Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1808 edition. Excerpt: ...of the operator. Many children so associate the pain of correction with a book at school, that that book ever after is their aversion. Many other instances of the power of the accidental association of Ideas to render things disgusting might be enumerated. i Intellectual habits thus contracted are not less frequent and powerful, though less observed: let custom, from the very childhood, have joined figure and shape to the idea of God, and what absurdities will that mind be liable to about the deity!--Let the idea of Infallibility be inseparably joined to any person, and the existence of one body in two places at the same time shall be believed whenever he dictates it. Some such wrong and unnatural combinations of ideas will be found to establish the irreconcilable opposition between different sects of philosophy and religion: for we must allow some of them at least to pursue truth sincerely: some independent ideas then of no alliance to one another must be so coupled in their minds by education, custom, and the constant din of their party, that they always appear together, and operate like one idea. This gives sense to jargon, demonstration to absurdities, and consistency to nonsense; and is the foundation of the greatest, (I had almost said of all the) errors in the world: It is at least the most dangerous one, since it hinders men from seeing and examining. Having thus given an account of our Ideas, I intended to shew immediately the use made of them by the Understanding, but I now find that there is so close a connexion between ideas and words, that it is impossible to speak clearly of our knowledge (which all consists in propositions) without first considering the nature, use, and signification of Language. BOOK III. CHAP. I. Or WORDS, OR...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
