113 
PHILOSOPHY. 
what are termed the myfteries of this Philofophy. Thefe 
are indeed now fo familiar to me, that I may well fay 
with the worthy Profeffor Beck, one of the pillars of 
Tranfcendental Philofophy ; “ In fliort, all this is l'o eafy 
to me, that I engage to render the fecrets of the critical 
philofophy perfedlly intelligible to one of the flowed ap¬ 
prehension, and to convince him fully of its doctrines.” 
With the foie view of profecuting the fludy of this fyflem 
to its fulled extent, I applied myfelf diligently to acquire 
the German language, as I was unwilling to trufl in fuch 
important matters either to tranflators or commentators. 
Befides which, the acquirement of this language has 
opened to me the whole flore of Kant’s valuable works, 
which are by no means confined to metaphyficai fpecula- 
tions, but embrace the entire fphere of human knowledge. 
He has made confiderable contributions to the fciences of 
Adronomy, Natural Philofophy, and particularly to Me¬ 
chanics, by his new Theory of Motion contained in his 
“Principles of Natural Philofophy,” which are founded 
entirely upon his Categories, as developed and explained 
in the “Critic;” and without which complete Analyfis 
of the mental powers, this new theory could not have been 
dilcovered. A further advantage derived from this at¬ 
tainment has been to enable me to fpeak from my own 
knowledge of what is a&ually taking place in Germany 
refpedting this philofophy. I find the fucceffors of this 
great man are enthuiiaftically employed in re-modelling 
all the fciences, and engrafting them on their own proper 
dock. His prediftion is really taking place, that, though 
“ he fliould be at fird mifunderdood and mifreprefented, 
yet ultimately he had no doubt he fliould obtain a favour¬ 
able reception, and a lading approbation.” And, what 
is of the mod vitalimportar.ee, Tranfcendental Philofophy 
is already clothed in the mod popular language, introdu¬ 
ced into the fchools, and forms a fundamental part of a 
liberal education. Profefl'ors Chridian and William 
Snell have formed an entire Encyclopaedia upon Kante- 
fian principles, the language of which is quite familiar; 
indeed it is to this work that I am indebted for great 
part of the matter of the prefent article. I find thefe 
authors not only perfectly comprehend the whole fyflem 
in its fulled extent, but they have the extraordinary me¬ 
rit of making a mod extenfive application of this new 
theori/ for the ufe of the rifing generation. Indeed, fo 
fufceptible is it of being conveyed into the tender mind 
of youth, that I have been induced to arrange its elements 
for that purpofe, and have them now aftually in progrefs 
with my own foils at a claflical academy. They are now- 
fourteen years of age, and I find they apprehend thefe prin¬ 
ciples, and apply them too, with full as much facility as 
they do their multiplication-table or any other branch of 
their juvenile fludies. 
In the year 1795, Profeffor Nitfch endeavoured to in¬ 
troduce this new doftrine into England by public lec¬ 
tures delivered in London. In 1796, he gave to the 
world his excellent work entitled, “A General and In¬ 
troductory View of Profeffor Kant’s Principles concerning 
Man, the World, and the Deity, fubmitted to the conii- 
deration of the learned.” Pie had by no means relinquifhed 
liis mode of inftruCtion by leCtures ; but he conceived that 
a Manual, containing the elements of the fyftem, would 
aflifl the memory of the pupils, and furnifli them with a 
connected view of the whole. This Introductory View-, 
therefore, contains 101 Principles, (fee page 71,) which 
comprife the effenceof the entire Critic. Thefe Princi¬ 
ples follow one another numerically; and, as they necef- 
farily arife out of each other, without proof or being in 
any way fupported by argument, to furnifli each of them 
with its particular proof was the objeCt of the leCtures, 
in which he invites a free difeuflion, (fee page 4.) Be¬ 
lieving as I do that thefe 101 Principles faithfully pour- 
tray the effence of the “Critic,” it would afford a very 
eafy method of afeertaining the value and importance of 
that work, or of deciding upon its total inutility, if 
thefe Principles were to be each fucceflively attacked, 
Vol. XX. No. 1355. 
and, if pofiible, refuted. If it were found impoflible to 
deny their truth, the fludent might then with peculiar 
felf-fatisfaClion, and with a highly-favourable opinion, 
enter upon the dudy of the work itfelf. For indance, 
take 
Principle VII. “The matter in every perception, 
knowledge, See. mvjl be given; and the form mvjt be pro¬ 
duced by the mind." 
