Modern French Philosophy | Page 6

literary side, was at work in Hugo, Lamartine and De
Vigny.
Cousin's philosophy attached itself rather to the Scottish school of
"common sense" than to the analytic type of doctrine which had
prevailed in his own country in the previous century. To this he added
much from various sources, such as Schelling and Hegel among the
moderns, Plato and the Alexandrians among the ancients. In viewing
the history of philosophy, Cousin advocated a division of systems into
four classes--sensualism, idealism, scepticism and mysticism. Owing to
the insufficiency of his _vérités de sens commun_ he was prone to
confuse the history of philosophy with philosophy itself. There is
perhaps no branch of science or art so intimately bound up with its own
history as is philosophy, but we must beware of substituting an
historical survey of problems for an actual handling of those problems
themselves. Cousin, however, did much to establish in his native land
the teaching of the history of philosophy.
His own aim was to found a metaphysic spiritual in character, based
upon psychology. While he did not agree with the system of Kant, he
rejected the doctrines of the empiricists and set his influence against the
materialistic and sceptical tendencies of his time. Yet he cannot be
excused from "opportunism" not only in politics but in thought. In
order to retain his personal influence he endeavoured to present his
philosophy as a sum of doctrines perfectly consistent with the Catholic
faith. This was partly, no doubt, to counteract the work and influence of

that group of thinkers already referred to as Traditionalists, De Bonald,
De Maistre and Lamennais. Cousin's efforts in this direction, however,
dissatisfied both churchmen and philosophers and gave rise to the
remark that his teaching was but une philosophie de convenance. We
must add too that the vagueness of his spiritual teaching was largely
responsible for the welcome accorded by many minds to the positivist
teaching of Auguste Comte.
While Maine de Biran had a real influence upon the thought of our
period 1851-1921, Cousin stands in a different relation to subsequent
thought, for that thought is largely characterised by its being a reaction
against eclecticism. Positivism rose as a direct revolt against it, the
neo-critical philosophy dealt blows at both, while Ravaisson, the
initiator of the neo-spiritualism, upon whom Cousin did not look very
favourably, endeavoured to reorganise upon a different footing, and on
sounder principles, free from the deficiencies which must always
accompany eclectic thought, those ideas and ideals to which Cousin in
his spiritualism had vaguely indicated his loyalty. It is interesting to
note that Cousin's death coincides in date with the foundation of the
neo-spiritual philosophy by Ravaisson's celebrated manifesto to
idealists, for such, as we shall see, was his _Rapport sur la Philosophie
au Dix-neuvième Siècle_ (1867). Cousin's spiritualism had a notable
influence upon several important men--e.g., Michelet and his friend
Edgar Quinet, and more indirectly upon Renan. The latter spoke of him
in warm terms as un _excitateur de ma pensée_._*_
[Footnote _*_ : It is worth noting that two of the big currents of
opposition, those of Comte and Renouvier, arose outside the
professional and official teaching, free from the University which was
entirely dominated by Cousin. This explains much of the slowness with
which Comte and Renouvier were appreciated.]
Among Cousin's disciples one of the most prominent was Jouffroy of
the Collège de France. The psychological interest was keen in his work,
but his _Mélanges philosophiques_ (1883) showed him to be occupied
with the problem of human destiny. Paul Janet was a noble upholder of
the eclectic doctrine or older spiritualism, while among associates and

tardy followers must be mentioned Gamier, Damiron, Franke, Caro and
Jules Simon.
III
We have seen how, as a consequence of the Revolution and of the cold,
destructive, criticism of the eighteenth century, there was a demand for
constructive thought. This was a desire common not only to the
Traditionalists but to De Biran and Cousin. They aimed at intellectual
reconstruction. While, however, there were some who combated the
principles of the Revolution, as did the Traditionalists, while some tried
to correct and to steady those principles (as De Biran and Cousin), there
were others who endeavoured to complete them and to carry out a more
rigorous application of the Revolutionary watchwords, _Liberté_,
_Egalité_, _Fraternité_. The Socialists (and later Comte) aimed at not
merely intellectual, but social reconstruction.
The Revolution and the War had shown men that many changes could
be produced in society in a comparatively short time. This encouraged
bold and imaginative spirits. Endeavours after better things, after new
systems and a new order of society, showed themselves. The work of
political philosophers attempted to give expression to the socialist idea
of society. For long there had been maintained the ecclesiastical
conception