INTRODUCTORY. 7 1 



ultimate principles and fundamental notions which the 

 separate natural and philosophical sciences take for 

 granted. "With this we find frequently connected the 

 desire to unite these different and detached principles 

 into a consistent and united scheme. As this can only 

 be done by a process of reconstruction, by remodelling 

 those principles as they primarily present themselves, 

 these thinkers follow to some extent in the footsteps se. 



TT T i Direction 



or Herbart and of Lotze. By such a process of recon- ofHerbart 



and Lotze. 



struction they may then arrive at some kind of system, 

 which will nevertheless differ very materially from those 

 earlier systems which have for centuries led human 

 thought. These mostly sprang from a deep-seated con- 

 viction that some one Supreme Idea had been found, 

 which afforded, as it were, an insight into the very 

 essence and nature of things, a glimpse of the under- 

 lying reality of the All. The most noteworthy example 

 of that other and more modest form of philosophy is 

 probably to be found in Professor Wundt's ' System of 

 Philosophy ' and in the elaborate expositions contained in 

 his other philosophical works. Other recent thinkers 

 have altogether abstained from systematic ventures, con- 

 tenting themselves with a general theory of knowledge. 

 In their endeavours they have been mostly influenced 

 by Kant, who, as many declare, abstained for himself 

 from metaphysics. In fact, they try to do better and 

 more thoroughly what Kant had attempted to do in his 

 celebrated three " Critiques." 



Eduard Zeller, the renowned historian of Greek philo- 57. 



E. Zeller. 



sophy, gave expression to this attitude of thought in 



