268 



PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



does, valuable ideas from many and apparently antagon- 

 istic sources. But he is distinguished from them by his 

 frequently successful endeavours to harmonise apparent 

 contrasts in a higher unity. Thus we find that he was 

 early regarded as a protagonist for a mechanical view of 

 all phenomena, and that much later his metaphysical 

 position has been adopted by theologians of the positive 

 school. Accordingly, his philosophical writings occupy, 

 not only in time but also in importance, a central 

 position in the philosophical thought of the nineteenth 

 century, and we shall in the sequel have again and 

 again to revert to them. 1 



As I said above, modern psychology may be dated 



from the appearance of Lotze's writings. But if we 



wish to find out what is meant by modern psychology, 



it is of interest to note the very different con- 



52. ceptions we meet with on this point. I single out 



in recent three prominent writers who have delivered themselves 



psychology. 



on the subject, and who may be considered as represent- 



1 Outside of Germany the writ- 

 ings of Lotze have received most 

 attention in this country and in the 

 United States of America, least 

 in France. Most of his important 

 works have been translated into 

 English, and have run through 

 several editions. I am not aware 

 that of any of his larger works a 

 complete translation has been pub- 

 lished in France, though prominent 

 thinkers, such as Renouvier,Fouillee, 

 and Boutroux, take note of his 

 teachings. I regret that the latest 

 edition of the ' Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica' contains only a muti- 

 lated reprint of an article I sup- 

 plied in the year 1882. It was 

 written shortly after the death of 

 Lotze, when the Syllabus of his 



Lectures was not yet completely 

 published, and when little had been 

 written in the way of criticism even 

 in Germany. Since that time a very 

 large literature has sprung up both 

 in German and in English, and a 

 great deal has been done to explain, 

 to criticise, and to make his teach- 

 ings better known. To some of 

 these important contributions I 

 shall have occasion to refer in the 

 sequel. There seems to me no 

 doubt that the spirit and manner 

 of his speculation is more and more 

 entering into philosophical litera- 

 ture, and that a study even of his 

 less known writings would be 

 peculiarly appropriate in the present 

 state of thought in all the three 

 countries I am dealing with. 



