Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 26.djvu/44

34 I pointed to the essays in which were contained the idées-mères of the Synthetic Philosophy, and gave Mr. Harrison means of finding that they were undeniably such by referring him to parts of "First Principles," in which they were developed; and I then invited him to point out the ideas in the Positive Philosophy from which they were derived. Instead of taking this direct way of establishing filiation, he has sought to establish it in various indirect ways.

He contends that I owe the conception of a "coherent body of doctrine," formed by "the amalgamation of Science, Philosophy, and Religion," to Comte. If he will turn to the Essay on "The Genesis of Science," he will see that my criticism of Comte's Classification of the Sciences is preceded by a criticism of the schemes of Oken and Hegel, both of which profess to be coherent bodies of doctrine formed of Philosophy and the Sciences. Having the three schemes before me, why does Mr. Harrison suppose that Comte, rather than Hegel or Oken, gave me the idea? And why should I not say that Comte was indebted to them, just as others say he was indebted for his idées-mères to St. Simon?

He refers to my first work, "Social Statics," as being identical in title with one by Comte. In the pamphlet issued twenty years ago, discussing the question now again raised, I stated that at the close of 1850, when "Social Statics" was published, Comte was to me but a name. It seems that Mr. Harrison did not believe me. There are various proofs, however. Though I have letters showing that "Social Statics" was not the title originally intended, this evidence must be left out, being too long to quote. But there is the sub-title, "The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, and the First of them Developed." Does this correspond with the substance of Comte's "Social Statics"? Further still, there is the fact, named in the pamphlet above mentioned, that I was blamed by a reviewer of "Social Statics" in the "North British Review" (August, 1851) because I did not "seem to have the slightest notion" of that which Comte understood by Social Statics. And, once more, there is the fact that the ideas and spirit of the book are as utterly alien to those of Comte as can well be. They involve a pronounced individualism, which was one of his aversions.

Because Comte here and there speaks of "synthesis," Mr. Harrison thinks that the title Synthetic Philosophy was derived from him. If he will refer to the programme as originally given, and as continued for ten years or more, he will see that no such title was used. My adoption of it was due simply to the fact that there had been given to the system by my American adherent, Mr. Fiske, the title "Cosmic Philosophy"—a title which I disapproved.

Mr. Harrison says, "Mr. Spencer has written volumes about the 'Social Organism,' 'Social Evolution,' 'Social Environment'; so has Comte." I did not know Comte had used the phrase "Social