{"product_id":"2940012611444","title":"AN ENQUIRY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING","description":"CONTENTS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  I.    Of the different Species of Philosophy\u003cbr\u003e  II.   Of the Origin of Ideas\u003cbr\u003e  III.  Of the Association of Ideas\u003cbr\u003e  IV.   Sceptical Doubts concerning the Operations of the Understanding\u003cbr\u003e  V.    Sceptical Solution of these Doubts\u003cbr\u003e  VI.   Of Probability\u003cbr\u003e  VII.  Of the Idea of necessary Connexion\u003cbr\u003e  VIII. Of Liberty and Necessity\u003cbr\u003e  IX.   Of the Reason of Animals\u003cbr\u003e  X.    Of Miracles\u003cbr\u003e  XI.   Of a particular Providence and of a future State\u003cbr\u003e  XII.  Of the academical or sceptical Philosophy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  INDEX\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSECTION I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PHILOSOPHY.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Moral philosophy, or the science of human nature, may be treated\u003cbr\u003eafter two different manners; each of which has its peculiar merit, and\u003cbr\u003emay contribute to the entertainment, instruction, and reformation of\u003cbr\u003emankind. The one considers man chiefly as born for action; and as\u003cbr\u003einfluenced in his measures by taste and sentiment; pursuing one object,\u003cbr\u003eand avoiding another, according to the value which these objects seem to\u003cbr\u003epossess, and according to the light in which they present themselves. As\u003cbr\u003evirtue, of all objects, is allowed to be the most valuable, this species\u003cbr\u003eof philosophers paint her in the most amiable colours; borrowing all\u003cbr\u003ehelps from poetry and eloquence, and treating their subject in an easy\u003cbr\u003eand obvious manner, and such as is best fitted to please the\u003cbr\u003eimagination, and engage the affections. They select the most striking\u003cbr\u003eobservations and instances from common life; place opposite characters\u003cbr\u003ein a proper contrast; and alluring us into the paths of virtue by the\u003cbr\u003eviews of glory and happiness, direct our steps in these paths by the\u003cbr\u003esoundest precepts and most illustrious examples. They make us _feel_ the\u003cbr\u003edifference between vice and virtue; they excite and regulate our\u003cbr\u003esentiments; and so they can but bend our hearts to the love of probity\u003cbr\u003eand true honour, they think, that they have fully attained the end of\u003cbr\u003eall their labours.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2. The other species of philosophers consider man in the light of a\u003cbr\u003ereasonable rather than an active being, and endeavour to form his\u003cbr\u003eunderstanding more than cultivate his manners. They regard human nature\u003cbr\u003eas a subject of speculation; and with a narrow scrutiny examine it, in\u003cbr\u003eorder to find those principles, which regulate our understanding, excite\u003cbr\u003eour sentiments, and make us approve or blame any particular object,\u003cbr\u003eaction, or behaviour. They think it a reproach to all literature, that\u003cbr\u003ephilosophy should not yet have fixed, beyond controversy, the foundation\u003cbr\u003eof morals, reasoning, and criticism; and should for ever talk of truth\u003cbr\u003eand falsehood, vice and virtue, beauty and deformity, without being able\u003cbr\u003eto determine the source of these distinctions. While they attempt this\u003cbr\u003earduous task, they are deterred by no difficulties; but proceeding from\u003cbr\u003eparticular instances to general principles, they still push on their\u003cbr\u003eenquiries to principles more general, and rest not satisfied till they\u003cbr\u003earrive at those original principles, by which, in every science, all\u003cbr\u003ehuman curiosity must be bounded. Though their speculations seem\u003cbr\u003eabstract, and even unintelligible to common readers, they aim at the\u003cbr\u003eapprobation of the learned and the wise; and think themselves\u003cbr\u003esufficiently compensated for the labour of their whole lives, if they\u003cbr\u003ecan discover some hidden truths, which may contribute to the instruction\u003cbr\u003eof posterity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e3. It is certain that the easy and obvious philosophy will always, with\u003cbr\u003ethe generality of mankind, have the preference above the accurate and\u003cbr\u003eabstruse; and by many will be recommended, not only as more agreeable,\u003cbr\u003ebut more useful than the other. It enters more into common life; moulds\u003cbr\u003ethe heart and affections; and, by touching those principles which\u003cbr\u003eactuate men, reforms their conduct, and brings them nearer to that model\u003cbr\u003eof perfection which it describes. On the contrary, the abstruse\u003cbr\u003ephilosophy, being founded on a turn of mind, which cannot enter into\u003cbr\u003ebusiness and action, vanishes when the philosopher leaves the shade, and\u003cbr\u003ecomes into open day; nor can its principles easily retain any influence\u003cbr\u003eover our conduct and behaviour. The feelings of our heart, the agitation\u003cbr\u003eof our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its\u003cbr\u003econclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher to a mere plebeian.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e4. This also must be confessed, that the most durable, as well as\u003cbr\u003ejustest fame, has been acquired by the easy philosophy, and that\u003cbr\u003eabstract reasoners seem hitherto to have enjoyed only a momentary\u003cbr\u003ereputation, from the caprice or ignorance of their own age, but have not\u003cbr\u003ebeen able to support their renown with more equitable posterity.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47147484250352,"sku":"2940012611444","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012611444_p0.jpg?v=1763570585","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012611444","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}