510 SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



the attention of philosophers to the existence of this re- 

 lation in a variety of instances, and collected a large 

 number of facts to prove its general correctness. He 

 conceived the idea of measuring sensations by their 

 accompanying stimuli, a mode of measurement based 

 upon that relation which, under the name of Weber's 

 law or formula, he introduced as a general psycho- 

 t physical proposition. The intervals in the numerical 

 scale, the differences in the magnitude of stars, the 

 facts established by Weber relating to our estimate of 

 differences of touch, of weight, and of temperature ; 

 lastly, the relation of " fortune physique " and " fortune 

 morale," known to Euler and Lagrange, could all be 

 utilised towards proving the general accuracy, within 

 certain limits, of the psycho - physical formula. The 

 work gave rise to many discussions l as to the mean- 

 ing of the term quantity applied to psychical pheno- 

 mena, as to methods of measurement, and as to the 

 significance to be attached to the new branch of research 



1 In addition to the ' Elemente i which he was occupied with it." 

 der Psychophysik ' (1860), of which j (See the obituary oration, reprinted 



a second edition appeared in 1890, 

 the author enlarged, discussed, and 

 defended his special ideas and 



in Kuntze's 'Biography,' p. 360.) 

 The attacks on Fechner came from 

 many quarters. In the polemi- 



theories in three further publica- | cal treatise of 1877 he notices 



tions. The year 1877 produced ' In how the views of his critics 



Sachen der Psychophysik,' the year Helmholtz, Aubert, Mach, Bern- 



1882 the 'Revision der Hauptpunkte I stein, Plateau, Delboouf, Bren- 



der Psychophysik,' and shortly be- tano, Hering, Langer agree as 



fore his death (1887) there ap- 

 peared, in the ' Philosophisehe 



little among themselves as with 

 his own. He sums up with fine 



Studien' of Prof. Wundt, his last I humour: " The tower of Babel was 



contribution, " Ueber die psychi- j not finished, because the builders 



schen Maasprincipien und das i could not agree how to build it ; 



Webersche Gesetz," which Prof. | my psycho-physical structure may 



Wundt declares to be '' the clearest j remain standing, because the work- 



and most complete exposition of I men cannot agree how to pull it 



the problem which he gave in the ' down " ('In Sachen,' &c. , p. 215). 



course of the forty years during ! 



