This is a book of reprints of separate pamphlets, each originating in special lectures at Oxford. Three of these works were first presented at the prestigious Herbert Spencer Lectures: George Santayana on "The Unknowable," Bertrand Russell on "Scientific Method in Philosophy," and William Bateson on "Biological Fact and the Structure of Society." Each of these are very important lectures, well worth reading today. The Santayana essay is one of the best written reviews of one philosopher by another (Santayana takes on the doctrine that most Spencer scholars ignore, his doctrine of the Unknowable. Santayana ably sees the error in it, and, more importantly, sees the point, too.)

I have not read all the other lectures . . . which means I'll be coming back to this volume. ( )