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 72
... least capable of preserving an agreeable environment . In each one the respon- dents are able both to carry on in the atmosphere provided by courtesy and to achieve some kind of conclusion . “ Thus far was right , " Pope and Arbuthnot ...
... least capable of preserving an agreeable environment . In each one the respon- dents are able both to carry on in the atmosphere provided by courtesy and to achieve some kind of conclusion . “ Thus far was right , " Pope and Arbuthnot ...
Page 94
... least qualified to give it . " It is , in short , an element not of tragedy but of satire . This supply of Toby's undisclosed awareness as the desire for a consultation with a highly inappropriate au- thority , which Cash proposed in ...
... least qualified to give it . " It is , in short , an element not of tragedy but of satire . This supply of Toby's undisclosed awareness as the desire for a consultation with a highly inappropriate au- thority , which Cash proposed in ...
Page 160
... least foundation for it . He told me , that there never was any particular incident which produced a quarrel between Lord Chesterfield and him ; but that his Lordship's con- tinued neglect was the reason why he resolved to have no ...
... least foundation for it . He told me , that there never was any particular incident which produced a quarrel between Lord Chesterfield and him ; but that his Lordship's con- tinued neglect was the reason why he resolved to have no ...
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Common terms and phrases
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