MR HERBERT SPENCER'S WORK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 40

MR HERBERT SPENCER'S WORK.

The Times (November 14) says :— " Wo heartily congratulate Mr Herbert Spencer on having at length completed the great work of his life — a system of synthetic philosophy. The third volume of 'The Principle* of Sociology,' published to-day, brings the »erio» to a close. It has been a task of no common difficulty whioh Mr Herbert Spencer has accomplished. It has been nothing leaf than an attempt to exhibit in detail the unity of all knowledge, to show how the separate sciences all come under the samo general laws, and can be rightly understood only when they are regarded as forming the constituent p&rt*^ of one harmonious whole. Tbis has carried him necessarily over a very wide range ot work. A volume of First Principles, two volumes of biology, two of psychology, three , of sociology, and two of ethics make up the I 10 volumes planned six-and-thirfcy years ago, > continuously laboured upon since, and now at ( last fioi»bed. 'Mr Herbert Speacer, in his preface to the concludiug volume, confesien himself surprised at his' own audacity in undertaking so v*Bt a work, and still more surprised at having completed it. He has done it under grave difficulties, and with frequent interruptions 1 from chronic ill-health. But the mind has < triumphed over the body. Mr Herbert Bpeocer hes for many yeais taken high rank a* a systematic and philosophic thinker. It was in 1842 that he published his first work, and, many md multiform as have been his literary labnurs eince, all that he has written has been consistent in every way with the views which he then held and expressed. A* a writer he hat attained a reputation not only in his own couutry, and has exercised an iofiu«Lce not only ou English thought. In Germauy and in Russia he stands even higher than he does here, and has been more thoroughly studied in th'i moifc abstruse and least popularly attractive parts of his books. To Englishmen he is best known as an ardent and nucom promising advocate of Individualism as opposed both to t^ate Socialism and to what he considers an uudun extension of the ordinary functions of government. He will be thought by many to have pressed his views too far, and to have vought to confine tbe functions of- government within too narrow limits. Bub he has stopped far short of the extreme opinions of some of ■ his professed followers. In the present day, when Socialistic schemes aie fluting everywhere in the air, it is an excellent thing that the world should be compelled to see that there are two side* to the question, and that, in the judgment of one of our motfc eminent thinker?, Socialism in all its forms will do more mischief than it. so much aa attempt* to cure. It is largely the spread of Socialism which oloudt over Mr Herbert Spencer's views of what the future i*'to bring, ■ His confidence in the nooial progress of the race is not shaken. His doubb is whether »riy peoples who have suffered them- | selves to' be ' socialiatically organised will be found worthy, to enter into the promiied land."