Popular Education, and Other Matters. 233 



month. I shall take some work with me, and most likely 

 stay about a fortnight. 



June 7th. It may be that you are wise in not coming 

 to the Paris Exhibition. I went for a fortnight, and came 

 back before the week was out. Perpetual sight-seeing soon 

 became a weariness, and I was heartily glad to get back. 

 Matters were made worse by the extremely hot weather, 

 which set in just as I went there. 



I have decided within these few days to use a specific 

 title for the whole series of volumes that I am issuing. 

 Originally, when drawing up the programme, I contem- 

 plated doing so, and was very nearly using the title Deduc- 

 tive Philosophy ; but I was dissuaded, and finally fell back 

 upon the indefinite title of a System of Philosophy. There 

 are decided evils, however, in the absence of a distinctive 

 name, and I have had these evils just now thrust before 

 me afresh. At the close of his new edition of his History 

 of Philosophy Lewes persists in claiming me as one of his 

 school, saying that " Mr. Spencer is unequivocally a posi- 

 tive philosopher, however he may repudiate being con- 

 sidered a disciple of Comte," and he goes on to close his 

 book in the next paragraph by saying, " Am I claiming too 

 much for the Positive Philosophy in claiming for it what- 

 ever the future may produce ? " Now as whether Lewes 

 intends it or not the Positive Philosophy will continue to be 

 understood as the philosophy of Comte, and as I so distinct- 

 ly repudiate the philosophy of Comte, it is needful to take 

 some step to prevent the confusion. So long as there is no 

 other title in use to express a philosophy formed of organ- 

 ized scientific knowledge, one cannot expect people to 

 discriminate. Another title, therefore, is evidently extreme- 

 ly desirable, and will, I think, in many respects yield posi- 

 tive as well as negative advantages. I have decided upon 

 the title Synthetic Philosophy, which, on the whole, seems 

 the most descriptive. I am intending to make the issue of 

 ii 



