COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



tomlcal comparison of all animal brains, in con- 

 nection with the study of the mental character- 

 istics of animals — was a noble conception; 

 though in working it out he showed himself 

 lamentably ignorant of the plainest rules of in- 

 duction. The purposes of our inquiry do not 

 render it necessary for me to discuss the merits 

 of a hypothesis which has long since ceased to 

 be of any interest, save as an episode in the early 

 history of physiological psychology. Those 

 who wish to see the question treated critically 

 may be referred to the works of Miiller, Val- 

 entin, Wagner, Vulpian, Gratiolet, Longet, and 

 especially of Lelut ; to the appendix to Hamil- 

 ton's " Lectures on Metaphysics ; " to the chap- 

 ter on Gall in Mr. Lewes's " History of Phi- 

 losophy ; " and to Mr. Bain's treatise on " The 

 Study of Character." 



It is not Comte's acceptance of phrenology, 

 but his denial of psychology, which here con- 

 cerns us. The former is merely a personal 

 question, bearing upon Comte's scientific com- 

 petence ; the latter is a question of general in- 

 terest. We may note at the outset that many 

 contemporary positivists differ from Comte on 

 this point. It is generally agreed that a science 

 may be founded, even if it has not already been 

 founded, upon the observation and comparison 

 of states of consciousness ; though there is some 

 disagreement as to the position of that science 

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