The intuitions of the mind inductively investigated / by James McCosh.

  • James McCosh
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The intuitions of the mind inductively investigated / by James McCosh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    51/478 page 31
    CHARACTERS OF OUR INTUITIONS AND METHOD OF EMPLOYINO THEM. CHAPTER L MARKS AND PECULIARITIES OF INTUITION. SECT. I.—TESTS. But how are we to distinguisli a primitive conviction which does not need probation, and which we may not even doubt, from propo- sitions which we are not required to - believe till evidence is pro- duced ? Ai’e we entitled to appeal, when we please and as we please, to supposed first truths ? Have we the privilege, when we wish to adhere to a favourite opinion, to declare that we see it to be true in- tuitively, and thus at once get rid of all objections, and of the neces- sity for even instituting an examination ? When hard pressed or defeated in argument may we resort, as it suits us, to an original principle which we assume without evidence, and declare to be be- yond the reach of refutation ? It is one of the aims of this treatise to hmit the confidence we put in our supposed intuitions, and lay a stringent restraint on the appeal to truths which are represented as above probation. There can be tests propounded sufficient to de- termine with precision what convictions are, and what convictions are not, entitled to be regarded as intuitive, and these tests are such that they admit of an easy application, requiring only a moderate degree of careful consideration of the maxim claiming our assent. 1. The primary maric of intuitive truth is self-evidence. It must
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image