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Article ON THE BENEFITS OF LITERATURE. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Benefits Of Literature.
ON THE BENEFITS OF LITERATURE .
FEW engines can be more powerful , and at the same time more ' salutary in their tendency than Literature . Without enquiring for the present into the cause of this phasnomenon , it is sufficientl y eviaent m fact , that the human mind is strongly infected with prejudice and mistake . The various opinions prevailing in different
countries , and among different classes of men , upon the same subject , are almost innumerable ; and yet of all these opinions , only one can be true . Now the effectual way [ means ;] for extirpating these prejudices and mistakes seems to be literature . Literature has reconciled the whole thinking world respecting the great principles of the system-of the universe , and extirpated the dreams of and the
romance dogmas of superstition . Literature has unfolded the nature of the human mind , and Locke and others , have established certain maxims respecting man , as Newton has done respecting matter , that are generally admitted for unquestionable . Discussion has ascertained ; with tolerable perspicuity , the preference of liberty over slaveryand the Mainwaringsthe
; , Sibthorpes , and the Filmers , the race of speculative reasoners iri favour of despotism , are almost extinct . Local prejudice had introduced innumerable privileges and prohibitions upon the subject of trade ; speculation has nearly ascertained-that perfect freedom is most favourable to her posterity . If in many instances the collation of evidence had failed to produce universal convictionit must
, however be considered , that it lias not failed to produce irrefragable argument , and that falsehood would have been much shorter in duration , if it had not been protected and iiiforced by the authority of political government .
Indeed , if there be siich a thing as truth , it must infallibly be struck out of the collition of mind with mind . The restless activity of intellect will for a time be fertile in paradox and error ; but these Will be only diurnals , while the truths that occasionally sprino- up , like sturdy plants , will defy the rigour of season and climate " In proportion as one reasoner compares his deductions with those of anotherthe weak
, places of his argument will be detected , the ¦ principles he too hastil y adopted will be overthrown , and the judgments , in which his mind Was exposed to no sinister influence , wfll ne confirmed . All that is requisite iu these discussions is unlimited speculation , and a sufficient variety of systems and opinions . While we only dispute about the best way of doing a thing in itself wrong , we shall indeed but make a trifling progress ; but , when we are once persuaded that nothing is too sacred to he brought to the touchstone of examination , science will advance with rapid strides ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Benefits Of Literature.
ON THE BENEFITS OF LITERATURE .
FEW engines can be more powerful , and at the same time more ' salutary in their tendency than Literature . Without enquiring for the present into the cause of this phasnomenon , it is sufficientl y eviaent m fact , that the human mind is strongly infected with prejudice and mistake . The various opinions prevailing in different
countries , and among different classes of men , upon the same subject , are almost innumerable ; and yet of all these opinions , only one can be true . Now the effectual way [ means ;] for extirpating these prejudices and mistakes seems to be literature . Literature has reconciled the whole thinking world respecting the great principles of the system-of the universe , and extirpated the dreams of and the
romance dogmas of superstition . Literature has unfolded the nature of the human mind , and Locke and others , have established certain maxims respecting man , as Newton has done respecting matter , that are generally admitted for unquestionable . Discussion has ascertained ; with tolerable perspicuity , the preference of liberty over slaveryand the Mainwaringsthe
; , Sibthorpes , and the Filmers , the race of speculative reasoners iri favour of despotism , are almost extinct . Local prejudice had introduced innumerable privileges and prohibitions upon the subject of trade ; speculation has nearly ascertained-that perfect freedom is most favourable to her posterity . If in many instances the collation of evidence had failed to produce universal convictionit must
, however be considered , that it lias not failed to produce irrefragable argument , and that falsehood would have been much shorter in duration , if it had not been protected and iiiforced by the authority of political government .
Indeed , if there be siich a thing as truth , it must infallibly be struck out of the collition of mind with mind . The restless activity of intellect will for a time be fertile in paradox and error ; but these Will be only diurnals , while the truths that occasionally sprino- up , like sturdy plants , will defy the rigour of season and climate " In proportion as one reasoner compares his deductions with those of anotherthe weak
, places of his argument will be detected , the ¦ principles he too hastil y adopted will be overthrown , and the judgments , in which his mind Was exposed to no sinister influence , wfll ne confirmed . All that is requisite iu these discussions is unlimited speculation , and a sufficient variety of systems and opinions . While we only dispute about the best way of doing a thing in itself wrong , we shall indeed but make a trifling progress ; but , when we are once persuaded that nothing is too sacred to he brought to the touchstone of examination , science will advance with rapid strides ;