Page:History of Modern Philosophy (Falckenberg).djvu/595

SPENCER. 573 geneous under the varied incidence of surrounding forces, the multiph'cation of effects by action and reaction, and segregation. Finally the principle of equilibration indicates the impassable limit at which evolution passes over into dissolution, until the eternal round is again begun. If it may be said of Hegel himself, that he vainly endeavored to master the concrete fullness of reality with formal concepts, the criticism is applicable to Spencer in still greater meas- ure. The barren schemata of concentration, passage into heterogeneity, adaptation, etc., which are taken from natural science, and which are insufficient even in their own field, prove entirely impotent for the mastery of the complex and peculiar phenomena of spiritual life. Armed with these principles, however, Mr. Spencer advances to the discussion of the several divisions of " Special Philosophy." Passing over inorganic nature, he finds his task in the interpretation of the plienomena of life, mind, and society in terms of matter, motion, and force under the general evolution formula. This pro- cedure, however, must not be understood as in any wise materialistic. Such an interpretation would be a misrep- resentation, it is urged, for the strict relativity of the standpoint limits all conclusions to phenomena, and permits no inference concerning the nature of the " Unknowable." The Principles of Biology take up the phenomena of life. Life is defined as the "continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations." No attempt is made to explain its origin, yet (in the words of Mr. Sully) it is clear that the lowest forms of life are regarded as continuous in their essential nature with sub-vital processes. The evolu- tion of living organisms, from the lowest to the highest, with the development of all their parts and functions, results from the co-operation of various factors, external and internal, whose action is ultimately reducible to the uni- versal law. The field of psychology is intimately allied with biology, and yet distinguished from it. Mental life is a subdi- vision of life in general, and may be subsumed under the general definition ; but while biological truths con- cern the connection between internal phenomena, with