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 42
... seems a little surprising . That an ingenious and can- did person ( as I take him to be ) should declare I am in an error , and at the same time , out of modesty , refuse to shew me where it lies , is something unaccountable . For my ...
... seems a little surprising . That an ingenious and can- did person ( as I take him to be ) should declare I am in an error , and at the same time , out of modesty , refuse to shew me where it lies , is something unaccountable . For my ...
Page 145
... seems to be skill , his comedy instinct . It is worthwhile to quote Wimsatt's strictures against this passage at some length : If Shakespeare's comedy pleases " by the thoughts and the language , ” doubtless the meaning is sharpened if ...
... seems to be skill , his comedy instinct . It is worthwhile to quote Wimsatt's strictures against this passage at some length : If Shakespeare's comedy pleases " by the thoughts and the language , ” doubtless the meaning is sharpened if ...
Page 179
... seems to be of Importance . " The notes , in short , quite disappoint their implicit promise of a second mind , a collateral intelligence , that might clarify , correct or enrich the primary discourse . The intellectual preliminaries to ...
... seems to be of Importance . " The notes , in short , quite disappoint their implicit promise of a second mind , a collateral intelligence , that might clarify , correct or enrich the primary discourse . The intellectual preliminaries to ...
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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