OF THE UNITY OF THOUGHT. 721 



Leibniz, had leavened most of the important systems 

 of philosophy as well as the historical studies and 

 general literature of the country. 



To French thinkers neither the German nor the 

 Spencerian notion of Evolution or development appeared 

 generally satisfactory and conclusive. The logic of the 

 former was too metaphysical and abstract to satisfy the 

 demand for lucid expression so characteristic of the 

 French mind. On the other side the great defect of 

 Spencer's system, that it really contained no principle 

 of progress, was early recognised by several prominent 

 thinkers, and various corrective and enlarging attempts 

 have been put forward : independently, as it seems, 

 though not very far removed from ideas which are, in a 

 more systematic form, contained in Wundt's writings. 

 Even so far as the mere philosophical vocabulary is 

 concerned, we find in the latter anticipations of titles 

 and watchwords which have since attained a certain 

 popularity and have become directive of philosophical 

 thought. 



In addition to this independent evolutionism, we find 

 in French thought two other characteristics. Positivism, 

 though not in the special sense in which it was under- 

 stood by Comte, is, as it were, an abiding feature. Along- 

 side of it we find prominently developed a tendency of 

 thought which in the popular philosophic mind will 

 always be identified with the name of Schopenhauer, 

 who, in the title of his earliest great work, put the active 

 principle or the Will into the foreground of his meta- 

 physics. Though not in this abstract manner, this prin- 

 ciple, which is known to us through introspection as an 



VOL. IV. 2 z 



