History of Materialism and Criticism of Its Present Importance

Front matter

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Table Of Contents

S^COnll ISooft — (continued).

HISTORY OF MATERIALISM SINCE KANT.

Second Sectioit continued, — The Natural Sciences.

Chapter I

POUTICAL EOOKOKT AlO) DoOMATIO E0OI8M, . Pp. 233-268

Origin of the theoretical assumption of a purely egoistic society, ^3~^35- Right and limits of abstraction ; confusion of abstraction and reality, 235-237^ The aoouipulation of capital and the law of the increase of wants, 237-241. Supposed utility of Egoinn, 242-244. Origin of Egoism and Sympathy, 244-246. Moral progress wrongly denied by Buckle, 246-247. Egoism as a moral principle and the harmony of interests, 247-253. Examination of the doctrine of the harmony of interests, 253-259. Causes of inequality and rise of the proletariat, 259-268.

CHAPTER II. Chbistianitt and Enlightenment, . • • Pp. 269-291

The ideas of Christianity as remedies for social eyils; their apparent ineffioacy according to Mill, 269-27a Mediate and gradual influence ; connexion of Christianity and social reform, 270-273. Moral influences of belief partly favourable, partly unfavourable, 273-276. Importance of form in Morality and Religion, 276-28a Pretension of Religion to truth, 280-282. Impossibility of a Beligion of Season without Imagination, 282-287. Pastor Lang and his argument against this view, 287-291.

viii CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Theoretical Materialism in its Eelation to Ethical Materialism AND TO Religion, . . . Pp. 292-334

Character of the usnal attacks upon Beligion, 292-293. Predominance of the rational principle, 294-295. Plans for a new religion: Comte's new hierarchy, 295-297. Scientific knowledge cannot he handled ecclesiastically hut only secularly, 297-298. It is not moral teaching that makes religion but the tragical stirring of the soul, 299. Oar onltus of humanity does not require religious forms, 30a Materialism wonld be most consistent in rejecting Religion altogether, 301. Examination of the connexion between Ethical and Theoretical Materialism, 302-305. Development of Materialism with Ueberweg, 305. His earlier standpoint, 306. Materialistic basis of his Psychology, 306-309. His Teleology, 310. Consciousness of its weakness. 311. The existence of Grod, 3x2. Transition to Materialism : vouchers for it from his letters to Csolbe and to the Author, 313-316. Doubt as to Ueberweg's asserted Atheism, 316. Ethical consequences of his philosophy : relation to Christianity, 316-323. David Fiiedrich Strauss : his last and definitive philosophy Materialistic, 323-325. His Materialism correct and thought out, 325-327. Superficial treatment of social and political questions ; Conservative t-endency, 327-328. Rejection of the specific features of Christian ethics ; Optimism ; condemnation of the worship of the Pree Congregations, 328-33a Neglect of the people and its needs, 331. Leaning of the propertied classes to Materialism ; the Socialists and the danger of the ruin of our civilisation, 332-*334.