Volume 2

Elements of the philosophy of the human mind / By Dugald Stewart.

  • Stewart, Dugald, 1753-1828.
Date:
1816-
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of the philosophy of the human mind / By Dugald Stewart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    588/624 (page 566)
    Note (T.) p. 435. ‘¢ Aliquando observationes et experimenta immediate nobis *¢ exhibent principia, quae queerimus ; sed aliquando etiam hypo- *¢ theses in auxilium vocamus, non tamen penitus arbitrarias, sed “‘ conformes iis que observantur, et que supplentes immediata- *‘ rum observationum defectum, viam investigationi sternunt, tan- * quam divinantibus ; ut si ca, que ex ipsis deducuntur, inveni- ‘“‘ amus re ipsa, eadem retineamus, et progrediamur ad nova ‘¢ consectaria ; secus vero, ipsas rejiciamus. Et quidem ple- *‘ rumque hanc esse arbitror methodum omnium aptissimam in ‘ physica, qua sepissime est velut quedam enucleatio epistola ‘¢ arcanis notis conscripte, ubi per attentationem, et per errores “ etiam plurimos paulatim et caute progrediendo, ad veram ejus ‘¢ theoriam devenitur ; cujus rei specimen admodum luculentum ‘ exhibuiin mea dissertatione de lumine, agens de rectilinea lu- *‘ minis propagatione ; ac in Stayane Philosophie Tomo L,, agens ‘¢ de generalibus proprietatibus corporum, et de vi inertie in pri- *~Boscovich de Solis ac Lune Defectibus. In Sprat’s History of the Royal Society, a similar idea occurs, illustrated by an image equally fanciful and apposite. “ It is not <¢ to be questioned, but many inventions of great moment have ‘ been brought forth by authors, who began upon suppositions, which afterwards they found to be untrue. And it frequently ‘¢ happens to philosophers, as it did to Columbus ; who first be- ¢¢ lieved the clouds that hovered about the Continent to be the <¢ firm land: But this mistake was happy ; for, by sailing towards <¢ them, he was led to what he sought; so by prosecuting of mis- < taken causes, with a resolution of not giving over the pursuit, ¢¢ they have been guided to the truth itself.” {The work from which this passage is taken (it may be here remarked, by the way) affords complete evidence of the share which, in the judgment of the founders of the Royal Society, Bacon had in giving a beginning to experimental pursuits in England. See, in particular, Section xvi.] 10