Aberdeen is losing its distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Bain,
and we think we may fairly hope that the new P ro-
fessor will not be a mere Bainite, but will be a man of some mark and originality, who, whether he agrees fundamentally with Dr. Baia or not, will be able to impress the stamp of his own thought on the lectures which he delivers to his pupils. We believe that a class of English literature is also instructed by the Professor of Philosophy, but this is so relatively insigni- ficant a part of the Professor's duties, that the new Professor, whoever he may be, should certainly be chosen for his philo- sophical competence, and not for his literary acquirements. As Aberdeen is one of the chief centres of Scotch thought, and Scotch thought is, perhaps, the most potent of the various veins of thought in the United Kingdom, we trust that the Government will weigh well the attainments and calibre of the various candidates for the Professorship, before selecting Dr. Bain's successor. On the choice may well depend a very im- portant part of the intellectual and ethical character of the British statesmen of the future.
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