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 123
... human opinion and then to test a point of general human suscepti- bility : That wonder is the effect of ignorance , has been often observed . The awful stillness of attention , with which the mind is overspread at the first view of an ...
... human opinion and then to test a point of general human suscepti- bility : That wonder is the effect of ignorance , has been often observed . The awful stillness of attention , with which the mind is overspread at the first view of an ...
Page 151
... human report and the credulity of human society , as Johnson understands such things , is intensified variously throughout the Lives by Johnson's particular knowledge of events - even his particular ignorance and by his comprehensive ...
... human report and the credulity of human society , as Johnson understands such things , is intensified variously throughout the Lives by Johnson's particular knowledge of events - even his particular ignorance and by his comprehensive ...
Page 154
... human frailty ; perhaps he was conscious to himself of peevishness and impatience , or , though he was offended by her inattention , might yet consider her merit as overbal- ancing her fault ; and , if he had suffered his heart to be ...
... human frailty ; perhaps he was conscious to himself of peevishness and impatience , or , though he was offended by her inattention , might yet consider her merit as overbal- ancing her fault ; and , if he had suffered his heart to be ...
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A. A. Luce acknowledges actually Addison agreement Alexander Pope allows apparent Arbuthnot argument asserts Atossa attention audience Author Berkeley Berkeley's biographical Bolingbroke Boswell Boswell's circle common sense Consider conversation course courteous courtesy described Dialogues disagreement discourse discussion doubt Dunciad eighteenth-century ellipsis enforces epistle Essay on Criticism evident example experience explains exposition figures human Hylas imagine individual intellectual Johnson Johnsonian judgment knowledge literary Lord Lord Bolingbroke Lycidas Malebranche ment Milton's mind moreover nature never observed occasion once opinion particular passage passive voice Percival Philonous philosophers poem poet poetic poetry polite Pope Pope's practice praise present quotes Rambler Rasselas readers recognizes reference represented respondent rhetorical satiric sensible Shakespeare share social society Sterne Sterne's style suggests Swift Tale things thought throughout tion topics train of ideas Treatise Trim's Tristram Shandy truth uncle Toby Uncle Toby's understanding universal W. K. Wimsatt Walter's words writing