Somerset (Edward Adolphus Saint Maur), 12th Duke of, b. 20 Dec. 1804. Educated at Eton and Oxford. He married a daughter of Thomas Sheridan. Sat as M.P. for Totnes, ’34–35, and was Lord of the Treasury, ’35–39, and First Lord of the Admiralty, ’59–66. In ’72 he startled the aristocratic world by a trenchant attack on orthodoxy entitled Christian Theology and Modern Scepticism. He also wrote on mathematics and on Monarchy and Democracy. Died 28 Nov. 1885.
Soury (Auguste Jules), French philosopher, b. Paris, 1842. In ’65 he became librarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale. He has contributed to the Revue des Deux Mondes, Revue Nouvelle, and other journals, and has published important works on The Bible and Archæology, ’72; Historical Studies on Religions, ’77; Essays of Religious Criticism, ’78; Jesus and the Gospels, ’78, a work in which he maintains that Jesus suffered from cerebral affection, and which has been translated into English, together with an essay on The Religion of Israel from his Historical Studies. Studies of Psychology, ’79, indicated a new direction in M. Soury’s Freethought. He has since written A Breviary of the History of Materialism, ’80; Naturalist Theories of the World and of Life in Antiquity, ’81; Natural Philosophy, ’82; Contemporary Psychological Doctrines, ’83. He has translated Noeldeke’s Literary History of the Old Testament, 73; Haeckel’s Proofs of Evolution, ’79; and Preyer’s Elements of General Physiology, ’84.
Southwell (Charles), English orator, b. London, 1814. He served with the British Legion in Spain, and became an actor and social missionary. In Nov. ’41 he started The Oracle of Reason at Bristol, for an article in which on “The Jew Book” he was tried for blasphemy 14 Jan. ’42, and after an able defence sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment, and a fine of one hundred pounds. After coming out he edited the Lancashire Beacon. He also lectured and debated both in England and Scotland; wrote Christianity Proved Idolatry, ’44; Apology for Atheism, ’46; Difficulties of Christianity, ’48; Superstition Unveiled; The Impossibility of Atheism which he held on the ground that Theism was unproved, and Another Fourpenny Wilderness, in answer to G. J. Holyoake’s criticism of the same. He also wrote about ’45, Confessions of a Freethinker, an account of his own life. In ’56 he went to New Zealand, and died at Auckland 7 Aug. 1860.
Souverain (N.), French author of Platonism Unveiled 1700, a posthumous work. He had been a minister in Poitou and was deposed on account of his opinions.
Sozzini. See [Socinus].
Spaink (Pierre François), Dutch physician, b. Amsterdam, 13 Dec. 1862, and studied at the city, wrote for a time on De Dageraad, with the pen names “A. Th. Eist.” and “F.R.S.” Has translated Romanes’ Scientific Evidences of Organic Evolution.
Spaventa (Bertrando), Italian philosopher, b. 1817. Since ’61 he has been professor of philosophy at Naples. Has written upon the Philosophy of Kant, Gioberti, Spinoza, Hegel, etc. Died 1888.
Specht (Karl August), Dr. German writer, b. Lhweina, 2 July, 1845. Has been for many years editor of Menschenthum at Gotha, and has written on Brain and Soul, Theology and Science and a Popular History of the World’s Development, which has gone through several editions. Dr. Specht is a leading member of the German Freethinkers’ Union.
Spencer (Herbert), English philosopher, b. Derby, 1820. He was articled to a civil engineer, but drifted into literature. He wrote in the Westminster Review, and at the house of Dr. Chapman met Mill, Lewes and “George Eliot.” His first important work was Social Statistics, ’51. Four years later appeared his Principles of Psychology, which with First Principles, ’62; Principles of Biology, ’64; Principles of Sociology, ’76–85, and Data of Ethics, ’79, form part of his “Synthetic Philosophy” in which he applies the doctrines of evolution to the phenomena of mind and society no less than to animal life. He has also published Essays, 3 vols, ’58–74; a work on Education ’61; Recent Discussions on Science, Philosophy and Morals, ’71; The Study of Sociology, ’72; Descriptive Sociology, ’72–86, an immense work compiled under his direction. Also papers directed against Socialism; The Coming Slavery, ’84; and Man and the State, ’85, and has contributed many articles to the best reviews.
Spinoza (Baruch), Pantheistic philosopher, b. of Jewish parents, Amsterdam, 24 Nov. 1632. He early engaged in the study of theology and philosophy, and, making no secret of his doubts, was excommunicated by the Synagogue, 27 July, 1656. About the same time he narrowly escaped death by a fanatic’s dagger. To avoid persecution, he retired to Rhinsburg, and devoted himself to philosophy, earning his living by polishing lenses. About 1670 he settled at the Hague, where he remained until his death. In 1670 he issued his Tractatus Theologico-politicus, which made a great outcry; and for more than a century this great thinker, whose life was gentle and self-denying, was stigmatized as an atheist, a monster, and a blasphemer. A re-action followed, with Lessing and Goethe, upon whom he had great influence. Though formerly stigmatized as an atheist, Spinoza is now generally recognised as among the greatest philosophers. He died in poverty at the Hague, 21 Feb. 1677. His Ethics was published with his Opera Posthuma. The bi-centenary of his death was celebrated there by an eloquent address from M. Rénan.