PHILOSOPHERS. 95 



by the interest he felt in the success of those brave women 1838. 

 who first attempted the study of medicine. 



In society he seldom entered into discussion on 

 abstract questions, except with those of whose compre- 

 hension he felt sure, but he would sometimes listen to the 

 debates of others. I once saw him stand by, with a half- 

 amused, half -interested look, while a discussion was going 

 on between two learned professors on matter and spirit, the 

 future life, and a Creator, in which the two last were on 

 the losing side, without uttering a word. When I asked 

 him what he thought of the arguments, he said, ' I don't 

 understand them, but then I'm not a Philosopher.' l 



1 He has left some definition of Philosophers : ' The word "Philo- 

 sopher " is one which has had meanings so different from each other, 

 and has been in such demand for all manner of uses, that a person who 

 should read the writings of one period with a notion of this word 

 derived from the writings of another period would be in actual con- 

 fusion about matters of fact and opinion both. Some movable words 

 are understood as such : a good man sometimes means a just man, 

 sometimes a benevolent man, sometimes a religious man, a rich man, 

 or, as at Cambridge, an (undergraduate) man who is well up in his 

 subject (of examination). This is pretty well understood, but nine- 

 tenths of the educated think that the Philosopher is one kind of 

 person, throughout all ages and countries. 



' A Philosopher, in Greek, was originally a person who desired and 

 sought after wisdom, especially the knowledge of man in the widest 

 sense ; of his constitution, his capabilities, and his duties. But in 

 history may be found this variety of meanings : 1. The original sense 

 just described. 2. The votary of a school of opinions on man, or on 

 nature, or on morals. 3. An ascetic, who denies himself the good 

 things of the world. 4. A person whose temper is not easily put out. 

 5. A person who despises his fellow- creatures. 6. One who cares not 

 what is said about him. 7. An academically educated man. 8. An 

 atheist. 9. An infidel as to revelation. 10. An inquirer into the 

 material phenomena of the universe. I need not say that this list 

 does not include the true Philosopher, a genus of species innumerable, 

 nor the technically adjectived Philosopher, as the moral Philosopher, 

 the chemical Philosopher, &c., meaning a person who looks into 

 morals, chemistry, &c. , in a thoughtful and speculative way. These 

 would be more rightly called Philosophic moralists, Philosophic 

 chemists, &c. The dreadful bore who did the moral business in 



