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MELIOEA. Meliora or Better Tiines to Com...
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We should do oiir utmost to encourage tl...
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COMTE'S POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY.* By Gr. H. ...
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Ouhsted's Soul In Istature. The Soul In ...
stars receives" the name of a particular divinity endowed with earthly attributes . The incalculable influence of the sun upon the earth , as well as that of the moon , w hich is by no peansinconsiderable , easily gives rise to the thought , that by their liffht as by their periodical variations , the other lights of heaven are also riot without their infliience on human events ; and this idea must have been still more firniiv grounded / because no one ever imagined that the influence of the heavens extended beyond the earth . Though the gods had a higher existence , they were still gods of the earth , and this earth , was the central point of the whole . People then began to ascribe to the lesser planets an influence oii the fate of individual men ; thus arose ^ Astrology , which among other human follies has been so warmly supported . It is easy to perceive how the worship of the sun , or all the heavenly bodies suited / these views ; but , on the other hand , much of the old fabulous lore , the remains of eitrlier times , could only have existed simultaneously with it , because no 6 ne ventured to open the eyes of the multitude . "
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Melioea. Meliora Or Better Tiines To Com...
MELIOEA . Meliora or Better Tiines to Come . Being the Contributions' of ' many Men tottcJiing tfiePresent Mate and Prospects of Society . Edited by Viscount Ingestre . . . J . " W . Parker and Son , One of the hopeful indications of this age in England is the heartiness with whi h the upper classes examine the condition of the lower classes , with a view to amelioration . Half the injustice and evil in the world is caused by thoughtlessness ; and if the real grounds of complaint which the people haveT were once forcibly yet calmly stated to the governing classes so as to win their tho ; tightful consideration , without rousing their fears or their itisulted self-lore , an active endeavour to alleviate the causes of laint would assuredly be / seen , Here , before us , is a strange
comp volume , written , by noblemen , clergymen , authors , and working men , m earnest ' confraternity , setting forth their views on the prospects and con * ditions of society : and the volume is edited by a young guardsman Such a volume was never seen before , and if only as a " sign of the times" it deserves respectful attention ; The opening paper , is by the E-ev . Sidney Godolphin Osborne , a name endeared to the public by many a service , who , after depicting the BeershopEvil , OToposes a new kind of Social Club-room for the artisans and villagers . Tiieltey ; C « Girdlestone writes about Mich and Poor ; the llev Dr . Hooic , of Leeds , about Institutions for Adult Education , a
subject also collaterallytreated by the Rev , T . Beames , in his Plea for the Education oftheMillion . ' Dr . Nieolay speats , from personal observation , of the Ihvelliiigs of the WbrMng Glasses in North America ; Montague GrOre has a capital paper on Sailors' Homes j and Lord Goderich takes advantage of the Adulterations of Food to suggest theoiilv true remedy—association—as seen in the working ^ of the ^ odpefratiye Jitorea . Passing over the Policy ofPrevevtion , hyT ) r . GvLyf Words for tJielVorhing Classes , by Bobeft Baker ^ Popular Investments , hy Rev . J . B . Owen ; and Prison Discipline , by Captain Fulford ; we come to the , to us , most interesting sectionof ' this work , viz ., Lord ingestve ' s Letters to a Friend . Learn from this how a young guardsman may earn his right to speak of the lower classes : — ¦
I was induced , not long ago , to commence my inquiries into the state of the wprld around me . I had often heard , as well as read , pf the miseries which existed in London , and other large towns ; but , not troubling myself much about the matter , was content to believe that many of the evils that were said to exist were fabulous , and that real distress was mitigated by the numerous societies instituted for the purposes of relief . I also comforted myself generally with the maxim , that rich and poor must exist in this world , and that it would be useless to attempt to alter what was ordained . With such opinions as'these , I lived . But now and then there came across me a suspicion , that , whilst I was enjoying the goods of this world , others might suffer , and that I never made an effort on my part to remedy it ; occasionally soothing * my conscience by a small donation to a
