VI.--NEW BOOKS

C. A. F. RHYS DAVIDS
1899 Mind  
NEW BOOKS. Hegelians, e.g., G. Biedennann, J. E. Erdmann, Miohelet, and Bosenkruus, the abstract becomes a mere string of categories, divisions, and subdivisions, the enumeration of which is as useless as it is tedious. That a more useful method could have been adopted is occasionally evidenced by the author himself. His statement of the points of difference between Schopenhauer and FrauenstSdt gives jnst what is of service The work is divided into three main sections. An introduction, too
more » ... and conventional to be of much use, and a concluding survey, which is little more than a reiteration of names, may be disregarded. The first main section, extending to rather more than half the book, deals, chiefly with the schools or followers of the masters of the previous period, though it also has chapters dealing with Schopenhauer and Trendelenburg. Within each school or lesser group the names follow each other, as a rule, in alphabetical order. The arrangement of the second and third main sections is more open to question. The second, entitled " Reaktionflerscheinungen," contains chapters dealing with Materialism, Positivism, and " Der Aufschwung der Naturwissenschaften " ; the third, entitled " Neue Versuohe," chapters dealing with " Der Neukantianismus " and " Versuche zu neuer Systembildnng ". The question of classification is naturally difficult and disputable, but certain of the author's decisions seem rather arbitrary. The chapter on " Versuche zu neuer Systembildung " is by no means exclusive, since twenty-seven such constructions are enumerated and summarised. Yet Wundt and Avenarius appear only as " Beaktionserscheinungen," the former being (very inadequately) dealt with in the chapter on " Der Awfschwung der NaturwissenBchaften," the latter in that on Positivism. Paulsen appears somewhat questionably as a Neo-Kantian. Among the new constructions, the philosophies of Lotze and Euoken receive most attention. ' The account of Eucken, " Der bedeutendste systematische Philosoph der Gegenwart," extends to 15 pages, that of Lotze, covering 12 pages, is taken almost exclusively from the " Microcosmus," the early books of which are analysed at length, while the hut is dismissed in a paragraph. H. BAEKBR. La Psicologia Contemporanea. By Gunx) VILLA. Torino: Fratelli Bocca, 1899. Pp. 66a " The time is rapidly approaching "-Dr. Stout's prefatory words to the Analytic Ptychology will be remembered-"when no one will think of writing a book on psychology in general, any more than of writing a. book on mathematics in general." If this be so, if the youngest of the independent sciences, still struggling with a leading string or two, be in this respect nearly abreast witn the oldest of the sciences, the time is. specially appropriate for the appearance of Prof. Villa's review of what has been written on the more comprehensive lines. Political Economies. " in general" are probably at the same stage. Research is leaving the apprehension of synthetic unity for awhile to grapple with the manifold piecemeal in monograph and Beitraege. And the present author's effort to give us " a hiatonco-critical introduction to contemporary psychology " has in that other field the illustrious precedent of the Gutda by hia fellow-countryman, Dr. Cossa, now well-known in this country. Prof. Villa, one of Italy's youngcat thinkers, advanced in views and withal timpatien, was called last autumn, on the completion of the £ resent work, from the post of teacher of psychology at the Lyceum of iQgano to the corresponding chair at the Lyceum of Leghorn. The
doi:10.1093/mind/viii.4.554 fatcat:ubqnyradanffjcduklrptvto7y