It has been sought to escape from the judgment of Schopenhauer, that ©those who, instead of studying the thoughts of a philosopher, make themselves acquainted with his life and history, are like people who, instead of occupying themselves with a picture, are rather occupied with its frame, reflecting on the taste of its carving, and the nature of its gilding.©At the time of original publication in 1890, W. Wallace was Whyte's Professor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford University.