Dissertations and Discussions: Political, Philosophical, and Historical, Volume 1H. Holt, 1873 - History |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actions admirable Alfred de Vigny André Chénier Armand Carrel Bentham called Carrel cause character Church Cinq-Mars civilization classes consequences Conservatism considered constitution cultivation culture doctrine duty E. B. TYLOR endowments England English evil existing fact faculty France French French Revolution give human nature idea imagination individual inductive philosophy influence institutions intellect interest kind labor less literature Louis XIII mankind means ment mind mode moral feelings moral sense never Nisard object opinion Paley party passion peculiar persons philosophy philosophy of law poet poetic poetry political practical present principle of utility produced purpose qualities question reform render republican require Revolution Royalist Sedgwick slavery society speculations spirit theory thing thinkers thought tion true truth universities Vigny virtue Westminster Review whole words writings
Popular passages
Page 144 - ... found themselves quickly at a stand, by the difficulties that rose on every side. After we had a while puzzled ourselves, without coming any nearer a resolution of those doubts which perplexed us, it came into my thoughts that we took a wrong course: and that before we set ourselves upon inquiries of that nature, it was necessary to examine our own abilities, and see what objects our understandings were, or were not, fitted to deal with.
Page 145 - I suppose it may be of use to prevail with the busy mind of Man to be more cautious in meddling with things exceeding its comprehension : to stop when it is at the utmost extent of its tether; and to sit down in a quiet ignorance of those things which, upon examination, are found to be beyond the reach of our capacities.
Page 366 - ... This contrivance does better than the other; for a moral sense, being a new thing, a man may feel about him a good while without being able to find it out: but common sense is as old as the creation; and there is no man but would be ashamed to be thought not to have as much of it as his neighbours. It has another great advantage: by appearing to share power, it lessens envy: for when a man gets up upon this ground, in order to anathematize those who differ from him, it is not by a sic volo sic...
Page 169 - It is that which all ages and all countries have made profession of in public; it is that which every man you meet puts on the show of; it is that which the primary and fundamental laws of all civil constitutions over the face of the earth make it their business and endeavour to enforce the practice of upon mankind; namely, justice, veracity, and regard to common good.
Page 97 - Eloquence supposes an audience. The peculiarity of poetry appears to us to lie in the poet's utter unconsciousness of a listener.
Page 366 - Another man says, that there is an eternal and immutable Rule of Right: that that rule of right dictates so and so: and then he begins giving you his sentiments upon any thing that comes uppermost: and these sentiments (you are to take for granted, are so many branches of the eternal rule of right.) 5.
Page 378 - Knowing so little of human feelings, he knew still less of the influences by which those feelings are formed : all the more subtle workings both of the mind upon itself, and of external things upon the mind, escaped him; and no one, probably, who, in a highly instructed age, ever attempted to give a rule to all human conduct, set out with a more limited conception either of the agencies by which human conduct is, or of those by which it should be, influenced.
Page 95 - ... stating the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He describes him by imagery, that is, by suggesting the most striking likenesses and contrasts which might occur to a mind contemplating the lion, in the state of awe, wonder, or terror, which the spectacle naturally excites, or is, on the occasion, supposed to excite. Now this is describing the lion professedly, but the state of excitement of the spectator really.
Page 376 - In many of the most natural and strongest feelings of human nature he had no sympathy; from many of its graver experiences he was altogether cut off; and the faculty by which one mind understands a mind different from itself, and throws itself into the feelings of that other mind, was denied him by his deficiency of Imagination.
Page 367 - ... 8. We have one philosopher, who says, there is no harm in anything in the world but in telling a lie ; and that if, for example, you were to murder your own father, this would only be a particular way of saying, he was not your father. Of course when this philosopher sees any thing that he does not like, he says it is a particular way of telling a lie.