Christianity and Idealism. by John Watson
Review by: J. Ellis McTaggart
International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Oct., 1897), pp. 123-124
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
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Book Reviews.
123
CHRISTIANITYAND IDEALISM. By John Watson, LL.D.,
Professorof Moral Philosophyin Queen's University,Kingston,
Canada. NewYork: The MacmillanCompany. Pp. xxxviii.,
2i6.
This is thefirst
volumewhichhas appearedof a seriesof philosophicalworkswhichthePhilosophicalUnion of theUniversity
of
Californiaproposesto publish. The seriesis edited by Professor
Howison,whocontributes
a prefatory
noteon theplanoftheseries.
The " dominanttone of the Union," he tellsus, "is affirmative
and idealistic." It is held by manyof the members" that the
onlysafetyforhumanpracticehenceforth,
the practiceof each or
thepracticeofall, liesin founding
it on a philosophic
criticism
that
shallbe luminous,unrelenting,
penetrating
to thebottom,and that
yet,just becauseof this unsparingthoroughness,
will affirmthe
realityof all thosemoralbeliefsand religioushopeson whichthe
achievements
of westerncivilizationhave hithertorested,and by
of whichthestability
theundermining
of societynowthreatensto
give way."
Dr. Watsonbeginswitha chapteron theconnectionof morality
and religion,whichhe regardsas extremely
intimate. " There
can be no morality
thebeliefin a lifehigherthansenseand
without
passion,and thisbeliefmustdrawitssupportfromfaithin a divine
principlewhichinsuresvictory
to thehigherlife." That is to say,
it is impossibleto be on the side of virtueunlessyou are sureof
winning. If thisis thetruth,
thePhilosophicalUnion mayreasonablybe alarmedforthestabilityof society.
The secondand thirdchaptersdeal withthe Greekand Jewish
ideals. It is scarcelypossibleto say anythingnewon such a subject in a populartreatise. Dr. Watsonexplainsthe main features
of bothreligionsin a clearand interesting
manner,and passeson,
in his fourthchapter,to the Christianideal. This he endeavors
to extractentirelyfromthe teachingsof Jesushimself,without
referenceto his successors,
a methodwhichcan scarcelybe consideredadequate. In thenextchapter,on Medieval Christianity,
he seemsto regardall the workof the Fathersand Schoolmenas
eitheruselessor positively
injurious.
Passing to the second part of the book, "Modern Idealism
in its Relationto theChristianIdeal of Life," we have a chapter
devotedto a "Statementand Defenceof Idealism." Here Dr.
Watsondeals,in the firstplace, withMr. Balfour'scriticisms,
but
not, as it seemsto me, verysuccessfully.His positionappears
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I24
Internationaljournal of Ethics.
to be almostidenticalwithGreen's. Dr. Watsonthenproceedsto
criticiseMr. Bradley. This seemsa gravemistake. Either this
book was intendedto be popularor it was not. In thelattercase,
it is difficult
tojustify
chapters
ii.-v.,whicharenothingbuta popular
summary. On theotherhand,an attemptto refuteMr. Bradley's
doctrineof theThat and theWhat shouldnot be made in fifteen
pagesof a text-book.
This is followedby a chapteron " Idealism in Relationto Agnosticismand the Special Sciences,"whichcontainsa discussion
of thepossibility
ofnon-Euclidianspace,and thebook is concluded
by a chapteron " Idealismand Christianity."
J. ELLIS MCTAGGART.
TRINITY
COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE.
PHILOSOPHYOF THEISM: Being the Gifford
Lecturesdeliveredbe-
foretheUniversity
of Edinburghin i895-i896. SecondSeries.
By AlexanderCampbellFraser,LL.D., Hon. D.C.L., Oxford;
EmeritusProfessor
of Logic and Metaphysicsin theUniversity
of Edinburgh. WilliamBlackwood& Sons: Edinburghand
London, I896.
Pp.
Xiii.,
288.
In thefirst
seriesof his Gifford
lectures,Professor
Fraserarrived
at theconclusionthatin man,as a self-conscious
and self-determining agent,is to be foundthebestkeywe possessto thesolutionof
the ultimateproblemof the universe. In this second series he
firstdeals with" the moraland intellectual
rationaleof Theism,"
and then proceedsto examine,fromvariouspointsof view, the
"chief enigmaof theisticfaith,"theproblemof evil.
The leadingthought
of thewholevolumeis thatall ourdealings
" moralfaith"in the trustworthiwiththeworldimplyultimately
ness of the finalprincipleof the universe. In workingout this
thought,ProfessorFraser followsthe order of the traditional
"proofs" of the being of God. Change in naturefindsits explanation in "continuous divine activity."
Causation resolvesit-
self into "intendingwill." And this,because moralexperience
reveals"will as the only absolutelyoriginativecause of change
that can be discerned." From this it followsthat scientific
thought about nature is not destructiveof religious thought; on
the contrary,these two ways of thinking " really strengthenone
another." In his chapteron the ontological"proof," Professor
discussionof theHegelian
Fraser includesa briefand interesting
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