The Puritan Mind

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The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy.

Present Day Thinkers and the New Scholasticism

The Development of British Thought from 1820 to 1890: With Special Reference to German Influences

A Sceptical Examination of Contemporary British Philosophy

rpHIS paper is an attempt to bring together and classify the histories of modern European thought which have been published since the close of the war. A word as to limitations. It omits (1) publications in foreign languages, (2) books which cover more than tlle modern period of Western thought, as e.g., W. C. D. Dampier-Whetllam's recent History of science in its relations with p/zilosophy and religion,1 and (3) historical surveys which have appeared in learned journals and in the proceedings of learned societies. Each of these omitted groups would require an article to do them any sort of justice. Since Merz began publishing, in 1904, his monumental History of European thought in the nineteenth century, it hass become increasingly clear that a new genre of historical writing is coming into its own. With two or three exceptions, there are as yet no other comprehensive surveys of general thought in Europe available for English readers. But it would seem to be only a matter of time until historians will begin to synthesize tlle findings of the army of specialists who are writing in this field today. Under tllese circumstances, an approximately exhaustive inventory of what has been done, especially in recent years, may be of some value. As this review proceeds, it will be clear that most recent histories of thought are histories of some phase of thought. Historical writings in this field, for the period under consideration, may be classified into five groups: histories of (1) general thought, (2) scientific thought, (3) social thought, (4) philosophical thought, and (5) miscellaneous. Within these major classifications, others are required. The output of this sort of material is already large, and seems to be increasing yearly. The emphasis, unavoidably and perhaps wisely, is on special surveys. But the further this specializing goes, the more complex and bewildering the picture, the more urgent the need becomes for some \"master of those who know\" to present a composite picture of what is emerging. Preserved Smith has made a beginning in the first volume of his History of modern culture. He promises to bring the story down to the present day in four volumes. A glance at the bibliographieal footnotes which accompany the text of this paper, and cover only a small portion of the field, will eonvey clearly enough the dimensions of his task. One has hopes that George Sarton will one day turn from the myriad details of his Isis and his bibliographical

Alburey Castell

Papers

Histories of Modern European Thought, 1918-1930