IX.] Mr. Buckle's Fallacies. 167 



scepticism " has in every department of thought been 

 the invariable prehminary to all the intellectual revo- 

 lutions through which the human mind has passed," 

 and that " without it there could be no progress, no 

 change, no civilisation." 1 In examining this propo- 

 sition, it is needful, at the outset, to have a clear idea 

 of the nature of scepticism, as understood by Mr. 

 Buckle. The word itself has been variously inter- 

 preted ; sometimes in a more general sense, as mean- 

 ing the absolute denial of all dogmas, theories, and 

 behefs whatever ; sometimes in a more special sense, 

 as signifying disbehef in the peculiar doctrines of 

 Christianity. It is in neither of these senses that Mr. 

 Buckle uses the word. He defines scepticism as 

 suspension of judgment, or hesitation in forming or 

 receiving an opinion. A true sceptic, then, would 

 neither believe nor disbelieve anything at all. He 

 would doubt even his own doubts. History presents 

 but few instances of a consistent and thorough-going 

 sceptic. Pyrrho and Hume will, however, serve 

 sufficiently well as examples. Scepticism is not to 

 be confounded with that philosophy which, not con- 

 tent with doubting, absolutely denies. This might 



venient to examine this law in connection with the fourth, we have 

 taken the liberty to alter Mr. Buckle's arrangement. 

 ^ Vol. i. page 32S, 



