Page:Philosophical Review Volume 2.djvu/129



Professor Paulsen's course of lectures entitled "Introduction to Philosophy" is at last presented to the public in book-form. The author aims to acquaint his readers with the great problems which the world propounds to the human mind as well as with the answers given to them by the leaders of thought. He studiously avoids the form of historical narrative, preferring the form of discussion. He does not confine himself to presenting the problems together with the solutions offered by history: he also attempts in every case a solution of his own. We get, therefore, in addition to the fundamental questions and answers, the writer's own philosophy. In his opinion philosophic thought seems to be tending in the direction of idealistic monism. On this path the truth is to be sought. The history of modern philosophy represents a continued attempt to bridge the chasm between supranaturalistic dualism and atomistic materialism. Philosophy at present tries to mediate between a religious and an atomistic cosmology. It suffers all the disadvantages of such a position, being exposed to the shafts from both the camps between which it takes its stand. Peace will not ensue until science and faith are reconciled. Until then philosophy is to retain its post, regardless of all attacks. Professor Paulsen begins with an introduction on the nature and significance of philosophy (pp. 3-51). Here he discusses the relation of philosophy to religion and mythology as well as to the sciences, and gives a classification and the fundamental problems of his subject. Two books follow, dealing respectively with the problems of metaphysics (pp. 55-353) and those of epistemology (pp. 354-431.) An appendix on the problems of ethics (pp. 432-440) brings the work to a close. Book I is divided into two chapters, the one devoting itself to the ontological, the other to the cosmologico-theological problem. Book II discusses in its first chapter the problem of the essence or the relation between knowledge and reality; while its second chapter examines the question concerning the origin of knowledge. In the ethical part the questions are asked and answered, What is the ultimate end or highest good? What is the standard of moral worth? The views of Professor Paulsen on this subject are too well known to call for any further statements in this place. (A review will follow.)

F. T.

The first of the three parts into which the present volume is divided consists of the author's well-known Data of Ethics. In fact the two other parts together do not occupy quite as many pages as the first, so that less than Rh