The study of sociology / by Herbert Spencer.

  • Herbert Spencer
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The study of sociology / by Herbert Spencer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    450/468 page 432
    43$ earlier than Mr. Bentham ; and Prof. Baynes speaks of Mr. Bentham as having done no more than many before him. But he also says of Sir M. Hamilton that, “ had he at the time, therefore, looked into Mr. Bentham’s eighth and ninth chapters, the mere use of a quantified pre- dicate would have been no novelty to him, although, as I have said, it might have helped to stimulate his speculations on the subject.” So that though Mr. Bentham did not carry the doctrine further than pre- vious logicians had done, yet what he wrote about it was calculated “ to stimulate” * speculations on the subject” in a way that they had n 4 been stimulated by the writings of previous logicians. That is, Prof. Paynes admits in one part of his argument what he denies in another. One further point only will I name. Prof. Baynes says “ Professor I >e Morgan’s emphatic rejection of Mr. Bentham’s claim, after examining the relevant chapters of his ‘Outline,’ is in striking contrast to Mr. 1 l erbert Spencer s easy-going acceptance of it.” Now though, to many readers, this will seem a telling comparison, yet to those who know that 1 rof. He Morgan was one of the parties to the controversy, and had his own claims to establish, the comparison will not seem so telling, do me, however, and to many who have remarked the perversity of Tiof. De Morgan’s judgments, his verdict on the matter, even were he perfectly unconcerned, will go for but little. Whoever will take the trouble to refer to the Athenaeum for November 5, 1864, p. 600, and alter reading a sentence which he there quotes, will look at either the title of the chapter it is taken from or the sentence which succeeds it, v ill be amazed that such recklessness of misrepresentation could be shown by a conscientious man; and will be thereafter but little inclined to abide by Prof. De Morgan’s authority on matters like that here in question.] These words are translated for me from Die Entwicklung der Natur- wissenschaft in den letzen fiinfundzwanzig Jahren. By Professor Dr. Fer- dinand Cohn. Breslau, 1872. I am told that his reasons for this valuation are more fully given at r>. 143. 6 17 Revue des Deux Mondes, 1 F^vrier, 1873, p. 731. 13 CEuvres de P. L. Courier (Paris, 1845), p. 304. 19 Histoire des Sciences et des Savants, dec. Betore leaving the question of Academies and their influences, let me call attention to a fact which makes me doubt whether as a judge of style, considered simply as correct or incorrect, an Academy is to
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