charity sermon , or giving a beggar a mite . Providentially for me , my attention was called to the condition of the poor by the potato famine ^—thus :. I was living in a small village , where I saw the poor losing their little all , whilst I was not only comfor table , but supplied with all t he necessaries , and many of the luxuries , of life . I need not say that I was moved to pity , but , am thankful to add , to exertion in their behalf . In the district that I then resided in , there was not a gentleman ' s seat for many miles , and the parish was , like others in the neighbourhood , divided amongst several small proprietors , who lived in London , or other counties , and all absentees . I stato this to show that almost all the responsibility fell on my own shoulders , und that I had nobody to assist mo but tho clergyman , w ho most kindly approved and aided mo in my scheme , though anxious that I should carry out the
workin g of my plan alone . It was thus :- —First , I called on the farmers and land occupiers of the parish , and asked them to assist mo with subscriptions to provide food for the poor ; they complied with my request . They contributed according to the quantity of land they occupied . Letters were written to the owners of the proporty , mentioning what their tenants had given , and they responded well and ha ndsomoly to the call by proportionate donations . A soup-kitchen was then erected , and a coal and pea-store obtained ; and on certain days in the wcok ( three ) , these necessaries woro sold at a reduced price . The charity lasted from November till March , and , in spite of the prevailing distress , the farmers had the satisfaction of feeling that their rates wero loss , and that the money spent had been willingly given , and not forced from their pockets by a rate . The poor also did not fool thomsolvo s lowered by accepting charity ( a great object ) , but that they hod been assisted in their distress , and wero thankful . Am I egotistical ? Perhaps so ; but
I leave what I have written for your perusal , and trust it will prove where Jhero in a will ( so long as tho motivois right ) there is a way . In evidence of this fact , I will mention , I wiw eighteen years old , and my allowance at my private tutor ' s 501 , por annum . Hut , you will ask , what set mo at work ? First , an idea , constantly running in my mind , how does steam , powor , applied to manufactures , or « von locomotion , affijet tho demand for labour ? Another—Js emigration beneficial ? "Wh y are o ur gaols bo comfortable—workhousea disagreeable ? What rosult arisos from , committal's and commissions on education , sanitary reform , & c ? How does tho poor-law work ? Do existing socioties eradicate much ovilP Tho offeot of tho Exhibi tion , & c . & o . This in a bit of political economy , is it notP Yes . In that thoorotical or practical ? Again , half my acquaintances who road this , may # ay , ' Poor fellow ! he , intends to reform tho world—wants to bo an orator , a politician . Why not shoot , hunt , as wo do , and enjoy hiuwoli'P Ho thinks ho is going to sot
the world to rights . * .- Questions arising from ideas of what acquaintances say :- — First : Why are questions of interest pooh-poohed ! by young men ? Why is it weakness to have an interest in anything ? What arc the duties of property ?— -do we perform , them ? Do young men of family exert themselves in any way ? These sort of ideas , my dear A ., come into my head when reading newspapers , or a book , or occur in conversation . Do they never occur to you ? I think we owe a great deal to Messrs . Thackeray , Dickens , Douglas Jerrdld , Mayhew , and others , who , in , their works , have tatight us to call things t > y their jright names--rwho are not ashamed of showing us bur inconsistencies , and in their pleasant * style inducing us to laugh at them and be ashamed of them . " If such an occupation be thought romantically absurd by his companions in straw-coloured moustaches , let this emphatic avowal be sufficient
answer : —* " For my part , I am much happier since I have attempted to do a little in this line ; and I doubt whether ( b \ tt of that you must judge ) I am much contaminated by my visiting what our class used to call the lower orders . " Model Lodging Houses are treated in five different papers from different points of view by Messrs . Denison , Horace Mayhew , Nutt , Byng , and Tupper . It is , as we said , a curious volume , and we heartily commend it to your notice .
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We Should Do Oiir Utmost To Encourage Tl...
We should do oiir utmost to encourage tlie' Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . —Goethe .
Comte's Positive Philosophy.* By Gr. H. ...
