390 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



lectual or sesthetical ideals which appeal only to a 

 very small number of persons ; and they are strength- 

 ened in their alarm by the widespread influence which 

 some recent schools of thought have had, notably on 

 the Continent, where Free Thought and Free Inquiry 

 have become watchwords in the teaching of the 

 higher schools. Eeligion has been termed the Meta- 

 physics of the Masses. This metaphysical interest 

 cannot be destroyed, and if traditional beliefs are 

 excluded from the authorised programme of instruc- 

 tion, the metaphysical interest, the demand for an 

 interpretation of Eeality, will seek satisfaction in other 

 directions. This explains how it comes about that some 

 modern philosophies have attained such widespread and 

 alarming influence. Since the middle of the century 

 two new gospels have been preached by distinguished 

 thinkers who have collected around them many 

 admirers, and have compelled opponents into thought- 

 ful reflection. It is not so much the gospel of unbelief 

 which has invaded modern popular philosophy : this 

 can never be consistently elaborated. It is the gospel 



72. of Pessimism or Despair on the one side, and following 



Pessimism 



and extreme on the hccls of it — as a last resort — the erospel of 



Individual- '^ ^ 



'*"^- extreme Individualism or Selfishness. 



These two phases of modern thought may be iden- 

 tified with the names of Arthur Schopenhauer and 



73. Friedrich Nietzsche. Both thinkers stand outside of the 



Schopen- 



ha^er^and general development of philosophic thought in Ger- 

 many, and were for a long time ignored by the 

 academic teachers of philosophy ; but in different ways 

 they have contributed to overcome the one-sidedness 



Nietzsche. 



