METAPHYSICS. 



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branches of metaphysical science ; and they who have 

 attempted more, have, in general, only demonstrated 

 the deficiency of their qualification*, and the futility of 

 their labours. We doubt not, therefore, that our pru- 

 dence will be approved in declining an undertaking in 

 which so many have failed, though gifted with respec- 

 table talent*, and armed with high pretensions. We 

 hare given in the article Looic, under the head Pneu- 

 jatmlngy, (which we hare considered as embracing 

 Psychology, the most interesting branch of metaphy- 

 sics,) an account of the origin of our knowledge, of the 

 way in which the mind receives its impressions, of the 

 methods which it employ* to communicate its ideas, 

 and of the various circumstances which tend to modify 



Thete topics, which might with pro- 

 priety hare fallen under the present article, being al- 

 ready discussed, shall not be repeated. In the article 

 MORAL PHILOSOPHY also, will be found some important 

 discussions respecting the influence of the will and the 

 fttttioot, and the liberty or necessity of human actions. 

 It is therefore nnece**ary to dwell <>n these subjects 

 here. We shall merely attempt a rpid sketch of what 

 has been done in metaphysics; and this, rather with 



to the vicissitudes which his writings hare undergone, Metaphy 

 and to the mangled and mutilated state in which many " cs - 

 of them were found. After having lain in a subter- < *"">~^ 1 '' 

 raneous cavern, in the town of Scepsis, for 1 30 years, 

 they were brought to light, and sold to Apellico. a 

 Teian, who, with injudicious industry, supplied from 

 his own conjecture* such passages as had become ille- 

 gible. It is impossible to ascertain the extent of these 

 supplementary emendations, which, in all probability, 

 savoured more of the opinions of the transcriber than 

 of the spirit of Aristotle. But this was not the last or- 

 deal which they underwent. It is well known that 

 they were transferred to Rome by Sylla, after the tak- 

 ing of Athens. Here Tyrannion, a grammarian, hav-, 

 >tained permission to make use of the manuscripts 

 employed ignorant amanuenses to take copies of them, 

 which he suffered to pass out of his hands without pro- 

 per correction.^ These errors have been continued by 

 succeeding commentators and transcribers, who have 

 often introduced into the text conjectural emendation* 

 ami variations. All ancient writing* are liable, in a 

 greater or less degree to such accidents ; but none 

 so much as those which record philsophical doc- 



view to point out to our readers the (objects and scope trine* ; for here, if there is a possibility of perversion, 

 ef the science, than to require their acquiescence in the the commentator or transcriber will endeavour to make 



doctrines and speculations which have been so ulabai 

 rately detailed. 



Aristotle stands at the head of metaphysicians in 

 point of priority of time, and probably also in point of 

 pre-emirDce of intellect. Wht he fails to elucidate, 

 M envelopes in such a veil of mysticism and perplex- 

 ing phraseology, that it is scarcely possible to divine 

 h* meaning, much less to correct his error*. Thi cir- 

 cumstance has misled many or wers and admi- 



rers, who, trusting to his infallibility, and convinced 

 that erery thing he says must hare a profound, if it ha* 

 not an obvious meaning, have laboured with mart in- 

 industry to elucidate his inscrutable re- 



the text subservient to his preconceived opinions. 



At present, we are only concerned with the metaphy- Rummsrr 

 sic* of Aristotle ; and of these we shall give as concise of hu me- 

 an account as possible. According to him. the funda- ' 

 mental principle of ontology is, that it is impossible that 

 the same thing should be, and not be, in the same sub- 

 ject, at the Mine time, and in the same respect To 

 thia universal principle all demonstration may be re- 

 duced. Bring may be reduced into the ten categories, 

 or predicaments, which* are, 1. Substance, which is ei- 

 ther primary, and can neither be predicated of. nor in- 

 herent in, any other subject : or secondary, which sub- 



^^._ >* " primary substances, aa grnrra or tprciei. 2. Qiian- 



1 to persuade the world that they contain lily, continued or discrete ; which has no contrary, and 

 tbeMteUnce and essence of all knowledge. The very denominates things equal or unequal. 3. l!,-lalin:i, ex- 

 "WMilJi "hich hang* over the writings of Ariitotle pressing the manner in which one thing it affected to- 

 ndedjojncrease Jw fame, and to exalt the repu- wards another. 4. Quality, by which a thing is said to 



be such a* it is. 5. Action, signifying the motion of 

 the agent o'. PaitioH, signifying the state of the pa- 

 7. When, denoting time. 8. Where, denoting 

 place. 9. fiilHtitio*. expressing the external circum- 

 , stance of local relation 10. llalit, expressing the ex- 

 **W which is not very obvious, they uniformly ternal circumstance of being habited. 



has 



tation of his genius. For ingenious men finding many 

 passage* of transcendent excellence in the writings of 

 Aristotle, and many most profound and sublime specu- 

 lations, hare given him credit for a species of omni- 

 in erery kind of science ; and whenever any 



the difficulty to the profundity of the author '"i 

 and not to the obscurity of hk conception*. 

 Their own mind* being at the same time 

 by some favoa rite metaphysical notions, . 

 watch for any hint in the writing* of their idol, whi 

 may serve to confirm their own opinion. These hinu 

 they may easily find. By disjoining one passage from 

 another, or by connecting remote passage* according to 

 their own conception*, they may make Aristotle speak 

 any language, and lend hi* rafrage to any set of philo- 

 spamJ opinions. Those pamagts which are most ob- 

 will generally answer the purpose best. .\ 

 ! be decidedly claimed a supporting an obvmtn 

 e are ready to feel thankful to any who can 

 Bach to them a rations! meaning ; and we generally 

 And it as easy to assent to it, as to establish a different 

 or opposite signification. 



.wever, but fair to remark, that Aristotle is 

 pertMpa scarcely chargnble with one half of the <' 



hu-h n<>w envelope* hi writing*; and probably 

 1*0. he i not entitled to full credit for many of the 

 most useful doctrines contained in them. We allude 



_' i* either notional or real ; notional, as it is con- 

 ceived in the mind ; real, as it exist* in nature. No- 

 tional bfing it either true or fslne ; true, when it cor- 

 responds to the real nature of things ; fnl-c, when the 

 conception and the reality differ from each other. In 

 the knowledge of things immutable the intellect can- 

 not be deceived ; mistake and error can only arise con- 

 cerning contingent and variable objects. 



-totle's notions respecting the first mover were, 

 in some respects, sublime ; in othcm confused and un- 

 intelligible. Flo Emitted an original principle of mo- 

 tion, which he *aid must be Mtiiplc pure energy, void 

 of matter, eternal, immutable. The essence of the 

 first mover i* different from that of corporeal substance?, 

 indivisible, became unity is perfect; immnt.it.le, be- 

 cause nothing can change itclf ; and eternal, because 

 motion itself is eternal: (thin i a gratuitous assumption,) 

 'I In- power is an incorporeal intelligence; happy in the 

 contemplation of hunelf ; the first cause of all mo- 

 tion ; and, in fine, the Being of Bring*, or Go<l. 



As to the oul, he said that it was the principle of ac- 

 tion in an organized body possessing life potentially. 



