Item 39 - Letter from Sir Frederick Pollock to Henry Sidgwick

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Reports that he is lecturing on the doctrine of Sovereignty in England in that term. Acknowledges his agreement with Sidgwick on his criticisms on Austin. Refers to Sidgwick's Elements of Politics, of which he is unsure if there is a second edition. Asks why have people accepted Austin 'as the exponent of the English school on this point', and what he is supposed to have added to Bentham's Fragment on Government. Believes that Austin's departures from Bentham 'are for the worse in both matter and form.' Refers to Hobbes, and concedes that Austin was successful in formulating 'the conception of a pure or abstract science of positive law.' Corrects Sidgwick's reference to "Austin's Theory of Jurisprudence", which he did not, to Pollock's knowledge write, and refers to works actually written by him, i.e., The Province of Jurisprudence Determined and a posthumously published work: Lectures on Jurisprudence. Reports that there is 'an excellent account of Maitland from Grand Canary', and asks Sidgwick if he will be at the [Trinity] College commemoration on 9 December. Reminds Sidgwick that they had not yet 'had out' their difference about 'the irreducible minimum of [ ] for profitable discussion of the universe.' Mentions that the previous night 'a small philosophical club [at Oxford] discussed the Ethics of Conformity' and that 'Rashdall was present and defended his position with great ability.'