﻿THEORETICAL ASTRONOMY 



EXAMINED AND EXPOSED 



By "COMMON SENSE." 



\2% Pages, Demy Sv , Cloth Gilt, Handsomely Bound, Price $t. 



John Stuart Mill, in his valuable work On Liberty, says this : — 

 "It is the fashion of the present time to disparage negative logic — that 

 which points out weaknesses in theory or errors in practice, without estab- 

 lishing positive truths. Such negative criticism would indeed be poor 

 enough as an ultimate result; but as a means to attaining any positive 

 hioiuledge or conviction worthy the name, it cannot be valued too highly ; 

 and until people are again systematically trained to it, there will be few 

 great thinkers, and a low general average of intellect, in any but the mathe- 

 matical and physical departments of speculation. On any ether subject, no 

 one's opinions deserve the name of knowledge, except so far as he has either 

 had forced upon him by others, or gone through of himself, the same mental 

 process which would have been required of him in carrying on an active 

 controversy with opponents. That, therefore, which, when absent, it is so 

 indispensable but so difficult to create, how worse than absurd it is to forego, 

 when spontaneously offering itself ! If there are any persons who contest 

 a received opinion, or who will do so if law or opinion ivill let them, let us 

 thank them for it, open our minds to listen to them, and rejoice that there 

 is some one to do for us what we otherwise ought, if we have any regard for 

 either the certainty or the vitality of our convictions, to do with much greater 

 labour for ourselves." 



There are, truly, people who " contest" certain " received opinions ;" 

 and, people, also, who have great " regard" for the " vitality of their 

 convictions." " Theoretical Astronomy Examined and Exposed" is sent 

 forth to the world by one of the former class, especially for those of the 

 latter. But he who thus throws out his little book upon the turbulent 

 waters of Literature— and who does so with the conviction that it will 

 never sink — belongs to both of these classes : he regards the vitality of his 

 convictions as of great moment — remembering that where there is no 

 life there is no power. The author is convinced that mere " opinions' 

 are of very little use in Physics or Metaphysics : and, that the chief aim 

 should be to arrive at the FACTS. He desires the Reader to test his 

 own convictions — to put a strain upon them — to try them as to their vi- 

 tality ; and, this done, to heap all the weight which will thus be gained 

 upon those of " Common Sense" as laid down in the book before him : 

 recollecting that the more absurd or outrageous a man's convictions may 

 happen to be, with so much the greater ease can they be overthrown. 

 If, then, thou be not a Zetetic Philosopher already — and be not fearful of 

 the name, which only means One who ' proves' things, and ' holds fast 

 to the good,' — take this book, Header : and, if thou canst not overthrow 

 it, be content — nay, be "thankful" — to be overthrown by it: since no 

 harm can possibly result from the adventure, but, it may be, that 

 positive and well-grounded " convictions" shall take the place of mere 

 baseless or ill-founded " opinions." 



" COMMON SENSE." 



