Ethics. By Arthur Lynch. (Cassell. 7s. 6d.)—Mr. Lynch raises high
hopes in his reader. He sets out in Part L— "Survey and Clearance "—with a rapid survey of moral philo- sophy in its various manifestations from ancient Greece to the present time, which has often considerable pungency and wit. He displays an imposing familiarity with philosophy and science, he is obviously a thinker, and he has much that is interesting and suggestive to say by the way. Having cleared the ground in vigorous style, Mr. Lynch proceeds to set up the structure of a new system. After the manner of the steel-framed building familiar in London to-day, he erects first a skeleton framework which, thanks to a vigorous, assertive and even dogmatic style, gives a first impression of logical inevitability. But as the process of filling in the body of the structure advances, doubts begin to assail us. Mr. Lynch lays down a couple of boards and declares the first floor well and truly laid, and before we have time to register a protest we are rushed up to the second story, and so the work continues. And when eventually we arrive at the end of Mr. Lynch's book we are aware of disap- pointment, emptiness. Not that our disillusion was entirely unforeseen. There were moments of bewilderment throughout : little bits of the stonework (to return to our metaphor) hid a disquieting way of liquefying or suddenly disappearing like a puff of smoke, but Mr. Lynch's knowledge was obviously so wide, and there was so much that was interesting among the details of his design, that we hoped against hope that a solidly built structure would appear in the end. And so we feel much more of a grievance against Mr. Lynch than if he had given us a merely bad book. Not only by imposing language and a certain authoritative arrogance, but also by legitimate means— by evidence of extensive reading and many sound qualities—. our expectations were raised to a high point, and this fact in itself speaks for the interest of some of the details.
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