THERE  has  grown  up  of  late  in  our  philosophical
literature  a  mode  of  dealing  with  its  questions,
which  has  at  least  the  merit  of  novelty — to  say
nothing  of  the  mark  of  foreign  importation.  It
is  not  quite  to  be  identified  with  the  teachings
of  the  Critique  of  the  Pure  Ecason ;  but  it  owes
its  origin  in  great  measure  to  that  treatise.  The
predominant  doctrines  of  the  Critique  are  repro-
duced in  what  may  be  called  the  new  school,
somewhat  modified  or  transformed,  it  may  be,  in
certain  cases,  but  still  essentially  Kantian.  The
influence  of  Hegel  is  also  visible :  Hegel,  indeed,
has  been  read  into  Kant  abroad,  and  also  in
this  country,  so  as  to  correct  him,  supply  his  de-
ficiencies, and  carry  him  on  to  a  higher  stage  of
development.  What  Kant  regarded  as  merely  a


RECENT   THEORIES.  11

form  of  knowing  has  been  translated  into  a  form
of  being.  The  subjective  necessity  has  been  trans-
formed into  the  objective  existence,  and  thought
and  reality  identified.  For  lack  of  a  better  word
it  would  not  be  improper  to  name  the  way  of
looking  at  things  which  results  from  this  fusion
of  Kant  and  Hegel  as  Neo-Kantian.
We  shall  find,  however,  as  we  proceed,  that  this
new  system  is  not  wholly  of  foreign  importation.
