But instead of referring to the numerous passages in the Critical Philosophy in which Positivism is antic- ipated and censured before its appearance, we may suit- ably close these remarks with a citation from a scientific writer, whom we may presume to have been Sir David Brewster :
"A third dogmn, which has of late been placed in prom- inence, much, as we conceive, to the detriment of philos- ophy, is that of the so-called, or rather miscalled, positive philosophy— an extravagant and morphological transfor- mation of that rational empiricism which professes to take experience for its basis, resulting from insisting on the prerogatives of experience in reference to external phenomena, and ignoring them in relation to the move- ments and tendencies of our intellectual nature; a philos- ophy which, if it do not repudiate altogether the idea of causation, goes far at least to put it out of view, and with it everything which can be called explanation of natural phenomena, by the undue predominance assigned to the idea of law ; which rejects, as not merely difficult, not sim- ply hopeless, but as utterly absurd, unphilosophical, and derogatory, all attempt to render any rational account of those abstract, equation-like propositions, in which it de- lights to embody the results of experience, other than their inclusion in some more general proposition of the same kind. Entirely persuaded that in physics, at least, the inquiry into causes is philosophy, that nothing else is so, and that the chain of causation upwards is broken by no solution of continuity, constituting a gulf absolutely
posxki:
440
POSSESSED
impassable to human facilities, if duly prepared by famil- iarity with previous link-, we are far from regarding the whole office of experimental philosophj a- satisfactorily
i iiv declaiiiiL' it i" consist in the discovery and . ttion ..!' law-' /-■ i b. Rev. Jan. IS48, art. v, p. 180, 1^1).
Literature.- To the n n ai the close of
the article Comte may now lie added: Comte, System of Positivt Polity, or Treatise upon Sociology, transl. by Bridges, Harrison, Beesly, Congreve, and Hutton (Lond. L876, I vols.8vo); Harrison, Order and Progress(\ vol. 8vo) : i longreve, Essays, Political, Social, and Religious i 1 vol. 8vo ; Estasen y < lortada, El I'<i.<itiri<itt<>. <> sis/i- iii 1 1 ili las I 'ient ias expi rinu ntales | Barcelona, 1877, 8vo); Cordier.J ■■ ■ ■ ■ I ritiqui du Positivism prolong* (Par. 1877, 8vo) j Adrian, Essaissur quelques Points de la Phir positivt : 'I'll' Nineteenth Century, No. I. June, 1*77, art. vii: No. 5, July, 1*77. art. \i I Tin Soul and Future Life, by Frederic Harrison); ibid. No. 7. Sept. 1*77, art. \i i I Modern Symposium, by R. II. Button, Prof. Huxley. Lord Hlaeht'ord. Hon. Robert Noel; subj. •• The Future Life"); ibid. No. 8, Oct. 1*77. art. be ( .'l Modern Symposium, by Lord Selborne, Rev. Canon Bar- ry, W. R. <ire--. Rev. Baldwin Brown, I>r. W. <•. Ward, Frederic Harrison; subj. [concluded] "The Soul and Futun Life"). (G.F.H.)
Posner, Ami stus Siegmund (formerly (Simon), a German minister of the Lutheran Cburch, a convert from Judaism, was born -May 19, 1805, at Auras, in Lower Silesia. His early education he received at the pub- lic schools of Breslau. Winn seventeen years of age, he went to Berlin to continue liis studies. There he became acquainted with a Hebrew Christian, who sowed the firsl seed of the Gospel. In the year 1828 he re- ceived public baptism, assuming the name of Augustus Siegmund. He betook himself to the study of theology, and upon its completion filled several situations as tutor in private families. In the year 1838 he received a call to proceed a- a missionary to the Last, and accordingly s.i oul for Berlin to prepare for his journey. On the road his intention became the subjeel of conversation with a fellow-traveller, a gentleman holding a high sit- uation under government, and to his no small surprise he was informed by the latter thai he must relinquish the intention of becoming a missionary, as he had jusl been appointed by the government chaplain of the Pen- itentiary at Sagan (in Silesia), and the necessary docu- ments respecting it were nearlj completed. In Sep- tember, 1838, he entered on his new charge, which lie discharged as becoming a faithful disciple of Christ. In addition to the discharge of his heavy duties. Posner edited a monthly publication under the title I In Prodi- gal Son, which became a greal blessing to many readers. In the year 1840 be was formally ordained by the con- sistory. Seeing thai his duties at Sagan were far be- yond his strength, the government made the offer to him of another ministerial charge at Lebenthal adding, however, that if it were practicable his remaining at his present post would he regarded with greal satisfaction. The expression of Btich a wish was sufficient to lead Pos- ner to consider it his duty to remain. Thus he labor d and suffered on. [n the beginning oft lie year i s 16 Pos- ner was invited by the congregation of a newly erected church in Berlin to become their pastor: but the consis- tory refusing to comply with Posner's wishes to adhere
to the formularies of the Lutheran Church in-lcad of
those of the Prussian National Church, Posner had to relinquish the appointment Broken health, in connec- tion with dome-tic afflictions, hastened his end. and on .Monday. Jan. 22, 1849, he was called to his eternal rest, enunciating with a weak voice the word-. -.Make an