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Article ON THE DIFFERENT MODES OF REASONING ← Page 3 of 4 →
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On The Different Modes Of Reasoning
The romance-writer is persuaded , that his labours require the highest degree of invention and delicacy of mind , though he " allows that the Poet has some right to df-pute it with him . The Metaphysician , by a very different merit , would snatch the palm from both : he fancies that he only is the ' source of evidence , and the confidant of nature .
" I alone , " says he , " can generalize ideas , and discover the seeds of those events which daily unfold themselves in the physical and moral world ; by me alone man is enli g htened . " The Poet considers the Metaphysician as a solemn fool , who is busied about words , and rates him accordingly . " You perplex the head , " says he , " with endless distinctions , and
employ many words without meaning ; you may sometimes hit upon truth , butyou cannot bring it home to the heart . It is not in the works of Aristotle , but in those of Homer , that conviction is to be found : man is influenced by motives , not by arguments . The discoveries of your art are doubtful , the effects of mine are certain . " By speeches like these do those three men shew their contempt for 5 h otiierandin such should call in the
eac ; , a dispute , they politician as an arbitrator , he would shew an equal contempt for all of them . " You know , " he would ; . ay , " that the arts and sciences are onl y serious trifles and vain subtilties . We may apply ourselves to them in infancy , in order to exercise the mind ; but it is only . the knowledge of the public good , the interest of the community to which we belong , that ought to engage the minds of men of genius , arrived at the
years of discretion . Every other object is little , when compared with the vast machine of policy : "—Whence he would conclude , that he alone is worthy of universal admiration . But let us suppose a natural philosopher to have listened to this conclusion of the politician . - " You deceive yourself , " he will immediately ' reply : " for if greatness of mind is to be measured by the greatness of " the objects about
which we are conversant , it is I alone who am truly worthy of esteem . A single discovery of mine changes the interest of nations . I rub a needle upon the loadstone , and enclose it within a box : America is discovered . The settlers dig mines : a thousand vessels , loaded with gold , divide the waves of the Atlantic , pour out their treasures in Europe , and the face of the political world is changed .
. " Always occupied about great objects / ' continues he , " if I retire to solitude and silence , it is not to study the little revolutions of empires , but those of the universe ; it is not to penetrate the trifling secrets of courts , but those of nature : I discover how the sea has formed mountains , and how it has encroached upon . the earth ; I measure both the force that moves the stars , and the extent of the luminous circles they describe in the azure vault of Heaven ; I
calculate their magnitude , compare it with that of the earth , and blush at the smallness of the spot I inhabit . If I am ashamed of the hive , judge what contempt I must feel'for the insects who people it!—The greatest legislator , in my eye , is no more than the king of bees . " In this manner do all classes and . all societies of men endeavour to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Different Modes Of Reasoning
The romance-writer is persuaded , that his labours require the highest degree of invention and delicacy of mind , though he " allows that the Poet has some right to df-pute it with him . The Metaphysician , by a very different merit , would snatch the palm from both : he fancies that he only is the ' source of evidence , and the confidant of nature .
" I alone , " says he , " can generalize ideas , and discover the seeds of those events which daily unfold themselves in the physical and moral world ; by me alone man is enli g htened . " The Poet considers the Metaphysician as a solemn fool , who is busied about words , and rates him accordingly . " You perplex the head , " says he , " with endless distinctions , and
employ many words without meaning ; you may sometimes hit upon truth , butyou cannot bring it home to the heart . It is not in the works of Aristotle , but in those of Homer , that conviction is to be found : man is influenced by motives , not by arguments . The discoveries of your art are doubtful , the effects of mine are certain . " By speeches like these do those three men shew their contempt for 5 h otiierandin such should call in the
eac ; , a dispute , they politician as an arbitrator , he would shew an equal contempt for all of them . " You know , " he would ; . ay , " that the arts and sciences are onl y serious trifles and vain subtilties . We may apply ourselves to them in infancy , in order to exercise the mind ; but it is only . the knowledge of the public good , the interest of the community to which we belong , that ought to engage the minds of men of genius , arrived at the
years of discretion . Every other object is little , when compared with the vast machine of policy : "—Whence he would conclude , that he alone is worthy of universal admiration . But let us suppose a natural philosopher to have listened to this conclusion of the politician . - " You deceive yourself , " he will immediately ' reply : " for if greatness of mind is to be measured by the greatness of " the objects about
which we are conversant , it is I alone who am truly worthy of esteem . A single discovery of mine changes the interest of nations . I rub a needle upon the loadstone , and enclose it within a box : America is discovered . The settlers dig mines : a thousand vessels , loaded with gold , divide the waves of the Atlantic , pour out their treasures in Europe , and the face of the political world is changed .
. " Always occupied about great objects / ' continues he , " if I retire to solitude and silence , it is not to study the little revolutions of empires , but those of the universe ; it is not to penetrate the trifling secrets of courts , but those of nature : I discover how the sea has formed mountains , and how it has encroached upon . the earth ; I measure both the force that moves the stars , and the extent of the luminous circles they describe in the azure vault of Heaven ; I
calculate their magnitude , compare it with that of the earth , and blush at the smallness of the spot I inhabit . If I am ashamed of the hive , judge what contempt I must feel'for the insects who people it!—The greatest legislator , in my eye , is no more than the king of bees . " In this manner do all classes and . all societies of men endeavour to