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 135
... Johnson's courteous intentions . Johnson felt himself to be inhabiting a social continuum , an ongoing discussion of literature to which many voices were contributing , some in print , many not . Precise scholarly attribution was not ...
... Johnson's courteous intentions . Johnson felt himself to be inhabiting a social continuum , an ongoing discussion of literature to which many voices were contributing , some in print , many not . Precise scholarly attribution was not ...
Page 161
... Johnson's apparent unwillingness to cultivate this old friend of Pope , who could provide him with firsthand testimony on that poet for his Lives . Boswell describes Johnson as saying dismissively , " If it rained knowledge [ about Pope ] ...
... Johnson's apparent unwillingness to cultivate this old friend of Pope , who could provide him with firsthand testimony on that poet for his Lives . Boswell describes Johnson as saying dismissively , " If it rained knowledge [ about Pope ] ...
Page 191
... Johnson's Elephant , " SEL 28 ( 1988 ) : 460–69 , describes Johnson's effort to turn his " real " reader into a " common " reader . 7. There is one exception to this : during his account of a bedroom encounter , Yorick turns directly ...
... Johnson's Elephant , " SEL 28 ( 1988 ) : 460–69 , describes Johnson's effort to turn his " real " reader into a " common " reader . 7. There is one exception to this : during his account of a bedroom encounter , Yorick turns directly ...
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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