INTRODUCTION 



with the general logic of scientific methods, in 

 addition to the criticism of Comte. Chapter x. 

 undertakes to summarize the precise range of 

 the agreement and disagreement between " Cos- 

 mism " and " Positivism." With chapter xi., 

 " The Question Stated," Fiske returns in his 

 discussion nearer to the Spencerian order of the 

 day, by announcing the task of a Synthetic Phi- 

 losophy in the fashion of which Spencer makes 

 use in the first, as well as in later, chapters of 

 Part II. of the "First Principles." 



15. Hereupon, in Part II. of his own treatise, 

 Fiske begins his exposition of the general law 

 of evolution. The first four chapters of this 

 part need no extended remark in this present 

 connection. They furnish a masterly and very 

 clear exposition of chapters iii. to xxiv. of the 

 second part of Spencer's " First Principles." 

 Fiske's fidelity is close, despite his great abbre- 

 viation of Spencer's discussion. While the 

 large illustrative material includes examples that 

 the later progress of science has often set in 

 new light, and that Fiske, if rewriting his book, 

 might therefore wish to modify, no question of 

 fundamental importance for the understanding 

 of Fiske's personal position here arises. He 

 is in these chapters the disciple, and desires 

 only to appear as such. To criticise his atti- 

 tude here would be to raise the whole question 



Iv 



