X PREFACE. 



who should be best qualified by practice for this service 

 is the Teacher of Philosophy, who will not be successful 

 unless he possess the gift of exposition, which consists 

 mainly in two things : first, the power of using clear 

 and precise language ; and next, of finding illustrations 

 and analogies as middle terms to connect the intelligence 

 of the pupil with the thought of the philosopher. 



I have in this book occasionally undertaken the 

 delicate function of translating the philosopher's thought 

 to the general understanding, of acting as a sort of 

 interpreter of the high philosophical oracles to the people. 

 It is not an easy task to convey without spilling the 

 doctrine of the abstract thinker into different vessels ; 

 and one might easily fall between two stools in ad- 

 dressing a book to philosophers, theologians, and men 

 of science on the one hand, and on the other to the 

 intelligent general reader. He might fail to catch his 

 general reader, who is apt to be shy if he suspects an 

 attempt to entice him unwarily into any metaphysical 

 controversies, of all of which he has a keen scent from 

 afar, as well as an instinctive dread. On the other hand, 

 if he secures his general reader he may give occasion to 

 the serious philosopher to cavil at the result as wanting 

 in thoroughness and depth. 



Nevertheless I think I have not wholly failed in my 

 aim, for philosophers, theologians, and men of science 

 have read the book, philosophical reviews have analyzed 

 and criticized it, and on the whole not unfavourably, 

 while it has undoubtedly reached at least a section of 

 the general reading class, as is proved by the absorption, 



