T/HE Germans have histories without number of their philosophy from Kant to Hegel, with not a few historical reviews of the later speculations.The French, too, have numerous sketches of the philosophy of their country generally, and of individual systems, such as that of Descartes.It is no way to the credit of British thought, and least of all to that of the Scotch metaphysicians, that we have not in our language a history of the Scottish school of philosophy.There are valuable notices of it, it is true, in Dugald Stewart's Historical Dissertation, and in his Eloges of Reid and Adam Smith; but Stewart is far too dignified and general in his style to be able to give an articulate account of the special doctrines of the different masters of the school, or a vivid picture of the times, with many of the marked characteristics of which he had no sympathy.The best history of the Scottish Philosophy is by a Frenchman, and has not been translated into English.We look on "Philosophic Ecossaise," the volume in which M.
Cousin treats of the Scottish school, as containing upon the whole the most faultless of all his historical disquisitions.In his other volumes he scarcely does justice to Locke, whom he always judges from the evil consequences which have flowed from his philosophy on the continent, and he is not able to wrestle successfully with the powerful logical intellect of Kant; but he has a thorough appreciation of the excellencies of the Scottish metaphysicians, and, when he finds fault, his criticisms are always worthy of being considered.But it could not be expected of a foreigner, that he should thoroughly comprehend the state of Scotland when its peculiar philosophy arose, nor be able to estimate its relation to the national character; and the account given by M.Cousin is fragmentary, and critical rather than expository.
The Scottish Philosophy possesses a unity, not only in the circumstance that its expounders have been Scotchmen, but also and more specially in its method, its doctrines, and its spirit.It is distinguished by very marked and decided features, which we may represent as determined by the bones rather than the flesh or muscles.
