Maine De Birans Philosophy of Will

ate. This reference will show the nature of the philosophical thought which was dominant in France in his time, and also the specific manner in which he reacted against the current sensationalism; it will enable us to estimate his position at the beginning of his career, and also to determine the extent of his development. Comparison with the historical environment will lend distinctness to his leading ideas and will make it possible to determine more exactly the significance of their application in his system. With this end in view we shall attempt to trace the idea of the activity of the self as it is found in the work of Locke and of Condillac. But in this connection the treatment can be no more than a mere outline ; and naturally cannot include even the mention of many important elements in the views of these philosophers. At this point we may notice a definition of sensationalism.l Cousin, who found it congenial and advantageous2 to call himself a disciple of Biran, brought the name into use. With him the term designated the least developed of the four common philosophical positions. The three types of thought correlative with it were idealism, skepticism, and mysticism.3 He employed it to characterize the school tof Condillac. But in a wider sense it has been applied to various thinkers, sometimes to denote a materialistic metaphysics, at other times an empirical epistemology, or finally a hedonistic ethics. Especially in the second of these senses the...