Remarks on Scepticism, Especially as it is Connected with the Subjects of Organization and Life: Being an Answer to the Views of M. Bichat, Sir T.C. Morgan, and Mr. Lawrence Upon Those Points, Volume 1F.C. and J. Rivington, no. 62, St. Paul's Church-yard, and no. 3, Waterloo-place, Pall-Mall., 1819 - 140 pages |
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action activity animal appears applied argue argument assert attempt authority belief body brain cause character Christianity close common conclude connection consider continuance course creation death dependent direct disease distinct doctrines doubt dreaming effect enquiry equally especially established evidence existence experience external fact faculties faith feeling frame functions future give Gospel ground hand hopes human ignorance imagination immediately immortality independent infidelity influence instance intellectual knowledge laws lead least less living material matter means mind moral motion nature never object observe operation organization origin passions perfect perhaps period phænomena philosophy practical present pride principle produce profession properties prove Providence question reason rejection religion Remarks respect Revelation Scepticism sense sleep soul spirit stand substance surely things thinking thought tion trace true truth understanding vegetable whole
Popular passages
Page 131 - Let him study the Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament. Therein are contained the words of eternal life. It has God for its Author ; salvation for its end ; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.
Page 10 - WHEN I wrote my treatise about our system, I had an eye upon such principles as might work with considering men for the belief of a Deity ; and nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that purpose.
Page 42 - When we know our own strength, we shall the better know what to undertake with hopes of success : and when •we have well surveyed the powers of our own minds, and made some estimate what we may expect from them, we shall not be inclined either to sit still, and not set our thoughts on work at all, in despair of knowing any thing; or, on the other side, question every thing, and disclaim all knowledge, because some things are not to be understood.
Page 94 - It may be said that the vessels have collapsed, that the brain is consequently disordered, and that loss of sense is the natural consequence. But let us take one step backward, and enquire, what is the cause of the disorder itself, the effects of which are thus visible. It is produced by a sheet of white paper distinguished by a few black marks. But no one would be absurd enough to suppose, that it was the effect of the paper alone, or of the characters inscribed upon it, unless those characters...
Page 95 - ... sensible injury. Now this very action of thought upon the brain, clearly shews that the brain does not produce it ; while the mutual influence which they possess over each other, as clearly shews that there is a strong connection between them. But it is carefully to be remembered, that connection is not identity.
Page 135 - But our neighbours, it seems, have resolved to sacrifice some of the domestic to the sociable pleasures; and to prefer ease, freedom, and an open commerce, to a strict fidelity and constancy. These ends are both good, and are somewhat difficult to reconcile; nor need we be surprised, if the customs of nations incline too much, sometimes to the one side, sometimes to the other.
Page 48 - The expression organ designates an instrument by means of which some faculty proclaims itself ; the muscles, for example, are the organs of voluntary motion, but they are not the moving power ; the eyes are the organ of sight, but they are not the faculty of seeing. We separate the faculties of the soul or of the mind from the organs, and consider the cerebral parts as the instruments by means of which they manifest themselves. Now, even the adversaries of Phrenology must, to a certain extent, admit...
Page 130 - It is inflamed with the brightness of the better land and acknowledges the excellence of goodness in this. It throbs with virtue, and thrills with immortality. Its yearnings reach from the visible to the everlasting, from 'the life which now is, to that which is to come.