PHILOSOPHY. 
from time to time heave the log into the deep, we fiiould 
hardly believe that the reafon of the fpecies is progreffive. 
In this refpeft, the religious and academical eftablifh- 
ments in fome parts of Europe are not without their ufe 
to the hiftorian of the Human Mind. Immovably moor- 
ed to the fame ftation by the ftrength of their cables, and 
the weight of their anchors, they enable him to meafure 
the rapidity of the current by which the reft of the world 
are borne along. This,.too, is remarkable in the biftory 
of our prejudices 5 that, as foon as the film falls from the 
intellectual eye, we are apt to lofe all recollection of our 
former blindnefs. Like the fantaftic and giant (hapes 
which, in a thick fog, the imagination lends to a block 
of ftone, or to the flump of a tree, they produce, while 
the illufion lafts, the fame effeCt with truths and realities; 
but the moment the eye has caught the exaCt form and di- 
menfions of its objeCt, the fpell is broken for ever; nor 
can any effort of thought again conjure up the fpeCtres 
which have vanifhed.” 
This writer’s entire devotion to the Philofophy of Mind 
cannot for a moment be doubted by any one who has 
read the introduction to his “Elements of the Phi¬ 
losophy of THE Human Mind.” In the firft part of 
this Introduction, he enters into an examination of its 
nature and objeCt in a manner that difplays his powerful 
mind, and reflefts the higheft credit upon his underftand- 
ing. He commences his work with this appropriate re¬ 
mark : “The prejudice which is commonly entertained 
again ft metaphyfical fpeculations, feems to arife chiefly 
from two caufes : firft, from an apprehenfion that the fub- 
jeCts about which they are employed are placed beyond 
the reach of the human faculties; and, fecondly, from a 
belief that thefe fubjefts have no relation to the bufinefs 
of life.” He gives a ftrong proof how fully he appreciates 
the value of this fcience, and how completely he is aware 
of the difficulties it has to encounter, in the following 
remark, in page 9 and 10 of the fame Introduction -. 
“ Upon a flight attention to the operations of our own 
minds, they appear to be fo complicated, and fo infinitely 
diverfified, that it feems to be impoffible to reduce them 
to any general laws. In confequence, however, of a 
more accurate examination, the profpeft clears up; and 
the phenomena, which appeared at firft to be too various 
for our comprehenfion, are found to be the refult of a 
comparatively fmall number of Ample and uncom¬ 
pounded faculties, or of Ample and uncompounded prin¬ 
ciples of aClion. Thefe faculties and principles are the 
general laws of our conjlitution , and hold the fame place in 
the philofophy of mind that the general laws we invefti- 
gate in phyfics hold in that branch of fcience. In both 
cafes, the laws which nature has eftablifhed, are to be in- 
veftigated only by an examination of fads; and in both 
cafes, a knowledge of thefe laws leads to an explanation 
of an inAnite number of phenomena. In the inveftiga- 
tion of phyfical laws, it is well known, that our inquiries 
muft always terminate in fome general fad, of which no ac¬ 
count can he given, hut that J'uch is the conjlitutionof nature .” 
In the fecond part of his Introduction, Mr. Stewart 
difeuffes at great length the numerous advantages which 
are likely to refult to man from an accurate analyfis of his 
mental powers, and thus demonftrates the utility of the phi¬ 
lofophy of the human mind. The liberality of his fenti- 
ments as well as the juftnefs of his views on this highly 
important fubjeft will further appear from the following 
extracts. “It is not, however, merely as a fubjeft of 
fpeculative curioAty, that the principles of the human 
mind deferve a careful examination. The advantages to 
be expefted from a fuccefsful analyfis of it are various ; 
and fome of them of fuch importance, as to render it 
aftonilhing, that, amidft all the fuccefs with which the 
fubordinate fciences have been cultivated, this, which 
comprehends the principles of all of them, ffiould be ftill 
fuffered to remain in its infancy. I ffiall endeavour to 
illuftrate a few of thefe advantages, beginning with what 
appears to me to be the molt important of any: the light, 
VOL. XX. No. 1356. 
