INTRODUCTION 



not with the exposition of Spencer, but with 

 the characterization of Fiske, it is, however, not 

 necessary for us to discuss at all adequately the 

 relation of these divergencies to the various 

 motives which guided Spencer in the statement 

 of his own system. The " Synthetic Philoso- 

 phy " is a complex organism, the expression, in 

 fact, of many different motives. It is not sur- 

 prising that its author was unable, at the first 

 writing of his opinions, to make all his expres- 

 sions clear, unambiguous, and free from incon- 

 sistency. The historian of the Spencerian doc- 

 trine would have to discuss in detail a good 

 many questions about the master's growth, in- 

 tent, and form of expression, which concern us 

 only incidentally. Our account has to do with 

 what Fiske himself saw as the true interpretation 

 and development of Spencer's meaning, with 

 what he added of his own thinking to his inter- 

 pretation of Spencer, and with what he accord- 

 ingly stated in the " Cosmic Philosophy." The 

 text of our treatise we must now follow with 

 some detail, and must attempt to distinguish at 

 each point Fiske's personal contributions to the 

 subject. 



8. The " Prolegomena " of Fiske's book 



open with a chapter on the " Relativity of 



Knowledge." Fiske here summarizes especially 



chapters ii., iii. and iv. of Part I. of Spencer's 



xlv 



