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LITERATURE, AMERICAN, IN 1883. (PHILOSOPHY.) 



faire theory of government and society. 

 "French and German Socialism," by Richard 

 S. Ely (Harper & Brothers), gave a comprehen- 

 sive and well-studied sketch of the political 

 and social theories which are now agitating 

 the public mind, and of the men who have 

 represented them prominently. The theory of 

 "Land and Labor in the United States," by 

 W. G. Moody (Charles Scribner's Sons), was 

 based on opposition to monopoly, pursuing in 

 some degree the plan proposed by Mr. George. 

 The great interest felt in the study of economics 

 was shown in the number of works published 

 on political economy during the year. Though 

 some of these seem to have been primarily 

 designed for collegiate instruction, they were 

 so written as to appeal to the interests of the 

 general reader. Principal among these may 

 be designated " Political Economy," by A. L. 

 Perry (Charles Scribner's Sons), "Political 

 Economy," by Dr. John M. Gregory (Van Ant- 

 werp, Bragg, & Co.), and " Political Economy," 

 by Francis A. Walker (Henry Holt & Co.). 

 The latter of these works, by one of the most 

 accomplished statisficians in the country (late 

 chief of the United States Census Bureau), at- 

 tracted marked attention by its searching and 

 vigorous treatment of economical questions. 

 A book worthy of note, by its simple and lucid 

 discussion of complex questions, was " What 

 Social Classes owe to Each Other," by Prof. 

 W. G. Sumner, of Yale College. As a brief 

 statement of fundamental principles it could 

 not easily be surpassed. Henry George, the 

 well-known author of " Progress and Poverty," 

 appeared in another work further amplifying 

 the theory associated with his name, entitled 

 " Social Problems " (Belford, Clarke, & Co.) 

 Luther Henry Porter's " Outlines of the Con- 

 stitutional History of the United States " (Henry 

 Holt & Co.) was a noticeable review of the 

 period antedating the adoption of our Consti- 

 tution, the debates contingent on its discus- 

 sion and adoption, and the changes which have 

 since been made in it. " People and Politics," 

 by E. W. Hosmer, M. D. (James R. Osgood & 

 Co.), discussed the relations of people to gov- 

 ernment in an attractive way. In " Political 

 Facts, a Text-Book of History," by George 

 Fitch (John B. Piet & Co.), the author gave a 

 history of parties and their conflicts in the 

 United States. Other works relating to eco- 

 nomics were "The Silver Dollar," by Henry 

 Carey Baird (Henry Carey Baird & Co.), dis- 

 cussing the true standard of payment in the 

 United States; "Taxation," by Prof. J. H. 

 Canfield (G. P. Putnam's Sons), and " Labor 

 and Capital," by Edward Kellogg (John W. 

 Lovell & Co.). Part II of the " American 

 Citizen's Manual," by W. C. Ford (G. P. Put- 

 nam's Sons), was a useful hand-book of infor- 

 mation. Among publications of a general po- 

 litical character, attention may be properly 

 called to "Works of James Abram Garfield," 

 edited by Burke A. Hinsdale (James R. Osgood 

 & Co.), and "Works of William H. Seward," 



edited by George H. Baker, a revised edition 

 (Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.). 



First among the works of foreign authors, 

 reissued in the United States, must be placed 

 Part VIII of Herbert Spencer's " Descriptive 

 Sociology" (D. Appleton & Co.), published 

 under the title of u The Social History of 

 France." In this large folio are given the ele- 

 ments of French social development for the 

 past two thousand years, classified and tabulated 

 for the use of the general student. Sir Henry 

 Maine's "Early Law and Custom" (Henry 

 Holt & Co.) was an able dissertation on the 

 evolution of law. Other publications which 

 the student of public interests will find it 

 worth while to investigate are "False Hopes," 

 byGoldwin Smith (John W. Lovell & Co.); 

 " Investigations in Currency and Finance," by 

 W. Stanley Jevons (Macmillan & Co.); "New 

 Golden Age and Influence of the Precious 

 Metals upon the World," by R. Hogarth Pat- 

 terson (Scribner & Welford) ; " Principles of 

 Political Economy," by Henry Sidgwick, M. A. 

 (Macmillan & Co.); "The Science of Politics," 

 by Sheldon Amos, M. A. (D. Appleton & Co.'s 

 "International Scientific Series"); T. M. Far- 

 rer's " State in its Relation to Trade " (Mac- 

 millan & Co.); "The English Village Com- 

 munity," by F. Seebohn (Scribner & Welford) ; 

 and " Wealth Creation," by Augustus Mon- 

 gredien, with an introduction by Simon Sterne 

 (Cassell & Co.). 



Philosophy and Metaphysics. In this direction 

 American thought was in some respects notice- 

 able. "The Conflict in Nature and Life" (D. 

 Appleton & Co.) was a strong work by an anon- 

 ymous author, a study of the antagonism in the 

 constitution of things, and an attempt to eluci- 

 date the problem of good and evil. In it the 

 conclusion was reached that in neither opti- 

 mism nor pessimism could the true philosophy 

 of life be found, but rather in meliorism, or con- 

 tentment with the best that might be practi- 

 cable. Dr. Asa Mahan's " Critical History of 

 Philosophy " (Philips & Hunt) gave a history 

 of the development of metaphysical thought 

 and theory, viewed from the Christian stand- 

 point. S. Harris's " Philosophical Basis of 

 Theism " (Charles Scribner's Sons) is a work 

 which attracted even more attention in Eng- 

 land than it did in the United States. " Energy, 

 Efficient and Final Cause " (Scribner's " Philo- 

 sophic Series," No. 2), by Rev. Dr. James 

 McCosh, of Princeton College, is by one of the 

 leading metaphysicians of the English-speak- 

 ing world. " Kant's Critique of Pure Reason 

 a Critical Exposition," by Prof. George H. 

 Morris, Ph. D. (S. C. Griggs & Co.), was Vol. 

 I of "German Philosophical Classics." It 

 attempts to elucidate the most abstruse and 

 obscure of metaphysical systems. Vol. II in 

 the same series is a critical exposition of 

 " Schelling's Transcendental Idealism," by 

 Prof. John Watson, LL. D. " Man a Creative 

 First Cause," by Rowland G. Hazard (Hough- 

 ton, Mifflin, & Co.), embodies two lectures de- 



