5 Ja '94

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PREFATORY NOTE.

ALL the papers included in these volumes have already been published, with the exception of the lecture upon Carlyle. The essays on Dante, Goethe, and Rousseau appeared in the Contemporary Review, the essay on Wordsworth in Fraser's Magazine, and the articles on Cartesianism and Metaphysic in the Encyclopædia Britannica. have to offer my best thanks to the Editor of the Contemporary Review, to Messrs. Longmans, Green, & Co., and to Messrs. A. & C. Black, for their kindness in allowing this reprint.

I

I should perhaps mention that the article on Cartesianism was published in 1876, and the article on Metaphysic in 1883. Subsequent to these dates there has been in this country much

discussion as to the Philosophy of Spinoza, and also as to the general relations between Metaphysic, Logic, and Psychology, to which, of course, no reference will be found in these articles.

CONTENTS.

DANTE IN HIS RELATION TO THE THEOLOGY AND ETHICS

OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

DANTE as the Interpreter of Medieval Catholicism-Relation of his

Poetic Form to his Matter-His Effort after Poetic Realism-Is

the Commedia an Allegory ?-Why Dante's Theme is the Other

World-How Christianity became a Religion of the Other World

-Three forms of the Medieval Dualism in Dante. (1) Opposition

of this to the Other World-Contrast of Other Religions with

Christianity-How Dante makes the Other World an Idealisation

of this World—The Inferno as a Descending Scale of Vices-

The Purgatorio as an Ascending Scale of Atonement-The

Paradiso as an Ascending Scale of Beatitude. (2) Opposition of

Empire and Church-Its Connection with the Opposition of

Philosophy and Theology-Virgil and Beatrice-Dante's Hope of

a Reforming Emperor-His Attack on the Popes-The "Grand

Renunciation "-Criticism of his Political Dualism. (3) Opposi-

tion of the Natural and the Spiritual—The Ethical and the Theo-

logical Virtues-Union of Earthly and Heavenly Love in

Beatrice-Relation of the Contemplative and the Active Life-

Religion and Morality-Dante's Poem as the Euthanasia of

Mediæval Dualism,
Pp. 1-53.

GOETHE AND PHILOSOPHY.

The Old Quarrel of Poetry and Philosophy-Relation of Poetic and
Scientific Truth - Spontaneity of Poetry-Difference of its
Idealism from that of Philosophy-Goethe's Debt to Philosophy

and his Antagonism to it-His Self-limitation and Indifference

to Interests beyond the Limit-His Attitude towards Jacobi,

Spinoza, Kant, Fichte and Schelling -His Early Revolt against

the Mechanical Philosophy-His Sympathy with Rousseau-

The First Poetic Period ending with Werther-Goethe's Turning

from Rousseau to Spinoza-His Practical Optimism, and Objec-

tion to the Separation of the Natural and the Spiritual-His

Love of Greek Art-His Relations with Schiller-Objective

Thinking and Objective Poetry-His Opposition to Christianity

-Gradual Modification of it in his Later Works, Pp. 54-104.

ROUSSEAU.

The Reaction against Rousseau's Influence-His Confessions-Opposi-

tion of the Inner to the Outer Life-His Education-His

"Effeminate and Indomitable Character"-His Ideal-Effect of

Parisian Life upon him-His Literary Labours and their Effect

upon him-The Causes of Inequality-The Social Contract-The

Emile-Contradictions in his View of the Influence of Social Life

upon the Individual-His Individualism in Politics-His Theory

of Education-His Idea of Religion-The Raison Commune and

the Volonté Générale-False Tendency to Abstraction and

Simplification-The Natural Man-The Reformation and the

Revolution,
Pp. 105-146.

WORDSWORTH.

How he Repels and Attracts-Advantages of a Chronological Arrange-

ment of his Poems-His View of the Functions of Poetry-

His Poetic Excellence and his Defects-His Views as to Poetic

Diction-Effect of the French Revolution upon him-His

Political Changes-His Relations to Rousseau-His "Return to

Nature"-His Poetry of Nature-His Democratic Sentiment and

Poetry of Humble Life-His Faith in Man-His Patriotism—

His Autobiography in the Prelude,

Pp. 147-189.

THE PROBLEM OF PHILOSOPHY AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Philosophy as the Effort to Reconcile the Three Terms of Thought:
the World, the Self, and God-Agnosticism of Mr. Spencer