Page:The religion of Plutarch, a pagan creed of apostolic times; an essay (IA religionofplutar00oakeiala).pdf/18

 regards as the foundation of Plutarch's Philosophy. The function of Volkmann's "analytic" method is to discover how, on the philosophic basis thus laid down by the "synthetic" method, Plutarch arranges his positive conclusions in a coherent relationship with his negative polemic. It is, according to Volkmann, a natural result of the successful operation of this twofold system, that the circumstances of Plutarch's life lose their external character, and attain to an essential connexion with his philosophical conceptions. This last assertion is made by way of criticism directed against Gréard's "natural and simple" method of arranging Plutarch's philosophical utterances under headings descriptive of the various spheres of life to which they seem appropriate—"la vie domestique," "la cité," "le temple," &c. Volkmann thinks that under this arrangement the sense of internal unity is lost; that Plutarch's views are presented in it as goodnatured and benevolent, but somewhat rambling, reflections on the separate aspects of human life, instead of being treated as the outcome of a consistent philosophy taking ethical phenomena into systematic consideration. This criticism has considerable force, though it does not detract from the truth and charm of M. Gréard's book. Volkmann himself undoubtedly errs in the opposite direction. Gréard was quite justified in retorting on his critic, "Il arrive même qu'en voulant établir trop rationellement la philosophie de Plutarque, M. Volkmann se trouve conduit à lui prêter une sorte de système, bien qu'il sache comme personne que