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Excerpt from A Defence of Idealism: Some Questions and Conclusions There is a certain embarrassment in coming forward with an Apology for Idealistic Monism at the present moment. You cannot be quite sure whether you are putting in an appearance too late or much too early. It does look like personal misfortune or perversity that, when there are lots of other philosophies to choose from, you should happen to hit on the one that has just had tremendous innings and is now in process of being bowled out. As long ago as the early 'nineties Idealism was supposed to be dead and haunting Oxford. I know that the New Realists have said that it is now a fashionable philosophy. But either they do not really mean it, or they mean that only philosophies in their last decrepitude become fashionable at all. They mean that nineteenth century Monism is a pseudo-philosophy of the past, and that twentieth century Pluralism is the living philosophy of the future. It is possible to agree with this view without accepting the programme of the pluralists. I think it may be said that certain vulnerable forms of Idealism are things of the past; and that the new atomistic Realism is a thing of the future; at any rate of the immediate future. But we know of Old Realisms that died and decayed, and were buried, and of New Idealisms that died and rose again. In India the Sankya philosophy of the Many fought the Vedanta philosophy of the One. It can hardly be said to have driven its opponent from the field. Pragmatic Humanism and Vitalism are going from us in the flower, you may say, of their youth. And they were robust philosophies. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
The "new" idealism," which Miss Sinclair discusses, is not the kind which centers around high ideals and disregards sordid practicalities. It is not moral idealism, in short, but metaphysical idealism, which concerns her. We have here not the May Sinclair of Mary Olivier or The Romantic, but the author of A Defence of Idealism, who, after continued reflection, felt that she had to amend that earlier work.Her aim, in the present work, is to consider critically the foundations of realism, to inquire into the inroads it has made upon the old idealism, and to formulate a renovated idealism that will withstand the attacks of the old, but reinvigorated, arch enemy. For Miss Sinclair is convinced that the old idealism of Berkeley, Kant and Hegel must give way to a philosophy that will take into account seriously the world of space and time which is coming into our ever-widening view.One can hardly say that the book disposes of the controversies which have engaged the attention of philosophers in the past, or that there is a great percentage of novelty in her "new idealism." She does help the reader to understand the bases of these conflicts, however, and shows that concessions must be made upon both sides.It will probably be somewhat disconcerting to the intellectual old guard to encounter a lady philosopher who deals with many abstruse metaphysical problems with what is usually considered a masculine penetration and vigor. Miss Sinclair has proved that it is not impossible for the feminine mind to explore the higher ranges of thought where the air is cold and thin.She writes with ingratiating candor and has a pleasing sympathy with opposing ideas. One of the statements in her introduction is especially noteworthy. "If I betray ignorance of many contemporary idealists, it is because for years I was satisfied with Kant and Hegel relieved by Schopenhauer and Mr. Bradley, and because, lately, my chief interest has been in seeing what can be said against idealism. It is the realists who have made me look to its defences and who have most helped to show me the possible lines of reconstruction." This might well furnish the text for a homily on the value, in considering any problem, of inspecting the enemy's position as well as one's own -- a principle which one fears was not always a forceful guide to Leibnitz, Hegel, el al.There is a certain keenness and pungency in Miss Sinclair's style that sticks out here and there. The work is systematic and orderly. The author knows fairly well what she wants to say and says it -- an achievement that is often conspicuously absent in books these days. Incorrigible realists, of course, will not accept the thing, but it is, nevertheless, a learned treatise on the fundamental problem in philosophy and should be recommended to all students of Messrs. Immanuel Kant, William James and Bertrand Russell. -- The Standard, Volumes 9
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
