296 



PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



4. 



Erkennt- 

 nisstheorie. 



Eenouvier's 



Neo- 



criticism. 



schaft or Science) in the spirit of Kant's own specu- 

 lations. Sixty years later the term Erkenntnisstheorie 

 (in English Epistemology) marks the beginning of a new 

 series of attempts to deal with the problem of know- 

 ledge, with the distinct aim of going back to Kant, of 

 reverting to the problem of the critical philosophy. 

 This direction of philosophical thought manifests itself 

 independently in all the three countries with which we 

 are mainly occupied. It was most loudly proclaimed 

 in Germany by F. A. Lange and supported by Eduard 

 Zeller, both having turned away from the metaphysical 

 systems of Kant's immediate successors. In this country 

 somewhat later the study of those very systems, which 

 Germany rejected, led the opponents of Mill, Comte, 

 and Spencer to go back to Kant as a necessary 

 preparation for carrying out more satisfactorily and 

 consistently the great scheme propounded by Hegel. 



In France Charles Eenouvier took up quite an original 

 and unique position in opposition to the prevailing 

 official philosophy of his country,^ and in distinct recog- 



^ The foremost works referring 

 to this movement which have 

 appeared in Germany and in this 

 country are in general well known, 

 and have had a widespread influence. 

 But the equally important and 

 equally original labours of Reuouvier 

 remained for a long time unknown 

 and unrecognised beyond a narrow 

 circle of followers in his own 

 country. And even there his in- 

 fluence as one of the leading thinkers 

 of recent times has only gradually 

 made its way. The reason, inter 

 alia, given for this, is that the 

 works of Renouvier are deficient in 

 style and elegance of expression, 

 defects which French literary taste 



cannot forgive. See, e.g., what M. 

 Ribot says in his otherwise appre- 

 ciative mention of Renouvier in 

 'Mind,' 1877, vol. ii. p. 379: "I 

 regret to have to state that in 

 France Renouvier's works have not 

 been sufficiently read, and that 

 they are far from obtaining the 

 success they deserve. The fault 

 lies in the author's style, and still 

 more in a want of art and com- 

 position, not easily forgiven by 

 French readers. It should be re- 

 marked, however, that of late years 

 the ditlusion of his doctrines has 

 begun to make way ; not so much 

 perhaps on their own account, as 

 because they are related to the 



