OP NATURE. 561 



ideas is past, pausing to take a speculative review of the 

 general movement which they have let loose and not 

 always been able to control. But such a review rarely 

 does justice either to friends or opponents, as the philo- 

 sophical and impartial temper must be nursed from youth 

 upward if it is ever to be acquired at all. 



All this explains how it came about that a new 

 Philosophy of Nature sprang up in Germany, which in 

 the middle of the century was, more than it is at 

 present, a creative and receptive centre of all movements 

 of thought. This new philosophy turned out to be a 

 premature generalisation, prompted as much by admira- 

 tion for the new science as by dismay at the apparent 

 fruitlessness of the older philosophy of Nature. Having, 

 besides, lost the understanding for poetical, artistic, and 

 classical ideals which prompted such speculations as 

 those of Schelling and Hegel, it appealed to the ma- 

 terial interests which, in the middle of the century, 

 were making rapid progress. This philosophy of nature 

 is known under the name of Materialism. 



Few philosophical sects can boast of having given to 

 the world, in a short and lucid form, such a concise 

 manual of its doctrine as the popular philosophy of 

 Materialism has done. Ludwig Biichner's well-known n. 



Bitchner. 



book entitled ' Kraft und Stoff,' which appeared in 1855, 

 may be looked upon as the gospel of Materialism. 1 It 

 ran through many editions ; it has been translated into 

 many languages. The title was well chosen, not only, 



1 As stated above (chap. iii. i nature of the Soul. I have there 

 p. 197), the materialistic contro- I also given the titles of the other 

 versy arose in Germany over the j principal writings of the material- 

 psychological discussion as to the istic school. 



VOL. III. 2 N 



