him the pupils came into close touch not only with the _meaning_ but
also with the _spirit_ of Plato and Aristotle. The pupils were made to
see the ideal life in all its charm and glory. The great Professor had
all his lifetime lived and meditated in this pure atmosphere, and
possessed the gift of infusing something of his own enthusiasm into the
minds and spirits of his hearers. Eucken has stated on several occasions
his indebtedness to Trendelenburg. The young student entered the temple
of philosophy through the gateways of philology and history. This was a
great gain, for the barricading of these two gateways against philosophy
has produced untold mischief in the past. At present men are beginning
to see this mistake, and we are witnessing to-day the phenomenon of the
indissoluble connection of language and history with philosophy. In
fact, the new meanings given to language and history are meanings of
things which happened in the [p.16] culture and civilisations of
individuals and of nations, and such a material casts light on the
processes, meaning, and significance of the human mind and spirit.

Eucken learnt this truth in Berlin at a very early age, and his life and
teaching ever since have been a further development of it. This fact has
to be borne in mind in order that we may understand the prominence he
gives to religion, religious idealism, spiritual life, and other similar
concepts--concepts which are largely foreign to ordinary philosophy and
which are only to be found in that mysterious, all-important borderland
of philosophy and religion.

After graduating as Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Göttingen,
we find him preparing himself as a High School teacher, in which
position he remained for five years.

In 1871 he was appointed Professor of Philosophy in the University of