Metaphysical Inquiry Into Method, Objects, and Result of Ancient and Modern PhilosophyW. Pickering, 1833 - 222 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
Active Powers analogy ancients antecedent appears argument Aristotle ascending scale ascertain atomic bodies chain of action chain of causation classification coexisting colour common commonly comprehend conceive continued demonstration discovery distinct duced duction earth efficient cause elastic endeavoured equally etherial examination experiments extended fluid force formal cause genus gism Gravity Heat heavens Hume hypo hypothesis Induction Inertia inference innu inquiry investigation latent Latent Heat laws light likewise Lord Bacon maintained manner material mental metaphysical method mind Natural History neral nomena object observed opinions perpetual motion pheno phenomena phenomenon philosophers physical Plato plenum pothesis powers of nature prejudices present principles produced projectile propagated qualities of matter rays received Resemblance resolved respect result retina rience secondary causes similar Sir Isaac Newton species speculations substance successive supposed supposition Syllogism Theory ther things tical tion triad truth universe vacuum vibration vibratory word
Popular passages
Page 140 - It is inconceivable that inanimate brute matter should, without the mediation of something else, which is not material, operate upon, and affect other matter without mutual contact, as it must be, if Gravitation in the sense of Epicurus, be essential and inherent in it.
Page 139 - You sometimes speak of gravity as essential and inherent to matter. Pray do not ascribe that notion to me, for the cause of gravity is what I do not pretend to know, and therefore would take more time to consider of it.
Page 187 - But further, it is an assured truth, and a conclusion of experience, that a little or superficial knowledge of philosophy may incline the mind of man to atheism, but a further proceeding therein doth bring the mind back again to religion. For in the entrance of philosophy, when the second causes, which are next unto the senses, do offer themselves to the mind of man, if it dwell .and stay there it may induce some oblivion of the highest cause ; but when a man passeth on...
Page 140 - That gravity should be innate, inherent, and essential to matter, so that one body may act upon another at a distance through a vacuum, without the mediation of...
Page 25 - X is a triangle we know that the sum of its angles is equal to two right angles. Similarly too in all other cases.
Page 184 - For certain it is that God worketh nothing in nature but by second causes; and if they would have it otherwise believed, it is mere imposture, as it were in favour towards God; and nothing else but to offer to the author of truth the unclean sacrifice of a lie.
Page 46 - We are afraid to put men to live and trade each on his own private stock of reason; because we suspect that the stock in each man is small, and that the individuals would do better to avail themselves of the general bank and capital of nations and of ages.
Page 84 - The laws of nature are the rules according to which the effects are produced; but there must be a cause which operates according to these rules. The rules of navigation never navigated a ship. The rules of architecture never built a house.
Page 62 - The form of bodies is the relation of their elements to each other in space, — the power of bodies is their relation to each other in time ; and both form and power, if considered separately from the number of elementary corpuscles, and from the changes that arise successively, are equally abstractions of the mind, and nothing more.
Page 23 - We have said that all arguments concerning existence are founded on the relation of cause and effect; that our knowledge of that relation is derived entirely from experience; and that all our experimental conclusions proceed upon the supposition that the future will be conformable to the past.