which a pbilofophical analyfis of the principles of the mind 
would necefl'arily throw on the fubjefts of intellectual 
and moral education. The moft effential objefts of edu¬ 
cation are the two following: Firft, to cultivate all the 
various principles of our nature, both fpeculative and 
aftive, in fuch a manner as to bring them to the greatest 
perfection of which they are fufceptible; and, Secondly, 
by watching over the impreffions and affociations which 
the mind receives in early life, to fecure it againft the 
influence, of prevailing errors; and, as far as poffible, to 
engage its prepoffeffions on the fide of truth. It is 
only upon a philofophicnl analyfis of the mind that a fyftema- 
tical plan can be founded, for the accompli/hment of either of 
thefe purpofes. There are few individuals whofe educa¬ 
tion has been conducted in every refpeft with attention 
and judgment: almolt every man of reflection is confcious, 
when he arrives at maturity, of many defefts in his men¬ 
tal powers ; and of many inconvenient habits, which 
might have been prevented or remedied in his infancy or 
youth. Such a confcioufnefs is the firft ftep towards 
improvement; and the perfon who feels if, if he is pofi¬ 
fe fled of refolution and fteadinefs, will not fcruple to 
begin, even in advanced years, a newcourfeof education 
for himfelf. The degree of reflection and obfervation, 
indeed, which is neceffary for this purpole, cannot be 
expefted from any one at a very early period of life, as 
thefe are the laft powers of the mind which unfold them- 
felves; but it is never too late to think of the improve¬ 
ment of our faculties; and much progrefs may be made, 
in the art of applying them fucceisfully to their proper 
objeCts, or in obviating the inconveniences refulting 
from their imperfection, not only in manhood, hut in old 
age.'" (Stewart, p. 19.) 
Was it then to be wondered at that I fiiould feel the 
ftrongeft poffible defire to inform this gentleman, that 
this his favourite objeft had been aftually attained by a 
countryman of Copernicus upwards cf Forty Years 
ago. Having at an early period of life enjoyed the good 
fortune to be initiated into this fuhlime fyjlem, I felt it 
an imperative duty to endeavour to clear up fome of the 
difficulties that had been attributed to it, from a total 
ignorance of the fubjeft. In endeavouring to draw the 
attention of fo eminent a writer to the importance of the 
work in queftion, and in layingbefore the public, through 
the medium of this Encyclopaedia, the firft principles of 
this new philofophy , my hope was, that fome one better 
qualified, might engage in the talk of its examination; 
and I fought by thefe means to roufe the attention of the 
learned, concluding that they would feel anxious for an 
Engliffi verfion of this book, in order that its merits 
might undergo a full difeuffion. The great reafon why 
this book has fo long remained unknown to the learned 
of this country, and which may ftill defer their acquaint¬ 
ance with it, is no doubt, the difficulty, nay impoffibility, 
of any tranflator doing juftice to it, who has not already 
made himfelf mafter of the fyftem itfelf. 
After a number of very appofite obfervations on the 
utility of the philofophy of the Human Mind, Mr. Stewart 
proceeds to fay, in page 29 of the fame Introduction: 
“ The remarks which have been already made are fufficient 
to illuftrate the dangerous confequences which are likely 
to refult from a partial and injudicious cultivation of the 
mind ; and, at the fame time, to point out the utility of 
the inteileftual philofophy, in enabling us to preferve a 
proper balance among all its various faculties, principles 
of aftion, and capacities of enjoyment. Many additional 
obfervations might be offered, on the tendency which an 
accurate analyfis of its powers might probably have, to 
fuggeft rules for their farther improvement, and for a 
more fuccefsful application of them to their proper pur¬ 
pofes.” Mr. Stewart dwells much on the great propriety 
of attending to the early education of youth, and on the 
eradication of the prejudices of early and erroneous affo- 
ciations; and anticipates the time when the long reign of 
error in the world (hall be fucceeded by that of true phi- 
I i lofophy t 
