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? |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 25
Page 63
... and I , " the poet thus implies , " command the wonderful language we share to the same high degree ; any of us can be left with perfect confidence to bring into complete intelligibility the expressions I 3 / POPE'S POETRY 63.
... and I , " the poet thus implies , " command the wonderful language we share to the same high degree ; any of us can be left with perfect confidence to bring into complete intelligibility the expressions I 3 / POPE'S POETRY 63.
Page 99
... share his train of thought ? We should remember as we face this question , however , that , owing to Tristram's conversational solicitude , we understand many of the misunderstandings suffered by the Shandys ; and , beyond this , that ...
... share his train of thought ? We should remember as we face this question , however , that , owing to Tristram's conversational solicitude , we understand many of the misunderstandings suffered by the Shandys ; and , beyond this , that ...
Page 110
... share , more- over , with Tristram , its source and its author . Thus in the climactic moment of his discourse , Tristram has conveyed or may have conveyed a develop- ing texture of ideas from his mind into ours . He has conveyed ...
... share , more- over , with Tristram , its source and its author . Thus in the climactic moment of his discourse , Tristram has conveyed or may have conveyed a develop- ing texture of ideas from his mind into ours . He has conveyed ...
Other editions - View all
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