Chap^VII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 8i 



reafoning from opinions, which he entitles Dialeflic *, to which 

 he fubjoins a treacife, De Sopki/licis Eknchis, where he fliows how 

 the captious arguments of the fophifts of thofe times were to be 

 refuted. 



And thus he concludes his Logical Work, confiding of fix trea- 

 tifes, in which he has fhown us not only what Science is, but what 

 Art is ; for nothing deferves the name of art, which is not founded 

 upon principles of fcience: So that, in this work, we have explained 

 to us the principles of all arts and fciences. 



And, now I think I have fully explained Ariftotle's definition of 

 Man, by (howing not only what it is that he makes the genus of 

 this definition, namely, a Logical Animal^ but alfo by fhowing the 

 progrefs from that logical or comparative faculty, which Man has in 

 common with the better kind of brutes, to the operation of intelledl 

 in forming ideas, and then his progrefs from ideas to fcience, where 

 his progrefs in this life ends. If all this can be better done or done 

 at all, upon other principles than thofe which the antient philofophy 

 furnifhes, I (hall acknowledge that Mr Harris and I have beftowed 

 cur time to very little puipofe upon the ftudy of that philofophy. 

 But if, on the other hand, that cannot be done, the greateft admirers 

 of the modern philofophy muft confefs, that, without the affiftance of 

 the Ancients, we cannot fo much as tell what fort of animal we our- 

 felves are : And if we do not know what man is, it is impoflible, 

 as 1 have elfewhere obferved, that we can know any thing of God 

 or fuperior intelligences "f. 



Vol. IV. L CHAP. 



* See Vol. VI. of the Origin of Language, Book I. Chap. III. in which I have 

 treated very fully of the Diakaic of Ariftotle, and fhown that he has the honour of 

 the invention of that art. 



■}■ Page 7, and 8. of this volume. 



