Revue Encyclopedique. Par M. V. Cousin [pp. 358-377]

German and French Philosophty.
refuge. Again they are afloat, crying for help, but refusing
all tried assistance, mainly because it has been tried. They
often boast of their own superiority to past generations, but
their own record of their own perplexities, in regard to the
most vital questions of humanity, will produce no feeling of
envy in regard to their avowed condition. Never have we
clasped the Bible with more eagerness to our bosoms, than
after the perusal of such works as are now the boasted glory
of the nineteenth century, emanating from the more than
Athens of the modern world, and eagerly hailed by thou sands in the two most enlightened countries of modern Eu rope.
We have before us three octavo volumes from the pen of
Victor Cousin, a professor of philosophy in Paris. The first
is a course of lectures delivered in 1828, and is entitled, Introduction to the History of Philosophy. A translation of
this volume has appeared in Boston. The other volumes are
lectures delivered in 1829. One of them is devoted to a rapid
sketch of ancient systems of philosophy, together with some
notice of the modern schools up to the time of Locke. The
remaining volume is devoted to a minute examination of Locke
and his school, termed by Cousin the sensualist school, (l'6cole
sensualiste.) This appellation is given on account of the important place assigned by Locke to the senses, as the origin
of all our knowledge.
It is not our intention to take an extended review of these
volumes. In the way of literary criticism suffice it to say,
Cousin is a writer of no common character. His style is vigorous, often splendid, and perfectly clear wherever the thought
admits clearness of conception. His works might be safely
recommended for the improvement of style, if they could be
studied without injury to the mind. There is a degree of
vivacity pervading them, that is very uncommon in writings
of the same description. We present some extracts, not so
much to exhibit his style of language, this being impossible
in an English dress, but to exhibit his style of thought, together with some of his most remarkable sentiments. The
following will partially answer both these purposes:
"What is the nature of ideas? Are they simple signs, mere
words, existing only in the dictionary; and must we then become nominalists? By no means; for names, words, signs by
whose assistance we exercise thought, can only be admitted
voL. iv. No. III.-2 Z
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