Elements in Thought and Emotion. By George B. Campion. (University
of London Press, Ltd. 7s. 6d. net.) Mr. George B. Campion, the author of Elements in Thought and Emotion, is rather like the man who set out for a walk to nowhere in particular, and got there. The publishers tell us in their synopsis of the book that Mr. Campion's theory of the nature of thought is congruous with a biological view of the human mind and with the function of the neural elements in the cerebral cortex ; but we have sought in vain for a theory of thought in Mr. Campion's essay. By a biological view of the human mind we suppose is meant the monistic, mechanistic interpretation of life and its phenomena advanced by so many biologists—and for all we know, by Mr. Campion : for it is difficult to say whether he is a mechanist or a vitalist, a monist or a dim list, a Bergsonian or a Hegelian. All that one can definitely say of Mr. Campion is that he is a man exceedingly well read in philosophy, psychology and Belles Lettres, and one who enjoys sharing with others the good things from his reading. His book abounds with admirable quotations of all kinds; • but sometimes the passages quoted have but little direct bearing on the arguments they are intended to illustrate—and often nearly as little bearing to each other as the quotations in a birthday book. However, it is all very delightful reading.
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