Now, this is either true or not true; and, until this point 
is fettled, it is ablolutely ufelefs to read one line of tranf¬ 
cendental philofophy, much lefs to attempt to criticize 
either its value or application. 
Would it not be doing good to fcience if this Ample 
Propofition were given as an exercife to the dudents in 
our univerfities ? For thus much is certain, that thofe 
who fliould decide in favour of the Propofition as here 
dated, need not be folicited to give their affent to the re¬ 
maining 100 Principles, bur, as in Euclid, would find 
themfelves compelled to allow, not only that all the other 
principles were equally true, but that the order of their 
fucceflion could not be changed. 
O11 the other hand, if this Principle were difproved, 
nothing can be more evident than that Tranfcendental 
Philofophy, being founded in error, would be banifiied 
from the world ! which would afford this fubflantial good, 
that no more time would be waded upon fo futile a pur- 
fuit; but honed minds might then ferioufly apply them- 
felves tothefearch after the true fyflem. My enthufiadic 
admiration of this philofophy has arifen entirely from my 
total inability to dil'prove this.Principle, and from my 
being confequently forced to give my unqualified affent 
to the remaining hundred. It is pleating to reflect, that, 
the condant re-examination not only of this principle but 
of all the Elements of the Mind during a period of twenty- 
eight years, has produced the fame refult; a ctfnvidlion of 
their truth, flrengthened by every new effay. It w-as du¬ 
ring fome of thefe examinations, about fifteen years ago, 
that the thought occurred to me of condruftinga Table 
or Map (fee vol. xi. p. 608.) that might exhibit the en¬ 
tire Elements of the Mind at one view, as I conceived it 
would greatly facilitate the dudy of this fcience to have 
a ready recurrence to thefe efj'ences as they fland in con¬ 
nexion with each other, and that thus their application 
would be rendered eafy. 
Now, on what does this conviffion red? am I to con- 
fider it as the refult of driflly-logical conclnfions, and 
what is ufually termed found reafon, or as arifing from 
partiality to my favourite dudy, and confequently as found¬ 
ed on iliufion and “ prejudice” alone. So little can I 
attribute it fo the latter, that I might as well fay, every 
time I repeat the proof of the forty-feventh Problem of 
the fird Book of Euclid, that my convidtion of its truth 
is founded on a “prejudice.” I have therefore no way 
of extricating myfelf from the prefent dilemma, but by 
believing that I have fufficient reafon to efpoufe the 
caufe of this Philofophy until fome one will accept the 
challenge I have given, and drive me from the field. As 
the day when this will take place is, in my own opinion, 
not only very far diflant, but in faft not on this fide of 
Eternity; I may go on uninterruptedly in my dudy, and 
patiently proceed with my tranflation of the German 
“ Critic of Pure Reafon,” although it contains nearly one 
thoufand pages of the deeped philofophical refearch. On 
the other hand, I beg to be underflood, that I fliould have 
candour enough to be one of the fird to abandon the 
dudy when it can be fhown to be erroneous. But, as I 
know nothing in the world fo much to be admired as 
truth, and as I feel that this philofophy is the very 
effence of truth itfelf, I hope I may be allowed to perfe- 
vere in its dudy, and to increafe in my admiration of it. 
Since I have been capable of reflexion, I Have met with 
nothing fo calculated to introduce every good upon earth, 
and to give an exalted and fublime idea of the Creator. 
I have entered thus fully into the importance of the 
valuable work of profeffor Nitfch, as I propofe to quote 
G g very 
