PREFACE 



Along with these specific advantages, as char- 

 acterizing Mr. Spencer's system of philosophy, 

 the term " Cosmic " and its congeners possess 

 sundry general advantages, as characterizing that 

 entire method or habit of philosophizing of 

 which Mr. Spencer's system is in our day the 

 most conspicuous product. In this sense I have 

 contrasted " Cosmism " with " Anthropomor- 

 phism " as two different fashions or habits of in- 

 terpreting phenomena, the contrast being more 

 specifically carried out, in the concluding chap- 

 ters of this work, between " Cosmic Theism " 

 and " Anthropomorphic Theism." For fur- 

 ther justification and elucidation I must refer 

 to the body of the work, where these terms are 

 introduced and defended as occasion requires. 

 In view of all that is thus from time to time 

 brought forward, I think it will appear that a 

 more strikingly characteristic terminology would 

 be hard to find, or one in which so great a num- 

 ber of kindred distinctions are expressed by so 

 small a group of terms. 



But while it is incumbent on me to declare 

 Mr. Spencer's disapproval of this terminology, 

 it should be added that, so far as I know, the 

 question at issue between us is purely a ques- 

 tion of nomenclature, and is not implicated 

 with any essential differences of opinion as to 



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