OF EEALITY. 491 



philosophies of bygone ages, notably of Plato, Spinoza, 

 and Leibniz. The systematic unity, however, of these 

 ideas had been broken up, they existed as scattered frag- 

 ments of an edifice which had fallen, but which it was 

 the duty of the philosophical mind to reconstruct on 

 broader and safer foundations and with more careful 

 workmanship. On this task the philosophical mind has 

 spent its labours ever since, not only in Germany but 

 also in the neighbouring countries. In consequence of 37. 



Is 6W 6Cl6CtiC 



this the character of modern philosophy has become to a spirit. 

 large extent critical and eclectic. In many instances it 

 has not gone beyond the limits of a critical and his- 

 torical survey of the valuable materials handed down by 

 former ages and prepared by the original eftbrts of 

 ancient and modern thinkers. But we must not forget 

 that criticism can lead to no valuable and positive result 

 unless the point from which it is undertaken is clearly 

 defined, and that history cannot be written except in the 

 light of definite ideas and convictions which are implied 

 if not expressly stated. 



The philosopher who during the third quarter of the 

 nineteenth century approached the philosophical problem 

 in the critical and eclectic spirit just indicated, but who, 

 at the same time, possessed more than any other the 

 firm individual position and the central conviction which 

 was to irradiate all his writings, was Hermann Lotze. 38. 

 In him we find united almost all the best characteristics 

 of recent thought, with perhaps one exception, and it is 

 probably just this one defect in his philosophical attitude 

 which has been the cause that his works did not, for a 

 long time, receive that attention which they deserve and 



Lotze. 



