INTRODUCTORY. 33 



are attempting to record. They deal, not so much with 

 persons and events, as with the gradual development of 

 constitutions, the growth of nationalities and societies, — 

 in fact, with the life and interests of the masses. 



The history of thought seems similarly to lend itself 25. 

 very readily to such treatment. It is easy to fix upon to the 



history of 



one or several leading ideas or movements of thought, thought, 

 and to trace their slow growth and gradual diffusion 

 and influence. Important historical works, comprising 

 sometimes many volumes, have been written or planned 

 from this point of view. It is seldom, however, that 

 we do not rise from the perusal of such works with the 

 feeling that they have only taken notice of one side, and 

 that there are other sides which must also be taken 

 into account if we wish to arrive at a fair judgment 

 or a comprehensive view.-^ 



Thus, although it is the object of this history to dwell 



^ The prominent examples of alismus' (1865); A. Ritschl's 'Ge- 



this manner of treating the History schichte des Pietismus ' (1880-86) ; 



of Thought are Comte's ' Philo- , A. Drews' ' History of German 



Sophie Positive,' Thos. Buckle's Speculation since Kant,' containing 



'History of Civilisation,' and 

 Hegel's ' Philosophy of History ' 

 With these I shall be largely occu- 

 pied in future chapters. Of smaller 

 "Works we have Guizot's Lectures on 



mainly a history of the idea of 

 Personality. Of course, by far the 

 most important idea or cluster of 

 ideas in modern times has its 

 special development and historj^ in 



' History of Civilisation in Europe ' 1 the vast theological literature deal- 



and ' History of Civilisation in ing with Christianity in its two 



France' (1828); Lecky's 'History 1 great manifestations, 'Christian 



of the Rise and Influence of Church' and 'Christian Doctrine.' 



Rationalism in Europe ' (1865), As this rests on a unique historical 



2 vols. German literature is par- foundation, it will not be specially 



ticularly rich in monographs on dealt with in the present section of 



special ideas or movements of | this history. It belongs to the 



thought, such as Lange's ' History | religious thought of the century, 



of Materialism,' already quoted, Only where it cornea into immedt- 



Lasswitz' ' Geschichte der Atom- ate contact with philosophical 



istik.' 2 vols. (1890) ; Tholuck's doctuines, as it certainly has done 



' Vorgeschichte des Rationalismus ' very frequently, shall I have occa- 



(1853-62) ; 'Geschichte des Ration- sion to refer to it. 



VOL. III. C 



