Now the materialist who makes consciousness an effect of matter, hut not itself an indispen sable element in the universe, fails to see this logical interrelation of- effect and cause. A materialist who recognizes this interdependence ceases thereby to be a materialist, for now in his theory matter is as much conditioned by mind as mind is by matter. Neither is independent, although one may be prior. The materialist looks at the priority and overlooks the interdepen dence. One consequence of overlooking this inter dependence is the assumption that the laws of matter are the only natural laws. Consciousness is regarded as running its course in accordance with mechanical principles. Hence will is of no determining value. It is this corollary from materialism that has made the doctrine so dis tasteful to the ordinary thinker. For this corol lary means the denial of moral responsildlity. But the results of the renewed study of psychol ogy within recent years have made it quite im possible to assert that the laws of consciousness are mechanical laws.
Materialism is an old view; all the Ionic philosophers (see IONIAN SCHOOL) were by im plication materialists; Democritus. Leucippus, Epicurus, and Lucretius (see articles on them) out a quite elaborate materialistic sys tem. There is a materialistic vein running through the thought of many. of the Italian
philosopher: of the Renaissance. Gassendi, like wise. make consciousness, at least in the form of feeling, an inseparable attribute of matter. The eighteenth century was especially marked by its materialistic philosophy. Priestley in Eng land and La Alattrie. Diderot, and llolbach in France were outspoken in their materialism of the attributive kind. The latter part of the eigh teenth century and the early part of the nine teenth century were characterized by a strong anti-materialistic reaction, to lie followed again in the middle of the latter century by a strong outburst of materialistic thought. Carl Vogt, Jacob AIoleschott, Louis Biichner, and Heinrich Czolbe carried on a vigorous propagandism in favor of materialism, but the results of the scientific study of psychology were too patent, and the nineteenth century went out with a strong dislike for the view that made matter the one essential reality.
For an excellent history of materialism. see F. .1. Lange, (lest-hie/. te dcs ilatcrialismus (Iser lohn, 1866: 5th ed. 1896; Eng. trans. by E. C. Thomas, London, 1879-81). The best work to commend to the reader who wishes to know recent materialism has to say for itself is Meitner, Kraft and Stoff (Frankfort. 1857: Eng. trans.. Fore( and Matter, 4th ed., London, 15:54),