Page:Philosophical Review Volume 1.djvu/681

Rh  explanation. When, however, he applies his theory to the extinction of the sun he says, "it" (i.e. the "dark" vapor) "could no longer rise upwards unless the sun gave it motion, and so it becomes possible for a fresh sun (fr. 32) to be kindled." What is meant by this is not clear. Burnet is doubtless right in saying that the Stoical doctrine of Ekpyrosis was not held by Herakleitos. The theory of a general conflagration is, as he says, not only irrreconcilable [sic] with the other views of Herakleitos, but "is denied by him in so many words." This position, which is opposed to that of Zeller, Burnet supports skilfully and, as I think, successfully. He holds that the conflagration was not general, but only an "oscillation in the 'measures' like that which produces, day and night, summer and winter, only on a larger scale." He finds evidence for this in fr. 20, 22, 23, 29, 43, and in Lassalle's argument from the conclusion of. This seems to me adequate support of his view. To this our author adds a brief, but very acute criticism of the fragments which appear to favor the theory of a general conflagration. In criticising the view of Zeller that the system of Empedokles was an attempt to mediate between Parmenides and Herakleitos, Burnet says that it is "very difficult to find any trace of specially Herakleitean doctrine in it" (p. 238), and yet he observes (p. 285) that "the system of Anaxagoras, like that of Empedokles, aimed at reconciling the Eleatic doctrine that corporeal substance is unchangeable with the existence of a world which everywhere presents the appearance of coming into being and passing away." The description of the latter view is certainly Herakleitean and is apparently a contradiction of his own statement and an admission of Zeller's position. Burnet gives us an acute and scholarly piece of criticism in his chapter on the Pythagoreans,—mainly on sources and the doctrine of numbers. A helpful appendix of notes on sources for the period which the volume treats, concludes this admirable production of English scholarship.

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In order to judge this dissertation fairly, one must bear in mind the purpose for which it was written. It is a graduation essay, taking, to some extent, the place of an examination paper. Such essays, in Germany at least, are not expected to be models of method or style, but merely to show that their writers know how to bring together all the