M E T A P H Y S I C S. 



10 i 



Utility of 



ii..-: ,..-.;. 

 i ..-. .. 

 - . 



expanding the views of hi* master, in separating what 

 is salutary in other systems, tram what is trifling or 

 noxious, and in inspiring conviction that it is pos- 

 lible to render the philosophy of mind both interesting 

 and useful. To this praise, we venture to add, that, 

 of all living authors lie is the most accurate and most 

 elegant writer of the English language. Our subjects 

 of regret with regard to him are, that he is either too 

 timid or too indolent ; for, just when he has brought 

 us to the brink of an original discunioa, to which his 

 powers are adapted, be puts lu off with the promise of 

 a separate dissertation on the subject. If lie lives to 

 ledcimi all his pledges, he will have no reason to com- 

 plain of the brevity of human life ; and the world will 

 have reason to be thankful for so many additional 

 sources of enjoyment. 



\Ve commenced this article, with stating the advan- 

 tages arising from the study of metaphysical science ; 

 and we suspect there will be some who will think that 

 we have been undermining our own position, by de- 

 tailing the jarring, insmnaisHnl. and uncertain specula- 

 tions of metaphysicians. But, in truth, the advantage 

 of metaphysical studies appears, not so much in the 

 adoption of any p*""* system, or in adherence to 

 any particular master, as in the habit of accurate men- 

 Ul analysis, and in correct investigation into the ori- 

 gin of our feelings, .seMiinsiHa. end opinion*. No man 



who hi, m.t Iw.-n accuMni-d to 



;___ 



to any thing like accuracy in moral or 

 be may, indeed, be highly use- 



N 



un SJSJSJB> 

 t , .. 



and maxims prescribed by superior wisdom ; bat he 

 mast be a stranger to those refined pleaiurts which 

 arise from contemplating the beaatiful adaptation of 

 means to Mid*, by which the mind approaches, as it 

 were, a step nearer to the Deity. 



The metaphysician may go wrong in his researches ; 

 but be is like the adventitious mariner, who explore* 

 seea unknown, and at his own risk points out the rocks, 

 shoals and quicluands, which might endanger t 

 voyagers. Perhaps he enters what be may reckon a 

 secure harbour, or settle* on what be supposes a fer- 

 tile island ; but if be doe* not discover hi* mi-take in 

 time, others are taught by his fate to avoid the experi- 

 ments which have misled him. 



There is no more uncertainty in metaphysics than 

 in any other subject which is not founded on 

 The eame uncertainty occurs in all 



I in | 

 liuet, Ac. 



^ respecting politics and religion; not that these subject* 

 of denning, with perfect accuracy, the cunospoen* of 



the mind respecting them; from which retult differ- 

 ence* of opinion, and sometime* fierce contention*: 

 when, perhaps, all the while both parties are perfectly 

 right according to the conceptions which they have 

 funisii, and the meaning which they have attached to 

 particular word*. There is no uncertainty, then, in 

 the principle* of moral* ; the uncertainty arises wholly 

 oat of mwanderstanding on the part of the disputants, 

 who frequently mid, after long and furious wrangling, 



that they have been fighting about a phantom, and McUphy. 

 that there is, in reality, no difference of opinion between ^ 

 them. *"Y"" 



The superiority of the mathematical sciences has al- 

 ways been supposed to consist in the superior accuracy 

 of the definitions ; it might have been said, in their 

 infallible certainty : for they are all necessary truths. 

 It has been said that the certainty of geometry arises 

 solely from thU, that the geometrician measures and 

 calculates only the ideas of his own mind, which he de- 

 termines ami circumscribes according to his own plea- v 

 sure v We do not think this an accurate view of the 

 subject. The mind, we conceive, is as much conver- 

 sant with realities in geometry, as in any other science ; 

 and the definitions employed, so far from being arbi- 

 trary, are all founded on necessary truths. 



M. de Maupertuis has placed this subject in a very Cause of 

 dear point of view in an Essay, (in the twelfth volume the uperi. 

 of the Transactions of the Berlin Academy,) entitled, or ccruin- 



tfimmen pkUotophique de la pretne de rexiilfi-.ee de Dieu, '* ** *".**, 

 ft L i-i i_ i ineniiitcu 



tec. He says, that number and extension are the sub- Kicnct . 



jects of rigid demonstration, not because the mind has 

 the power of forming gratuitous definitions ; but be- 

 cause there is in these sciences a principle of what he 

 calls Rrplicability : that is, we can divide number and 

 quantity into any portions ; we can halve them, quarter 

 them, or raise them to any power, and still they will 

 preserve in all their divisions, or multiplications, defi- 

 nite and necessary proportions t. Hence we can pro- 

 ceed with infallible certainty in all our researches con- 

 cerning them ; and our moat complicated calculations 

 may all be reduced at Ian to identical propositions, 

 such as ftro ad tri-o are ttjual tofumr, and four it raual 

 to tm and tiro ; or to the metaphysical axiom, WbaU 

 -. is. 



Nothing of this kind can take place in metaphysical 

 science: oar sensation* may, indeed, be stronger or 

 weaker ; but we cannot increase or diminish them in 

 definite proportions. We cannot divide a sensation 

 into halves and quarters ; nor indicate the square root 

 of a conception. We cannot even ascertain, that any 

 definition which we can give, can convey to the mind 

 of another, an accurate idea of our own conceptions 

 and sensation*. 



From these circumstance*, we think it must appear, 

 that though there must necessarily be much <liwi-itv 

 of opinion in morals, meuphynio, and n-i 

 there is no reason whatever to suspect tli i th,-y have 

 not a* sure a foundation as the demonstrative sciences. 

 Amidst all the diver-ity of sentiment which occur*, ho 

 can divest himself of the moral and rt-l> nngs 



which grow up with him from his birth, and influence 

 his happiness and his hopes? And is it not a proof 

 that these feelings have a sure and immoveable basis, 

 whrn they continue to maintain their influence in >.pite 

 of the jarring opinions which preva uji them ; 



and the dangerous and absurd conclusions w hich are 

 sometimes found.il upon them ? 



We have already noticed incidentally, some of the Mftsphy. 

 metaphysical arguments for the existence of a God ; but '' nru- 



as this is a subject of the greatest importance, and in- men " for 



the exitt- 



rnc*efa> 



Si b gtMMtrt l room, rajet a broodier, mw It phBosophe, cVt uniqnement pant mill nc noun et at calcule que dot idea, let God. 

 a drtmnin* M rirom^.it lai mane s n ptuntanw. Mem nr fffCrttf. Ac. pat M. .Mrrian. 



. e KMT* alto aMtkerrtatas) *Jr the toperior ctatrne* fah *t.ka ciWrra saaOMnatiCBl troths. Our other ptrcptiooi are eon- 



the; hare iluunct perception* up- 



ik Id mem s n pbantame Urm. nr *fpcrtr p . Ac 



e KMT* alto aMtber rtaxm (or the mperipr cltamrw with wl.uh >e Aucm> '*mrmMtl troth*. 

 Md uno trr.x. Tfc aw. die aow. Iks palate, ie. d* Bat kNsMVie with th. prorioea of each other 



sss^ia*s4sfscb. Bat the idea of asssihir. sad rf rs/Bssafc isllit, may eow cbe Sand by ndi and aU the team. A boae with 

 .rJj isa tons at toMil, ouU bate the uiac: cumber at sses>ss tvn diffciott kinds of daon reached bit BOM: and so wiui UM <Hber 



