But it is worthy of remark that those who praise his work in this or in that field are almost always men who have themselves worked in some other field and have an imperfect acquaintance with the particular field that they happen to be praising.
The metaphysician finds the reasonings of the "First Principles" rather loose and inconclusive; the biologist pays little heed to the "Principles of Biology"; the sociologist finds Spencer not particularly accurate or careful in the field of his predilection.

He has tried to be a professor of all the sciences, and it is too late in the world's history for him or for any man to cope with such a task.

In the days of Plato a man might have hoped to accomplish it.
6.

WHAT PHILOSOPHY MEANS IN OUR TIME .-- It savors of temerity to write down such a title as that which heads the present section.

There are men living to-day to whom philosophy means little else than the doctrine of Kant, or of Hegel, or of the brothers Caird, or of Herbert Spencer, or even of St.Thomas Aquinas, for we must not forget that many of the seminaries of learning in Europe and some in America still hold to the mediaeval church philosophy.
But let me gather up in a few words the purport of what has been said above.