1805.] 
any Change fince its Origin ? what could 
be the Caufes of it ; and hiw we could be 
affured it??? The judicious treatment of 
thefe two fubjeé&ts acquired him the repu- 
tation of a natural poilofopher, and paved 
the way to his long defired promotion to a 
degree in the univerfity. In 1755, and 
at the age of thirty, he was chofen Matter 
of Arts, and thus entered upon the tafk of 
le&turing, which he performed to his own 
infinite delight, and the enthufialtic ap- 
probation of a crowded audience. He 
continued, during the fifteen years he lie! 
this office, to pubdlith every year fomething 
on the abitrufe branches of frie. ce, which 
ferved to eftablifh the fame already ac- 
quired. Theft works were as follow :— 
In the fame year, of 4755, “ An Ex- 
amivation of the Queftion— Whether the 
Earth decayed >? <“¢ A Univerfal Natu- 
ral Hittory and Thaery of the Heavens ; 
or, an Effay on the Contitution and Me- 
chanical SuruQure of, the whole Giobe, 
according to the Newtonian Sytem.’ Ie 
was the fingular fate of this work, which 
was dedicated to his Pruffian Majefty, 
never to come before the public or bis Ma- 
jetty ; the publither failing at the period: 
of its publication, and all his MS. and et- 
fets being. put under feal. In confe- 
quence of which, fix years after, the fa- 
-mous Lambert unintentionally plucked 
the laurels of invention from the brow of 
our philofopher, by advancing the very 
fime principles, ani having the credit of 
originality. The jaftvels of Kant’s theory 
was, thirty years afterwards, evinced by 
the practical inveltigation of Herichel. 
In 1756, % Principiorum Primorum 
Cognitionis Metaphyfice nova Dijuci- 
datio,’—Hiftory and Philofophical De- 
{cription of the Earthquake in the Year 
17553 and in another work, tarthercon- 
fiderations on this fubje&t. ** Moriadoicgia 
Phyfica, Meraphyfica cum Geometrice 
junéte ufus in Philofophiz Naturali Spe- 
cimen Primum,”’ an academical writing, 
§* Remarks for the Elucidation of ‘the 
Theory of the Winds.” ~ In 1757, 
** Sketen and Annunciation of Lectures 
on Phyfical Geography.” In 1758, 
‘“New Principles’ of Motion and. Reit, 
and the Refults conneéted with them in 
the Fundamentals of Natural Philofophy ; 
to which an Annunciation of Leciures 
on thole Subjeéts is affixed :*’ a {mall 
work, which, at the time excited great 
Notice, and was atterwards inferted more 
at large in his later writings. In 1759, 
** Confiderations on Optimifm, with which 
likewife, Le&tures-were announced.” In 
1760, ** Thoughts on the Early Death of 
Memoirs of Immanuel Kant. 
355 
Mr. John Fred. Von Funk, io a Letter 
to his Mother.” 1763,°** A Trial to ins 
troduce the Idea of Negative Sizes in 
Philofophy,;”” ‘* The only poffible Grounds 
for a Demonftration of a Deity.’’ Kant 
wifhed in this latter work to fhew, that 
without prefuppofing the independent ex- 
ifence of ourfelves, or that of other {pirits, 
fometoing is pofible; and on ‘tia preef 
alone reft the grounds by which to de» 
mon ‘trate the exiltence of a deity. It con. 
tributed as much as any work to eftabiith 
his Iiterary charagter, In 1764, ** Re- 
fi-ctions on an Adventurer, named Jan 
Piwlis Rowicez Idomozyrfkich Kamona- 
raki.” This was an adtual fanatic, who 
was then deluding the country-people by 
falle pretences to a prophetic (pirit. Kant 
was a decided but rational.enemy to all 
fanaticifmm. 
‘© An Effay on Diforders of the Head,’’ 
he examined this fubject philofophically. 
Soon after which, in the fame year, ap- 
peared his, ‘‘ Onfervations on the Sub- 
lime and Beautiful,” which, for the acute. 
/nefs and propriety of bis remarks, acquired 
him the tile of the German Brayere— 
Alfo, * A Treatiie on Evidence in Me. 
taphyfical Sciences,’ which obtained the 
accefit of the Royal Academy in Berlin, 
In this Treatife he points out the princi- 
ples of certainty which the mathematical 
and philofophical fciences have in com 
mon-with each other, aud thoie which are 
peculiar to them. He ftrikes out a new 
path for himielf in metaphyfical intrica- 
clés, and often criticifes the ulual philo- 
fophical methods of argumentation. His 
ideas are here olten in common with 
Mendelfuobn, but he no leis frequently 
elucidates with great originality. In 1765, 
he publifhed, under the fimple titl of 
“¢ Intelligence refpecting the Arrange-— 
ment of Leéiures for the Winter Halfi 
year,’ a beautiful and ftriking {vftem of 
Jefturing on metaphyfics, logic 4nd ethics . 
and, in+766, he aitacks Schwedenberg, 
who pretended to a converfe with {pirits, 
in his ‘* Dreams of a Ghoftfeer, illultrated 
by. the Drcams of Metaphyfics.” He heve 
defines what he underiiands by metapiy- 
fies, as a feience refulting from the exer- 
cile of human reafin, totally unconneéted 
with any thing immaterial. - In this fame 
year he objained the second piace of infpec- 
tor to the royal library in the palace. He 
undertook alfo the nianagement of the 
beautiful colle&ion of natural curiofities, 
. and cabinet of arts, belonging to Mr. Sa-. 
turgus, minifter of the commercial depart- 
ment, which afforded him an opportunity 
of ftudying mineralogy. He, however 
| gave 
In another pamphlet, entitled 
