PHILOSOPHY. 
fhould be termed a Phenomenon. Eat this phenome¬ 
non, whil sprefent, we have already failed an Intuition, 
agreeably to the rule that one word may be fuMituted 
for another when there is no danger of their being con¬ 
founded, as we often ufe the expreflion the Sun rifes or 
the Sun fets, though it is now univerfally known that the 
eftefif is produced by the motion of our Earth. 
We have thus made the Understanding, or IntelleB, 
-by virtue of its Categories, or twelve afifive powers, the 
author of all the beautiful, regular, and varied, forms un¬ 
der which Nature prefents herfelf to us; and the Sensi¬ 
tive Faculty the receptacle, or (tore-houfe, by its two 
modes of receiving Time and Space, the foie proprietor of 
all the varied matter that conftitutes this aftoniftiing uni- 
verfe. This indeed is a bold theory , that would feem to 
fly in the face of common fenfe and the ordinary appear¬ 
ances of things, and to fupport itfelf by reafoning alone. 
So indeed was the theory of Copernicus, which flatly con- 
tradifiled the teftimony of the fenfes, warned the unfci- 
eatific man not to judge from what he faw or felt, and 
told him, when he loudly afle.verated that he flood ftill, 
that, without being confcious of it, he was travelling at 
the rate of 56,000 miles in an hour. Thus was the afto- 
nifhed fpefitator of the heavenly bodies compelled to give 
up the teftimony of his own fenfes ; and for what? To 
fubftilute in its place reafonings and fyllogifms, things 
of Logic that are fo often erroneous. But what have not 
three centuries done for the theory of Copernicus, which 
at firfl was confldered a dangerous herefy, whofe inventor 
was thrown into prifon ? It is now the glory and boaft of 
the reafoning faculty of man. From the lights thrown 
upon this theory by his fucceflbrs Kepler, Galileo, New¬ 
ton, Herfchell, and numerous other commentators both 
on the works of Nature and on the theory of this great 
man, it is now evident to the convifition of every fchool- 
boy ! Who ever now hears the names of Tycho or Pto¬ 
lemy ? After all, what has this great aftronomer effefited,? 
He has only completed the ancient theory of Pytha¬ 
goras. 
I cannot refrain from indulging myfelf in running the 
profpefitive parallel of thefe two great men. Kant is the 
author of a theory equally bold with that of Copernicus; 
and if, like that, it thall ftand the teft of ages, the revo¬ 
lution it will efFefit will be equally glorious. The for¬ 
mer caufed that to move with inconceivable velocity 
which the common fenfe of mankind had from the com¬ 
mencement of fcience confldered as the rnofl immoveable 
of bodies. In fa£t he turned the world topfy turvey. 
He, however, did more than this; for he fubftituted 
immutable truth for long-ftanding error. Kant’s theory 
lias converted all the folid bodies of which the world is 
compofed into mere appearances, which were looked upon 
as the real things in tliemjelves ; and informs us, that all 
our boafled knowledge of the mally and ponderous fub- 
ftances of Nature confifts of .mere forms which the Un- 
derftanding, by means of its Categories, has given to the 
fenfations which have been received in the fenfitive faculty, 
or in Time and Space. Yet the world ftands as ftill as 
before, and the fubftances are as folid as ever! The 
happy refult of both theories has been the fubftitution of 
Truth for Error, without in the leaft deforming the 
beautiful and harmonious arrangement of nature. The 
practical advantages of the Copernican fyftem are immenfe: 
they afford the means of afcertaining with the greateft 
accuracy the fituation of newly-difcovered countries 
upon our globe, by determining their longitude with pre- 
cifion, and ferve alfo to guide the mariner in his tracklefs 
path through the wide ocean, whether his objefit be to 
Speculate on improvements in navigation, to promote the 
puTpofes of fcience, or thofe of commerce. The prafiti- 
cal advantages of the Kantefian fyftem are alfo immenfe. 
They ferve in fa fit as a chajt and compafs to guide the 
fcientific enquirer into the nature and properties of the 
numerous and ever-varying fenfations by which the fen- 
tient being is perpetually impreifed. They fupprefs every 
Vol.XX. No. 1356. 
