Feb. 14, 1884] 



NATURE 



355 



tion to bring certain questions of metaphysics within the 

 scope of scientific inquiry. That any one should have 

 rejected the current method of metaphysics in favour of 

 a geometrical investigation into the nature of God and 

 existence, cannot be otherwise than significant to persons 

 who seek to determine the psychological problem of the 

 nature of consciousness by physiological means. Hence 

 it is that there are some students who think that, if any 

 philosophy were possible, it were that of Spinoza, and 

 others who say that in the work of Mr. Spencer and Prof. 

 Clifford they find the inheritance which Spinoza left 

 behind him. 



Mr. Hale White has done his difficult work well. The 

 translation is executed with great care, and the style of 

 the original has been reproduced with some success. 

 That English readers of Spinoza have entertained very 

 loose notions of his real teaching has been due in no 

 small measure to the very inaccurate translation which 

 has hitherto passed current. The present volume should 

 do much to improve the popular conception of Spinoza's 

 system. 



At the risk of repetition of what has already been in- 

 sisted on in these columns, it is right to contrast the 

 position of the naturalists who accept Spinoza's applica- 

 tion of scientific methods to metaphysical questions, with 

 the procedure of Kant and those who are currently 

 described as Neo-Kantians. It is the more desirable to 

 revert to this topic because, although there is much com- 

 plaint that the Neo-Kantians do little (if anything) more 

 than repeat Kant's criticism of the naturalist (or, as he 

 would have described it, dogmatic) doctrine, there is but 

 little evidence that this criticism has been considered, much 

 less met. People go on reasoning upon the old lines about 

 the relation of mind to body and of God to the world as 

 if Kant (to borrow a phrase from another branch of 

 learning) had never obtained a rule calling upon them to 

 show cause why there should not be a new trial of all 

 such questions. It cannot be sufficiently borne in mind 

 that at the present time there are only two courses open 

 in this reference to conscientious thinkers. Either they 

 must abstain altogether from the discussion of an in- 

 creasing number of problems which are suggested by 

 scientific inquiry, or they must be at the pains, however 

 irksome, to master the nature of the sceptical doubts 

 which Kant brought to bear upon the possibility of these 

 problems. And it may be added that to single them out 

 for elimination is not so easy a task as might be supposed. 

 Probably the real reason why the study of Spinoza's 

 ethics is attended with so much difficulty is that the 

 extraordinary instinct which guides men of the highest 

 genius in inquiries in new and unknown regions raised 

 doubts in his mind which the investigations of Kant sub- 

 sequently exhibited as the consequences of a more pro- 

 foundly sceptical point of view. That difficulties arise 

 when men reflect upon the nature of God was for Spinoza, 

 as for Kant, due to the impossibility of reasoning on such 

 matters as if they were ordinary facts of experience. In 

 Spinozism the geometrical method culminated in the 

 abrupt cessation of thought of this kind, just as in Hume 

 empiricism ended in the paralysis of speculation. Had 

 Spinoza pressed his distinction between different kinds of 

 knowledge further, his system must have become in a 

 greater or less degree sceptical in its tendencies — sceptical 



in the sense in which Kant was sceptical as a preliminary 

 to reconstruction, or in which, to take the case of a very 

 recent scientific writer, the late Prof. Clifford was a 

 sceptic when he completed his analysis of experience with 

 his theory of ejects. The difference between the three 

 cases is that Kant clearly saw the origin and nature of 

 the difficulties raised by himself, and made the inquiry 

 the preliminary to a radically different discussion of the 

 issues raised in philosophy and science alike. It were 

 well if the fact were less left out of account that the rule 

 obtained by Kant for a new trial of these issues has never 

 yet been discharged. R. B. Haldane 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



yriu Edilor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, 

 or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications. 



[The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters 

 as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great 

 that it is impossible otherwise to insure the appearance even 

 of comiiiunications containing interesting ana novel facts. "[ 



The Krakatoa Eruption 



The Council of the Royal Society has appointed a Committee 

 for the purpose of collecting the various accounts of the v jlcanic 

 eruption at Krakatoa, and attendant phenomena in such form as 

 shall best provide for their preservation and promote their use- 

 fulness. 



The Committee invite the communication of authenticated 

 facts respecting the fall of pumice and of dust, the position and 

 extent of floating pumice, the date of exceptional quantities of 

 pumice reaching various shores, observation- of unusual disturb- 

 ances of barometric pressure and of sea-level, the presence of 

 sulphurous vapours, the distances at which the explosions were 

 heard, and exceptional effects of light and colour in the 

 atmosphere. 



The Committee will be glad to receive also copies of published 

 papers, articles, and letters bearing upon the subject. 



Coirespjndents are requested to be very particular in givir? 

 the date, exact time (stating whether Greenwich or local), and 

 position whence all recorded facts were observed. The greatest 

 practicable precision in all these respects is essential. 



All communications are to be addressed to 



G. J- Symons, 

 Chairman Krakatoa Committee 



Royal Society, Burlington House, W., February 12 



The Remarkable Sunsets 



The following facts in reference to the unusual surusets, as 

 witnessed in the United States, will I hope be of sufficient 

 value to your readers to justify an insertion in the pages of 

 Nature. 



The place fiom which I write is 1063 feet above sea-level, 

 40" 48' 47" N. lat. and 81° 53' 37" \V. long, from Greenwich. 

 The main features of the exhibition hrre have been the crimson 

 glow — the first and after-glow, with other accompanying colours, 

 closely corresponding with those in England and Europe. 

 Hence I need not occupy your pages with a special description. 



I have on lecord seven cases, nearly all the weather would 

 permit one to see. These Occurred on November 27, December 

 9, 10, 25, ard 28, and on January 13 and 17. 



The first and second glow have extended in two or three 

 instances, though faintly, to the zenith, and the first has occa- 

 sionally been reflected on the eastern sky. On December 28, the 

 most brilliant exhibition in the series, an arch was formed in the 

 east, the colours red and yellowish green, very soft, and much 

 blended. The crimson glow on the sky flooded the western 

 sides of buildings with an unearthly light, and cast faint shadows 

 across the snow. The appearance of the after-glow, when the 

 sun had reached a certain angle in its decline, favours the view- 

 that it is a reflection of the first. If this be true, it is not neces- 



