RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. 751 



The centre of philosophical thought during the first 

 half of the nineteenth century lay as much in Germany 

 as the centre of scientific thought lay, somewhat earlier, 

 in France. It is true that in both cases, if we trace 

 the movement a little further back, we come upon the 

 powerful influences of English thought. Newton can 

 be considered as marking the beginning of the modern 

 era of scientific thought; Locke can be looked upon 

 as having infused into philosophic thought much of 

 its modern spirit. But though this must be conceded 

 to a large extent, it must also be admitted that 

 the scientific thought of the nineteenth century for 

 a long time received its special colouring through 

 the influence of the French mathematicians and 

 naturalists, with Laplace and Cuvier as their most 

 illustrious representatives ; while philosophical thought 

 for a long time received its specific colouring from 

 the idealistic movement which began with Kant and 

 culminated in Hegel. And although it was again 

 the specific influence of English thought which in 

 the latter part of the nineteenth century diverted 

 alike scientific and philosophical thought from the 

 channels in which they ran during the first half 

 of the century, we have only very partially emanci- 

 pated ourselves from the overwhelming influence which 

 the conceptions of the idealistic school of German 

 philosophy have had upon the deeper philosophical 

 thought of all three nations alike. The features 

 peculiar to that period are still strongly marked on 

 the philosophical countenance of the age : neither the 

 lights nor the shadows thrown by the great lumin- 



