Common Courtesy in Eighteenth-century English LiteratureIn one of his Idlers, Johnson indicated the problems involved in such an achievement as follows: "As a question becomes more complicated and involved, and extends to a greater number of relations, disagreement of opinion will always be multiplied: not because we are irrational, but because we are finite beings, furnished with different kinds of knowledge, exerting different degrees of attention, one discovering consequences which escape another, none taking in the whole concatenation of causes and effects, and most comprehending but a very small part, each comparing what he observes with a different criterion and each referring it to a different purpose. "Where, then, is the wonder, that they who see only a small part should judge erroneously of the whole? |
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Page 47
... Hylas and Philonous agree on the pref- erence they should give to " vulgar opinions " over the sublime teachings of the philosophers ; and it emerges with special force because of this agree- ment : Hylas . You were represented in last ...
... Hylas and Philonous agree on the pref- erence they should give to " vulgar opinions " over the sublime teachings of the philosophers ; and it emerges with special force because of this agree- ment : Hylas . You were represented in last ...
Page 48
... Hylas so that he can gradually reverse himself , as the weight of the argument forms against him , and carry with him all those who have been relying on his resistance . At the end of their third conversation Hylas thus finds ...
... Hylas so that he can gradually reverse himself , as the weight of the argument forms against him , and carry with him all those who have been relying on his resistance . At the end of their third conversation Hylas thus finds ...
Page 49
... Hylas can understand and judge should be within reach of the generality of humankind . To see how precisely Berkeley has tailored this respondent to suit his designs , consider this passage - the analogue to the last one we examined ...
... Hylas can understand and judge should be within reach of the generality of humankind . To see how precisely Berkeley has tailored this respondent to suit his designs , consider this passage - the analogue to the last one we examined ...
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acknowledges actually agreement allows apparent argument asserts attention Author believe Berkeley Boswell common sense concern Consider continually conversation course courteous courtesy critics described discourse discussion doubt effect enforces epistle Essay established evident example existence experience explains expression figures finally further give hope human Hylas ideas imagine immediately indicated individual instance intellectual Johnson judgment kind knowledge learned least letter literary Lord matter meaning mind nature never notice objects observed occasion once opinion particular passage passive philosophers poem poet polite Pope Pope's position possible practice present Press question quotes Rambler readers reason recognizes reference remarkable represented respondent seems Shandy share social society sometimes Sterne style suggests things thought throughout tion Toby's topics train Treatise Tristram truth turn uncle understanding universal writing