Illustrations of positivism : a selection of articles from the "Positivist review" in science, philosophy, religion, and politics / by John Henry Bridges.

  • John Henry Bridges
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Illustrations of positivism : a selection of articles from the "Positivist review" in science, philosophy, religion, and politics / by John Henry Bridges. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/508 (page 5)
    Most of the numerous articles contributed by Dr. Bridges to the Positivist Review [1893-1906] were concerned not with the passing topics of the day, but with the fundamental principles of Positivism. Written in the last thirteen years of his life, they represent the maturest opinions of one to whom his co-religionists were always accustomed to look up for teaching and counsel. In these short Essays his aim was to set forth Positivist doctrines with a simplicity of language and a fullness of illustration which should make them easily intelligible even to the most unlearned. His qualifications for this task were a perfect mastery of his subject and a singularly impressive style that compels the attention of the reader. Thinking that it would be deplorable if a series of papers of such unique and permanent value were to be left buried in the back numbers of a periodical, I suggested to Dr. Bridges, a few months before his death, that he should arrange the most important of them for republication. He had begun to do this, but had not carried the work far when he was overtaken by his last illness. I have therefore made a selection which probably includes all the articles that he would have most desired to preserve. I have availed myself of such alterations as he had made—they were few and unimportant—but, finding no indication as to a new grouping of the articles, I have left them in their chronological order. Thus placed they have not, indeed, the methodical arrangement and com- pleteness of a text-book; but perhaps for that very reason the general reader may find them more attractive. Few, if any, of the