COMTE'S POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY . * By Gr . H . I / ewes . Part TV . — : The Fundamental Law of Evolution . In the attempts made by man to explain the varied phenomena of the universe , history reveals to us three distinct and characteristic stages , by Comte named the Theological ( Supernatural ) , the Metaphysical , and the Positive . In the first man explains phenomena by some fanciful conception suggested in the analogies of his own consciousness ; in the second , he explains phenomena by some a priori conception of inherent or superadded entities , suggested in the constancy observable in phenomena , which constancy leads him to suspect that they are not produced by any intervention on the part of an external being , but are owing to the nature of the things themselves ; in the third , he explains phenomena by adhering solely to these constancies of succession and co-existence ascertained inductively , and Tecognised as the laws of nature . It will be seen that the theological stage is the primitive spontaneous exercise of the speculative faculty , proceeding from the known ( i . e . consciousness ) to the unknown . The metaphysical stage is the more matured effort of reason to explain things , and is an important modification of the former stage ; but its defect is ,, that it reasons without proofs , and reasons upon subjects which transcend our capacity . The positive stage explains phenomena by ascertained laws , laws based on distinct and indisputable certitude gathered in the long and toilsome investigations of centuries ; and these laws are not only shown to be demonstrable to reason , but accordant with fact , for the distinguishing characteristic of science is that it sees and foresees . Science is prevision . Certainty is its basis and its glory .
In the theological stage , Nature is regarded as the theatre whereon the arbitrary wills and momentary caprices of Superior Powers play their varying and variable parts . Men are startled at unusual occurrences , and explain them by fanciful conceptions . A solar eclipse is understood , anil unerringly predicted to a moment , by Positive Science ; but in the theological epoch it appeared that some dragon had swallowed the sun ! In the metaphysical stage the notion of capricious divinities is replaced by that of abstract entities , whose modes of action are , however , invariable ; and in this recognition of invariableness lies the germ of science . In this epoch , Nature has a " horror of a vacuum , " organized beings have a " vital principle , " and matter has a vis inertia .
In the positive stage , the invariableness of phenomena under similar conditions is recognised as the sum total of human investigation , and beyond the laws which regulate phenomena , it is considered idle to penetrate . * Somo of my correspondents wish mo to stato what nro tho boat editions of Comto ' s works . Thoro is but ono of each . I will , however , subjoin a list of all tho works : — Cours do Philosophic Positive , in six volumes , prico CO francs . ( In every respect his most important work . ) . A tt «» > 1830-42 . TraitS JiUmentairo do GeomStrie Anah / tique , in ono volume , pneo 7 francs . Paris , 1843 . TraitS Philosophiqno d'Astronomic Popnlaire , in ono volumo , price 6 francs . ( A popular treatise j requiring , however , somo preliminary knowlodgo of mathematics . ) Pur is , 1845 . Discours sicr VJSnsemhlo dn Positivismo , in ono voluino , pr ico 0 francs ( which is reprinted in tlio volume following ) . * . J * i > -J ^ f " Systbmo do Politiijuo Positive . Tho firat of four volumes , price 8 lrancs . Paris , 1851 . To thoso I must add the admirable volume- of Comto ' s truoafc and most oflk-iont disciple Littrd , who , under tho titlo of Consoroation , Jlovolution , et Positivisms , Iiuh united his thr 6 © expositions of tho positive philosophy , which tho student is advisod to road before commencing tho works of Corato . I have to ackriowlodgo tho receipt of 101 . lrom l \ . P . an hia . contnbution to tho Com to subscription ; U from Joseph Livoraoy , of Preston ; 10 * . irom Dr . F . 11 . loo » ,, ofXooiIh ; 2 » Qd from Ortis ( a young working man , whoso lottor made my fueo' flush with admiration ); and li irom 0 . IP , N . W . II . will seo tluvt his proffered " post-oflico order" will not lie unacceptable . . Lot mo once for all announce that T cannot undortako any controversy on points in theaoartioloBj necessities of space forbid it ; a ' nd many ( li « ' onwioea will , I hope , disappear as tho Hyslem unfoldB itHolf . I shall bo Jllatfcore 4 nt receiving tho oxprossion ot antagonistio or even merely critical opinions ; and »» a , yeventually answer thorn in Bomo summary Bhapo j hut correspondents must nob attribute it to want of courtesy it I proeorVo eilonco during tho exposition of Corato ' s pyetom .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 24, 1852, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24041852/page/19/
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