beenextraordinarily valuable if only 

 and in France sociological, but the ' he had added a knowledge of con- 

 relevant literature of the subject temporary German thought to his 

 has in none of the three countries own investigations on the subject " 

 taken due notice of that of the i {loc. cit., p. 432). Still more tJian 

 others. At the end of 'the ceu- in general philosophj', as noted 

 tury this comparative exclusiveness I before, German historians of ^s- 

 seems to be making way for mutual thetics, like Lotze, Schasler, and 

 appreciation, stimulated in Eng- j von Hartmann, take no notice 

 land, notably by the appearance of I whatever of contemporary foreign 

 Bosanquet's ' History,' and in Ger- literature. Hoffding in tlie former 

 many through several influences, j and Croce iu the latter are still 

 among which that of the writings , unique examples, 

 of W'ilhelm Dilthey is being more j 



