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 22
... knowledge to suffice all that come after him to rest upon , without the help of any new Inquiries . " Newton's dependence on sightings of Halley's Comet reported to him from many different parts of the world , as he acknowledges it in ...
... knowledge to suffice all that come after him to rest upon , without the help of any new Inquiries . " Newton's dependence on sightings of Halley's Comet reported to him from many different parts of the world , as he acknowledges it in ...
Page 23
... knowledge , Johnson allows , than " the silent progress of solitary reading . " To organize an adequate understanding of any topic , then , one should rely on the systematic knowledge supplied by learning as well as on the less stable ...
... knowledge , Johnson allows , than " the silent progress of solitary reading . " To organize an adequate understanding of any topic , then , one should rely on the systematic knowledge supplied by learning as well as on the less stable ...
Page 64
... knowledge and understanding in this way . As one inserts this term or merely understands its presence , one shares ... knowledge of the natural world and a responsibility for the successful communication of this knowledge . Other ...
... knowledge and understanding in this way . As one inserts this term or merely understands its presence , one shares ... knowledge of the natural world and a responsibility for the successful communication of this knowledge . Other ...
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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