INTRODUCTION. 



The aim of the following pages is to investigate the problem 

 of the relation of science and philosophy. With this end in view, 

 it has been found advisable to make an examination of their 

 respective histories. For, when the actual, historical course of 

 those investigations known as science and philosophy is traced, 

 there are unfolded the various relations which each, throughout 

 its long history, has borne to the other. By the same method, 

 likewise, there ought to emerge, as a result of analysis, a definition 

 of science and a definition of philosophy which should be adequate 

 and just to the entire development of each. Definitions formed 

 in any other way can, only by the merest chance, be applicable 

 to the history of disciplines which show such complex developments. 

 Definitions formed in any other way must necessarily be, to some 

 degree, arbitrary, and, as such, will almost inevitably lead to a 

 misunderstanding and even a depreciation of the work of men 

 who have lived in times earlier than and different from our own. 



After such an historical survey has been completed, there ought 

 also to result a clearer comprehension of the relation that should 

 exist to-day between science and philosophy, investigations which, 

 as is well known, have in their development exhibited toward 

 each other attitudes varying from that of bitter antipathy to that 

 of friendly and co-operative sympathy. 



It is at least theoretically possible that philosophy has to 

 investigate a content quite other than that of the sciences. If 

 this be so however, it sure4y would be an acceptable service on 

 the part of someone to point out what this content is, a content 

 which is sometimes vaguely referred to as the phenomena of mind. 

 On the other hand, it may be that the content of philosophy 

 consists in the general processes of the various sciences to which 

 may be added the phenomena of social and religious life, and that 

 its task is to examine and synthesize this ever-growing body of 

 data. Which of these is the genuine task of philosophy it is the 

 aim of this thesis to indicate. 



