532 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



of the Eeal. What English thinkers had so far done in 

 the region of original philosophic Thought was limited 

 mainly to Psychology, Logic, and Ethics. The latter 

 subject was treated mostly in its connection with social 

 and economic questions. In the writings of T. H. 

 Green, however, ethical problems formed the entrance to 

 a more independent discussion of the problems of Knowing 

 and Being, and it was largely ow,ing to his influence that 

 his pupils and followers were led to attack these latter 

 questions in a purely metaphysical as distinguished from 

 58. a practical interest. In this interest Professor Caird 

 Wallace, published his important works upon Kant, Wallace his 



and Green. 



translations of, and commentaries on, Hegel ; in this in- 

 terest also the two volumes of Lotze's ' System of Philo- 

 sophy ' were translated at the suggestion of Green. The 

 works of other thinkers of bygone times were commented 

 on and re-edited ; among these, the editions of David 

 Hume's ' Treatise,' by Green and Grose, and Professor 

 Campbell Eraser's excellent edition of Bishop Berkeley's 

 works, were of great importance and assistance to 

 students. 



One is sometimes tempted to say in one's haste that 

 these thinkers who heralded a new spirit of thought spent 

 perhaps too much time and labour over purely historical, 

 critical, and expository work, and that the danger existed 

 that through the study of Kant, Hegel, and Lotze, English 

 speculation might follow the example of Germany, where 

 history and criticism had long usurped the position be- 

 longing to original thought, erudition having taken the 

 place of creation. It was therefore of immense value 

 for the development of English thought that an inde- 



