MEMOIRS OF THE Society for Philosophical Inquiry OF WASHINGTON, D. C. SECOND SERIES. 1901-1903. PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY OFFICERS. 1903-1904. President. THE REV. J. MACBRIDE STERRETT, M. A., D. D., Secretary. EDWARD FARQUHAR, PH. D., Assistant Librarian of the U. S. Patent Office and Professor of History in Columbian University. Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer. KEPLER HOYт, M. A., The 'Victoria,' Fourteenth Street, N. W. COMMITTEES. On Membership. FRANK SEWALL, M. A., D. D., LESTER F. WARD, M. A., LL. D. On Program J. MACBRIDE STERRETT, M. A., D. D., EDWARD FARQUHAR, PH. D., FRANK SEWALL, M. A., D. D., FRANK H. BIGELOW, L. H. D., GEORGE L. RAYMOND, M. A., L. H. D. MEMOIRS OF THE Society for Philosophical Inquiry OF WASHINGTON, D. C. SERIES II. Regular (First) Meeting, November 12, 1901. President Sterrett, from the Program Committee, sketched the plan of the proceedings for the season, further developed by Mr. Sewall, to consist especially of a series of papers on the leading works of Aristotle. Speakers were assigned to the various works or subjects. According to assignment of program, E. Farquhar treated in an introductory way of Aristotle's place in the history of philosophy. Special attention was given to his relations with Plato, and through him with earlier Greek thought. Instances of his originating power in science and in the terms of thought were offered at the outset, and at the close a light sketch of his vogue in after years. Special, November 19, 1903. President Sterrett discoursed, as first speaker, upon the metaphysic of Aristotle, making points of distinction from Plato, but finding the ultimate doctrine substantially identical as true idealism. The place of Deity, as first mover unmoved, was considered as clearly posited in this philosophy, but not so clearly how movement and manifold existence proceeded from it. Major Powell, as second speaker, proposed to discuss Aristotle's place in the stages of human culture. Antecedent philosophy had assumed a number of starting points in turn, as number, element, form and others; that of Aristotle was held to be force, and so his system one of dynamism, acting through a method of parental genesis especially. The homage paid to him and to Plato was maintained to be largely owing to the sanction of the church. Dr. Sterrett, in reply, contended that the method and results in Aristotle's various branches of research should not be taken for his metaphysic or primary philosophy, which they were not intended to teach. E. Farquhar claimed a passage adduced by Maj. Powell from the psychology of Aristotle as an illustration of his method of exhibiting the thoughts of predecessors as steps on the way to a true theory. Special, November 26, 1901 Leading speakers, Messrs. Steele and Sewall. The former discussed Aristotle's teaching in regard to Form and Matter, treating of the proper rendering of the term "Ousia," and the relations of thing and attribute. The latter remarked that there was no one place in which Aristotle's doctrine could be found; considered his system of causes, and the proper order of them, and his idea of God as inhering in the actual instead of transcending, as it seemed to do in Plato. H. Farquhar observed of the cause called "final" that it was logically first rather than last; E. Farquhar, the difference between the order of time and that of nature, also that Plato's idea of the good might be found inhering in the object. Further discussion in regard to the conception of Being, ancient and modern. Regular, December 3, 1901. Subject: Aristotle's Metaphysics, especially the eleventh book. Professor Bigelow, noting the wide diversity between such views as those of Dr. Sterrett and Maj. Powell at a previous meeting as indicating something fundamentally problematical about the philosopher, especially considered the question, whether his teaching essentially involved a dualism. His relation with Plato's teaching and those of Realism and Nominalism in later times was discussed, and the conclusion reached that he did not seem to attain a finality in this matter, but varied his treatment according to his subject. Dr. Sterrett, as second speaker, mentioned the difficulties, textual and doctrinal, of the eleventh book. Regarding the term “Ousia” as best expressed by "Reality," he sought to arrive at the essential teaching of this book regarding the ultimate reality, and found a sort of dualism abiding there, as between God and the universe, the relation of deity with world process not being clearly made out. More light on this subject was invoked. Maj. Powell set forth the positive contributions of Aristotle to human thought, regarding them of so high a nature and so great an advance in the true spirit of science as to rank him along with Newton and Darwin; his most perfect work being the Categories. Special, December 10, 1901. President Sterrett introduced to the society Zeller's "Aristotle and the Peripatetics," and opened the special problem of the Metaphysics, which he considered to be that of the worldprocess as conceived by Aristotle; namely, how the world or the manifold proceeded from the Deity, and whether on a monistic or dualistic basis. Mr. Sewall, as chief speaker, treated the problem under the head of end, cause and effect, the first as a centre from which ΙΟΙ |