Essays on the Active Powers of Man: By Thomas Reid, ...John Bell, and G. G. J. & J. Robinson, London, 1788 - 493 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
active power againſt animal anſwer appetite becauſe believe benevolent affections beſt brute-animals cafe caſe caufe cauſe CHAP CICERO conceive conception conclufion conduct confcience confcious confequence confider confiftent conftitution deferves defire diftinct diſtinguiſh duty eſteem evident exerciſe exiſtence expreffed faculty faid fame feeling feems fenfation fenfe fentiments fhall fhew firft firſt focial fociety folely fome fpecies ftate ftrength fubject fuch fufficient fuperior fuppofe furely fyftem give goodneſs happineſs himſelf human HUME impoffible inftinct intereft itſelf judge judgment juſt juſtice language laſt laws lefs leſs liberty means mind moft moral moſt motive muft muſt nature neceffarily neceffary neceffity notion obferve object ourſelves paffion perfon Philofophers pleaſure preſent principles of action produce promiſe propofition puniſhment purpoſe rational reaſon refentment regard reſpect ſay ſeems ſenſe ſhall ſhould ſome ſpeak ſtate ſtrongeſt ſuch ſuppoſe ſyſtem themſelves theſe things thofe thoſe tion underſtanding underſtood uſe virtue wiſdom
Popular passages
Page 477 - ... can be a deduction from others, which are entirely different from it. But as authors do not commonly use this precaution, I shall presume to recommend it to the readers; and am persuaded, that this small attention wou'd subvert all the vulgar systems of morality, and let us see, that the distinction of vice and virtue is not founded merely on the relations of objects, nor is perceiv'd by reason.
Page 99 - By instinct, I mean a natural blind impulse to certain actions, without having any end in view, without deliberation, and very often without any conception of what we do.
Page 182 - Here grows the Cure of all, this Fruit Divine, Fair to the Eye, inviting to the Taste, Of virtue to make wise: what hinders then To reach, and feed at once both Body and Mind...
Page 104 - They work most geometrically, without any knowledge of geometry ; somewhat like a child, who, by turning the handle of an organ, makes good music, without any knowledge of music. The art is not in the child, but in him who made the organ. In like manner, when a bee makes its comb so geometrically, the geometry is not in the bee. but in that great Geometrician who made the bee, and made all things in number, weight, and measure.
Page 453 - In short, it may be established as an undoubted maxim that no action can be virtuous, or morally good, unless there be in human nature some motive to produce it, distinct from the sense of its morality.
Page 282 - It is to this day problematical, whether all the phenomena of the material system be produced by the immediate operation of the First Cause, according to the laws 'which his wisdom determined, or whether subordinate causes are employed by him in the operations of nature ; and, if they be, what their nature, their number, and their...
Page 413 - That honesty is the best policy, may be a good general rule, but is liable to many exceptions; and he, it may perhaps be thought, conducts himself with most wisdom, who observes the general rule, and takes advantage of all the exceptions.
Page 56 - Volition, it is plain, is an act of the mind knowingly exerting that dominion it takes itself to have over any part of the man, by employing it in, or withholding it from, any particular action.
Page 76 - Isaac, with equal modesty and shrewdness, himself admitted. To one who complimented him on his genius, he replied that if he had made any discoveries, it was owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.
Page 485 - Ask a man why he uses exercise ; he will answer, because he desires to keep his health. If you then enquire, why he desires health, he will readily reply, because sickness is painful. If you push your enquiries farther, and desire a reason why he hates pain, it is impossible he can ever give any.