354 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 107 



in Plato's ' Republic ' and Aristotle's ' Ethics,' occu- 

 pying together two hours per week through the 

 year. Other courses are, one in Spencer's ' First 

 principles,' and one each in aesthetics and Kant's 

 'Critique of pure reason,' the latter two being 

 omitted this year. 



The Harvard courses include in the history of phi- 

 losophy, English philosophy, from Locke to Hume; 

 French, from Descartes to Leibnitz ; and German, 

 from Kant to Hegel ; and one each in German 

 philosophy of the present day and Hegel's 4 Phae- 

 nomenologie,' which are omitted the present year. 

 Psychology and logic (Bain and Jevons) are covered 

 in one course ; there is also an advanced course in 

 experimental psychology. There is a course in 

 the philosophy of nature, discussing Spinoza and 

 Spencer. There are also five courses in ethics and 

 philosophy of religion, comprehending one on 

 philosophy in relation to ethics and religion 

 (Royce's ' Religious aspects of philosophy ') ; one 

 on philosophy of religion ; another on philosophic 

 theism ; one on historical ethics, including espe- 

 cially, it appears, Mill and Kant ; and one on prac- 

 tical ethics of modern society. The account would 

 be incomplete if we failed to notice Professor 

 Goodwin's courses in Plato's ' Republic,' and in 

 the history of philosophy before Aristotle, with 

 Professor Greenough's course on later Greek phi- 

 losophy. All of these courses are elective. It 

 will be noticed that there are about the same 

 number of courses given in both the two last- 

 mentioned universities, but the courses appear to 

 cover more hours per year at Harvard than at 

 Michigan. 



Intermediate between the two classes of col- 

 leges discussed, come, in the east, Yale and Prince- 

 ton ; in the west, the universities of Wisconsin 

 and California. At Princeton there are required 

 courses in psychology, logic, ethics, and Christian 

 evidences ; elective courses in physiological psy- 

 chology, metaphysics, history of philosophy, and 

 science of religion ; and graduate courses in 

 Plato's ' Philosophy,' and one hour per week of 

 discussion of philosophic problems. At Yale 

 almost the only required studies in the senior year 

 are the philosophic courses. The required studies 

 are as follows : logic, psychology, ethics, natural 

 theology, and evidences of Christianity ; the elec- 

 bives are, the history of philosophy, two hours 

 through the year ; a course in Locke and Berkeley 

 for two hours first half-year, followed by ' special 

 topics ' the second half ; and a two-hour course in 

 physiological psychology through the year. 



The list of colleges given might be considerably 

 increased ; but it suffices, I think, to justify the 

 division of colleges, so far as their philosophic 

 teaching is concerned, into three classes, of which 



the first would include by far the greater number 

 of institutions. Did space permit, it would be 

 interesting to give the courses in two or three of 

 the best Canadian colleges. The practice there is 

 to divide the subjects into ' pass ' and ' honor ' 

 subjects ; the former being psychology, logic, and 

 ethics, and the latter including quite a wide range. 

 At McGill, for instance, besides courses in the 

 history of ancient and modern philosophy, the 

 student must pass an examination on twelve 

 masterpieces; for example, Aristotle's 'Ethics,' 

 Descartes' 'Method and meditations,' Spinoza's 

 ' Ethics,' Fraser's ' Berkeley,' Spencer's ' First 

 principles,' etc. At University college, Toronto, 

 this honor-work requires such solid reading as 

 Green's 'Introduction to Hume,' and his 'Pro- 

 legomena to ethics.' 



For the most part, these courses speak for them- 

 selves to one familiar with the courses in German 

 universities, or even in Great Britain in the present 

 renaissance of philosophy there. The greatest 

 lack is undoubtedly in the department of the 

 philosophy of nature. The philosophic interpre- 

 tation and criticism of the principles of modern 

 science seem to be unknown save at Harvard and 

 the University of Michigan. The greatest advance 

 which any one familiar with the philosophic an- 

 nouncements of the last eight or ten years will 

 notice is the growing tendency to introduce the 

 history of philosophy, and especially the study of 

 the originals, particularly in Plato, Aristotle, Kant, 

 and even Hegel. A striking and welcome phe- 

 nomenon is the increasing disuse of Sir William 

 Hamilton. I do not say this with especial refer- 

 ence to his philosophy, but because it is safe to 

 say that the sole ideas which the vast majority of 

 graduates of our colleges have of continental phi- 

 losophy, have come, directly or indirectly, through 

 Hamilton and Cousin ; and it is difficult to say 

 which is the more misleading as an authority in 

 historic philosophy. Princeton presents one inno- 

 vation, whence, I think, almost all of our colleges 

 could learn something. It has called in men from 

 its biological department to discuss physiological 

 psychology. The discussion of the one subject of 

 visual sensation and perception could easily be 

 made remarkably fruitful for psychology, as well 

 as leading up to the subject of space-perception in 

 general, and the question of empiricism and in- 

 tuitionalism, and the function of evolution in 

 psychical life. It is no discredit to our teachers of 

 philosophy to say that it is almost impossible that 

 they should have special knowledge in physiologi- 

 cal psychology. The instructor of to-day has now, 

 in the subject of logic, psychology, ethics, the 

 history of philosophy, and what is vaguely called 

 'metaphysics,' to cover a wider field than the 



