GERMER BAILLIÈRE'S LIBRARY OF CONTEMPORANEOUS PHILOSOPHY. THE MATERIALISM OF THE PRESENT DAY. BY PAUL JANET. The following Works, translated from the French, will be published in this Library : H. TAINE.-English Positivism. Study on J. Stuart Mill. H. TAINE. English Idealism. Study on Thomas Carlyle. CH. DE REMUSAT.-Religious Philosophy. AUG. LAUGEL.-The Problems of Nature. Also Now Ready. H. TAINE.-The Philosophy of Art. OF THE PRESENT DAY. A CRITIQUE OF DR. BÜCHNER'S SYSTEM. BY PAUL JANET, == MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY AT THE TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY GUSTAVE MASSON, B.A. UNIV. GALLIC., ASSISTANT MASTER OF HARROW SCHOOL. WILLIAMS AND NORGATE, 14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON; PARIS: GERMER BAILLIÈRE, RUE DE L'ÉCOLE DE MÉDECINE. 1867. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. Since the time when the late M. Royer-Collard dealt in France the first blow at the philosophy of the Condillac School, the Sorbonne has never lacked spirited and eloquent advocates to maintain the true principles of metaphysical science against the inroads of Sensationalism and Materialism. M. Victor Cousin, M. Damiron, M. Jouffroy may be named amongst the most distinguished; the hand of death has recently struck down M. Ad. Garnier and M. Saisset; but their places are already filled, and the standard of sound teaching is still borne aloft, despite the transient favour which the followers of Hegel and of Auguste Comte enjoy at the present time. It is impossible to deny that doctrines considered as finally exploded are once more reappearing, favoured |