Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 8.djvu/300

 286 PHILOSOPHICAL PEEIODICALS. the flow of thought, wherefore it is that " great philosophers are generally great writers " (p. 61). In reference to the relation of Philosophy to Theology (which M. Janet characterised as so close that hostility to Theology is treason to Metaphysics), M. Dauriac shows that Theology is taken in a narrow sense, as excluding all non-Christian religions. In this connexion, he makes a somewhat striking remark concerning the discordant elements in Ecclecticism, namely, the influence of the Car- tesian spirit, which is Catholic, and the Scottish, which is Protestant a contrast developed with considerable fulness. Under the heading of The Eelation of Philosophy to Psychology, M. Dauriac urges, with great force, that a fact of consciousness or natural necessity is not, and cannot be, accepted as a principle. M. Pillon's contribution to his ' Evolution de I'ldealism au XIII. 6 Siecle ' is entitled ' La Critique de Bayle : Critique de 1' Atomism Epicurien,' and one cannot fail to note how little M. Fillon has left himself to say of Bayle's criticism of Epicurean Atomism in fact, only a few pages are devoted to Bayle's objections, the bulk of the article being occupied with a statement of the general Epicurean position. The most important portion is that dealing with the " swerv- ing aside " of the Atoms, which comes into contrast with the Idealism of last century as a contrasted yet not wholly dissimilar tendency. From the contingency involved in the swerving aside of the Atoms, the Epicurean developed Free-Will ; while, on the contrary, the Idealist deduces con- tingency from freedom. At the same time, it is difficult to see how this contrast, or, indeed, the statement of Epicureanism, applies to M. Pillon's subject, since Bayle only accepted certain portions of that theory under a misapprehension, and it would appear that Epicurean Atomism, not being understood during last century, could have little to do with the development of thought. Yet M. Pillon's present contribu- tion is of distinct value as an appendix to the preceding chapters, in giving additional information, which, if incorporated earlier, would have involved lengthy digressions. There is no doubt M. Fillon has done good work in drawing attention to Bayle's constructive work, but its importance is exaggerated by being brought too near to Leibnitz and too far from Descartes, and thus the true historical perspective is in danger of being lost. When allowance is made for Bayle's ecclectic tendencies, it would appear that his position should be moved forwards or backwards in the historical sequence, according to the aspect of his subject a writer has before him at the moment. He marks a development of Cartesianism opposed to that of Spinoza, who placed the centre of gravity in the supreme substance, whereas Bayle is inclined to place it in the two subordinate ones. Thus he emphasises rather than surmounts Cartesian Dualism, and therefore his " spiritualism " must be held to be less, not more, than that of other Cartesians. If, on the other hand, we look back from the individualism of Philosophy, immediately prior to Hume, we see Bayle's Plurality of animated atoms an advance upon his contem- poraries ; but it may be doubted whether this advance falls within the development of Idealism ; rather, despite the superficial resemblance to Leibnitz, the many realistic characteristics of the Atoms (especially when brought into juxtaposition with the Locke-Worcester Letters and Voltaire's popularisation of Locke) would tend more in the direction of realistic than of Idealistic Individualism. ZEITSCHRIFT FOR PSYCHOLOGIE UND PHYSIOLOGIE DER SINNESORGANI Bd. xix., Heft 1. T. Lipps. ' Tonverwandschaft und Tonverschmel- zung.' [Polemic against Stumpf's theory in the Beitraege. Degree of fusion for Stumpf is not really degree of approximation to a (numerical) unity of auditory impression, but degree of possibility or ease of such