Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 12.djvu/298

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"284 PHILOSOPHICAL PERIODICALS. means a negative notion.] E. Schwedler. ' Die Lehre von der Beseel- theit der Atome bei Lotze ' (Schluss). [In the evolution of his meta- physical philosophy, Lotze tended more and more to drop the doctrine of animated atoms in favour of a theory which interprets all phenomena as connected energies of the Absolute, retaining the former, if at all, merely as an ornamental adjunct to his system.] Jonas Cohn. ' Hegel's Aesthetik.' [Written from a neo-Kantiaii point of view. Hegel's aesthetic is considered both in relation to the works of his predecessors, and to the rest of his system. Things only appealed to Hegel in their completed form, and so his admiration is reserved for perfect classic art. And he looks on art as a whole merely as a transitional stage in the realisation of the Idea. Hence his inability to appreciate at their full value the works produced since the end of the Middle Ages.] A. Oroedeckemeyer. 'Der Begriffder Wahrheit.' [Truth is what, under proper conditions of judgment, we cannot but believe. And the proper conditions are that we should eliminate emotional elements, that we should not use words without a distinct consciousness of their meaning, and that we should employ all the means of investigation available.] Klem. Kreidig. ' Ueber den Begriff der " Sinnestauschung ".' [Every sense-perception experienced is spontaneously referred to an external reality with certain definite determinations of which it is believed to correspond. These are quality, intensity, and position in space and time. Hence is deduced a fourfold classification of illusions of sense according to the errors committed with regard to one or other of these four deter- minations. Aristotle was right when he interpreted illusions of sense as errors of judgment.] K. Vorlander. 'Kant's Briefwechoel, 1789-1794.' [Extracts from the newly published second volume of Kant's correspon- dence, which contains ninety letters from and 202 to the philosopher. The details are of little more than bibliographical interest.] Recensionen, etc. PHILOSOPHISCHE STUDIEX. Bd. xviii., Heft 2. R. Seyfert. ' Ueber die Auffassung einfachster Baumformen.' [A study of the subjective factors in our estimation and reproduction of triangles was published in volume xiv. The present paper deals with the objective factors, with the following results. (1) A strong and clear contour line is a favourable condition. It assists other favourable conditions (colour upon white background) and can compensate unfavourable (too great distance, small difference of brightness between ground and figure). (2) Correct appre- hension is possible without contours, if the angle-points of the triangle are marked. In certain cases, the strain of attention which these dot- figures call for renders their reproduction more accurate than that of the drawn triangles. In all cases strong marking of the angle-points com- pensates the disadvantage of weak contours. (3) Size and distance of the triangles must be so regulated that the whole figure falls within the yellow spot. Reproduction is at its best when figure and yellow spot are practically coincident. The spatial sensitivity of the retina is greatest within a circumscribed region of the yellow spot ; less for points lying the one within and the other without the spot ; least for two points lying outside of it. (4) Coloration of the figures is, in general, a favouring condition of their reproduction. Direct colour contrasts are, however, unfavourable. And the brightness-difference of field and figure is always more important than the colour quality of the latter : it remains effective at distances and in illuminations where the colour influence has dis- appeared. (5) Insufficient illumination is an unfavourable condition : so is (6) fatigue. (7) ^Esthetic pleasure enhances accuracy of repro- duction, and conversely. The errors show three uniformities: (a) a