Abstract

Kemp Smith was preeminently a philosopher of philosophers, which is something a bit more than an historian of philosophy. Representing this side of his work in this volume we have "The Naturalism of Hume, I and II," "Avenarius' Philosophy of Pure Experience, I and II," "Whitehead's Philosophy of Nature," "John Locke," and "Bergson's Manner of Approach to Moral and Social Questions." At other times Kemp Smith could turn his attention to "The Nature of Universals, I, II, and III," "Immortality," "The Moral Sanction of Force," and the question from which the volume takes its title, "Is Divine Existence Credible?" The editors inform us that Kemp Smith took this latter question to be the central problem of philosophy. In addition to the papers mentioned, there are five other essays by Kemp Smith and a sizeable introduction by the editors: Porteous provides a biographical sketch of Kemp Smith, Maclennan a consideration of the centrality of the question of Divine existence, and Davie an account of what he takes to be the significance of Kemp Smith's philosophical papers.—E. A. R.