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552 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



A GREAT WORK CONCLTJBED. 



ALTHOUGH there still lacks a vol- 

 ume of the ten originally planned 

 by Mr. Herbert Spencer for the exposi- 

 tion of his Syntbetic Philosophy, the 

 publication of the tenth volume of the 

 series (the second and concluding one 

 of the Principles of Ethics) gives very 

 legitimate occasion for rejoicing to all 

 who, like ourselves, regarding the Syn- 

 thetic Philosophy as the most important 

 contribution yet made to an understand- 

 ing of the laws of the organic world in 

 their special bearing on human life, con- 

 sider the portion dealing with ethics as 

 the most important of the whole work. 

 Mr. Spencer, we understand, haviDg 

 thus crowned the edifice of his philoso- 

 phy, will proceed at once to complete it 

 by writing the one volume still out- 

 standing — namely, the third of the Prin- 

 ciples of Sociology, or the eighth of the 

 series. 



It is, indeed, a long road on which 

 the distinguished author looks back 

 when his thoughts revert to the pub- 

 lication in the year 1855 of the first 

 edition of his Principles of Psychology. 

 For forty years very nearly ha3 he been 

 toiling over one of the most arduous 

 tasks that any man ever set himself; 

 and with what perseverance, unflagging 

 resolution, and high spirit he has car- 

 ried that task through its successive 

 stages the world at large has been a 

 witness. "You who write," says Hor- 

 ace, " consider well and long what your 

 shoulders will bear and what they will 

 not bear." It has seemed at different 

 times as if Mr. Spencer had taken on 

 his shoulders a burden too great for his 

 physical strength. His health, as every 

 one is aware, has for years together 

 been such as greatly to limit his power 



of work, and at times to condemn him 

 to complete inactivity. Still, he has 

 persevered, making the most of all op- 

 portunities, and to-day his great under- 

 taking is so nearly accomplished that 

 its entire completion may be reasonably 

 counted on. At one time this was more 

 than the author himself hoped for, and 

 more, we have little doubt, than any 

 will less resolute than his own would 

 have realized. We believe, and take 

 pleasure in believing, that Mr. Spencer 

 has been largely sustained in his severe 

 and exhausting labors by the thought 

 that he was working for his generation 

 and for subsequent generations. His 

 philosophy is meant for guidance. He 

 has aimed at making men understand 

 the kind of world they live in and the 

 kind of laws with which they have to 

 reckon. Theology has in general placed 

 its most impressive sanctions in a super- 

 natural order of things and in a future 

 state of existence. Mr. Spencer con- 

 tents himself with showing the springs, 

 conditions, and consequences of human 

 action in the present order of things, 

 leaving those who are so disposed to find 

 necessary admonition therein, and those 

 who are otherwise minded to take their 

 own course, whatever it may be. The 

 question has often been raised whether 

 philosophy can constrain men to right 

 conduct. The answer we should be 

 disposed to give is, that a true philoso- 

 phy, one resting on the facts and laws 

 of life, if duly blended with early educa- 

 tion, would powerfully incline the young 

 to virtue. It does not profess to be a 

 stimulus for jaded appetites or exhaust- 

 ed moral vitality, and can not be count- 

 ed upon as an agent for sudden conver- 

 sions ; but, given as the daily bread of 

 life, it can nourish and strengthen the 

 moral and intellectual natures of men. 