129 
fymptom of fuperftition, and lead in the moll direfit and 
unfophiftrcated manner to the Godhead ! They prove 
religion to be the duty of man ; and furnifh a fure guide 
to condufit us lately through the tempefts of the paftions 
that conftantly befet us, in this, our voyage of probation, 
to that blifsful country, where we fliall be more than com- 
penfated for the temporary fufterings we may have here 
experienced. They open to us the profpefil of another 
life, where no difproportion between Virtue and Happi¬ 
ness will exift, and where a perfeft agreement between 
worth and.felicity will prevail. 
The Copernican fyftem has finally rooted out all the 
fpurious theories that were invented to account for the 
phenomena of theuniverfe; thus the fyftem of vortices 
has given way to the immutable law of gravitation. The 
Kantefian fyftem has given the death-blow to all fpecula- 
tive arguments that were employed prior to the difcovery 
of Transcendental Philosophy in the elucidation of 
the phenomena of the univerfe; and has finally eradi¬ 
cated the four celebrated fophifms, MaterialiJ'm , Idealifn, 
Spiritualifm, and Scepticifm; upon the ruins of which it 
has ere filed Criticism, or the only true philofophy. By 
the ftrong lights thrown upon this theory by Kant’s fuc- 
ceffors, Beck, Reinhold., Nitfch, Snell, &c, the latter of 
whom has afilually re-modelled the fciences upon this 
immutable foundation, and by his popular ftyle has fitted 
it for general adoption ; it is now made evident to the con- 
viftion of every fchool-boy! We muft not therefore be 
furprifed to receive from every tyro a folution of St. 
Auguftin’s celebrated contradiction, Quid fit Tempus, Ji 
nemo queer at a me,J'vio; fi quis interroget, neficio? Like the 
young Undent in aftronomy, he only wonders how his 
predecefl'ors could be fo ignorant. If Urban VIII. perfe- 
cuted Copernicus for his difcovery, here alfo the parallel 
holds good. Frederic of Pruflia required Kant either to 
difavow bis fyftem, or fuft’er baniflvment from his native 
land; when our philofopher made the following reply: 
“ His majefty may difpofe of me as he pleafes; but he 
cannot compel me to difavowqmy own confidence, and 
what I believe to be Truth.” This anfwer procured a 
remiffion of the fentence. After all, what has this great 
metaphyfician effefited ? why he has only completed the 
ancient theory of Ariftotle, or, if you will, of the Pytha¬ 
goreans. Is there then no honour, no glory, no renown, 
due to individuals whofe patient fearch, and penetrating 
infight into the nature of the furrounding phenomena, 
has enabled them to complete, from the mereft hints of 
tliefe godlike ancients, Systems whofe prafitical utility is 
more than commenfurate to the vaftnefs of this difcovery ! 
Should we not rather regret the feeblenefs of language 
when we attempt to do juftice to fucb tranfeendent talent! 
And yet the latter of thefe diftinguiflied theorifts is the 
man of all others, whom Mr, Stewart is making every 
effort to write down ! Let me tell that gentleman, that,, 
as he has attacked no one fundamental part of the theory, 
his efforts will not only difappoint his readers, but pro¬ 
duce the very contrary eftefit to that which he willies. 
For they will induce every one who is not willing to be 
tamely lead by his author, to feek the means of judging 
for himfelf, and thus enable him to difeover the artifices 
that have been ufed to deceive him, and to ftifle truth, 
which muft, however, eventually prevail ! 
Before we entered upon this digrefiion, we w’ere exa¬ 
mining, with fcrupulous nicety, the nature of the fur¬ 
rounding phenomena, and endeavouring to difeover if i£ 
is really a fafil that they all conform to the twelve Catego¬ 
ries ; and if it is equally a faff that whatever cannot be 
arranged under thefe twelve notions can never become 
an objefit of our knowledge. As we can know powers 
only by their effefits, and as our knowledge of external 
things can be nothing elfe but the operations of the 
mind upon the fenfations impreff'ed on the fentient being, 
all we have to do, is carefully to examine into the nature 
of the immenfe variety of fenfations with which we are 
conftantly imprefled. Perhaps, then, to ouraftonifliment 
LI we 
