Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 8.djvu/481

 III. PHILOSOPHICAL TERMINOLOGY (II.). 1 BY DR. FERDINAND TONNIES. (Translated by MRS. B. BOSANQUET.) CONTENTS OF AKTICLE II. II. Causes of the state. -68. 1, general causes three arguments referred to the forms of the social will. 69-71. 2, Historical causes. 72-78. 3, hindrances from the differences of thought reflex of the history of philosophy criticism of the mechanical rationalism new concepts. 79. Con- flict of terminologies. 80-81. Application to the doctrine of the will. II. . The question has been raised as to the causes of the obscurity and confusion in psychological and philosophical terminology. The fact that such obscurity and confusion exists is assumed as given. Hence it is no part of our task to confirm this fact ; but we must refer those who doubt it to a comparison of the best-known works, those which excel each in its speciality, of European and American origin. Almost each of these operates in these regions with different concepts, or at any rate with concepts which are differently determined. But even within each particular work, if we examine carefully, we shall not find a consistent terminology; but shall often find that the sense in which an expression was introduced, even the definition which was given with it, has been neglected and apparently forgotten in the course of the exposition, so that the reader who would rest upon it as upon a staff, feels it break in his hand. "If we regard philosophy so far as it comes into contact with the whole of life, we shall feel with pain the misunderstandings which stream from the uncertainty and confusion of language " (Eucken). The Welby Prize of 50 was awarded to this admirable essay by Dr. Ferdinand Tonnies of Hamburg (Editor, G. F. S.).