700 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



John Stuart Mill in this country or such as has been 

 further developed by more recent thinkers, especially 

 on the Continent. 



If we may thus define the unification arrived at by 

 Spencer as a unification of method or thought rather 

 than as a unification of knowledge, we must further 

 define it as a unification of scientific thought in which 

 religious thought is left out of consideration. And 

 this limitation of the range of Spencer's speculation 

 becomes still more evident if we note how far Spencer 

 has succeeded in solving the further problem, the re- 

 conciliation of science and religion. This is accomplished 

 by eliminating religion, both as a psychological pheno- 

 menon and as a definite doctrine, altogether from the 

 region of philosophical discussion. Both remain things 

 lying outside the realm of the philosopher. Their 

 existence is not denied, nor does Spencer assume towards 

 them any polemical or aggressive attitude such as has 

 been so characteristic of Continental materialism. His 

 doctrine of slow change in the world of ideas, as well as 

 in that of nature, prevents him from expecting any 

 immediate effect or change in matters of opinion and 

 belief. Having accordingly passed over the religious 

 problem in the form in which it appeared as the central 

 question in the idealistic philosophy of Germany, Spencer 

 instead places at the centre of his speculation, as 

 Comte did before him, the social problem. The greater 

 withcomte. p ar t O f his writings, the early as well as the latest, are 

 occupied with this. His unifying principle of thought is 

 finally put to the test in the construction of a social phil- 

 osophy, such as I have dealt with in an earlier chapter. 



