262 J. W. SLATER, ESQ., ON 



taught savage, who notices that there is ■wind and that there is 

 rain, which makes a suggestion to his mind of a certain sequence 

 between wind in a particular direction and rain, and then the 

 savage proceeds to connect those two events together and the 

 thing becomes metaphysical. Despite Comte, the savage does go, 

 to a certain extent, into tliis metaphysical stage. Comte does not 

 believe that there is such a thing as force in nature. The poor 

 savage believes there is, and goes further and believes in the 

 Spirit, behind the cause. So all nature has a cause, and that 

 cause originates from the great Spirit to whom the poor Indian can 

 praj. The untaught savage as truly goes through these three 

 stages as does the philosopher of the present day. To attempt to 

 dissociate them, when they are intimatelj connected "with each 

 other and allied to each other in any complete process of know- 

 ledge, is manifestly unphilosophical. On what does Comte rely for 

 the improvement of human society ? Human improvement is held 

 by him to depend on impulses from our propensities and defective 

 faculties, all notions of public good being based on those of 

 private or selfish advantage. He would seek, then, the improve- 

 ment of Society in human nature — he would seek the Saviour of 

 the lost among the lost themselves. But what does he say of 

 human character? He speaks of " the radical imperfections of the 

 human character," and says, " we must regret that even in the best 

 natures the social affections are so overborne by the personal as 

 rai'ely to command conduct in a direct way." He appeal's to pro- 

 phesy the failure and impotence of his own system. 



I desire to express my thanks to Mr. Slater for an exceedingly 

 instructive and lucid account of Comte and his philosophy. 



The Chairman. — I do not know whether Comte made reference 

 to the very old idea of all knowledge branching from one stem, 

 which is to be found in one of Lord Bacon's works, but one must 

 see that a good many of Comte's best ideas are on those lines — 

 whether they are borrowed from Lord Bacon or not I do not know. 

 As a rule, people abstain from reading Bacon, and regard him as 

 an effete writer ; but the idea is well worthy of modern thought 

 and admiration. 



"Rev. H. Elcum. — I notice the author speaks of different stages 

 in which Comte refers to the different sciences. Do I understand 

 that he regards Comte as so speaking of those three stages that 

 they could be worked out in each individual science ? 



