Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 1Huxley, Thomas Henry
Science
Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 1
Huxley, Thomas Henry
Huxley, Thomas Henry, 1825-1895; Naturalists -- England -- Biography
(Well do I remember how in that little narrow surgery I used to work
morning after morning and evening after evening at that insufferably dry
and profitless book, Hume's "History," how I worked against hope through
the series of thefts, robberies, and throat-cutting in those three first
volumes, and how at length I gave up the task in utter disgust and
despair.
Macintosh's "History," on the other hand, I remember reading with great
pleasure, and also Guizot's "Civilisation in Europe," the scientific
theoretical form of the latter especially pleased me, but the want of
sufficient knowledge to test his conclusions was a great drawback.
1845.)
[There follow notes of work done in successive weeks--June 20 to August
9, and September 27 to October 4. History, German, Mathematics, Physics,
Physiology; makes an electro-magnet; reads Guizot's "History of
Civilisation in Europe," on which he remarks] an excellent work--very
tough reading, though.
[At the beginning of October, under "Miscellaneous,"] Became acquainted
with constitution of French Chambre des deputes and their parties.
[It was his practice to note any sayings that struck him:--]
Truths: "I hate all people who want to found sects. It is not error but
sects--it is not error but sectarian error, nay, and even sectarian
truth, which causes the unhappiness of mankind."--Lessing.
"It is only necessary to grow old to become more indulgent. I see no
fault committed that I have not committed myself..."--Goethe.
"One solitary philosopher may be great, virtuous, and happy in the midst
of poverty, but not a whole nation..."--Isaac Iselin.
1842.
January 30, Sunday evening.
I have for some time been pondering over a classification of knowledge.
My scheme is to divide all knowledge in the first place into two grand
divisions.
1. Objective--that for which a man is indebted to the external world;
and
2. Subjective--that which he has acquired or may acquire by inward
contemplation.
Subjective.
/
Metaphysics.
/
Metaphysics proper, Mathematics, Logic, Theology, Morality.
Objective.
/
Morality, History, Physiology, Physics.
Metaphysics comes immediately, of course, under the first (2) head--that
is to say, the relations of the mind to itself; of this Mathematics and
Logic, together with Theology, are branches.
I am in doubt under which head to put morality, for I cannot determine
exactly in my own mind whether morality can exist independent of others,
whether the idea of morality could ever have arisen in the mind of an
isolated being or not. I am rather inclined to the opinion that it is
objective.
Under the head of objective knowledge comes first Physics, including the
whole body of the relations of inanimate unorganised bodies; secondly,
Physiology. Including the structure and functions of animal bodies,
including language and Psychology; thirdly comes History.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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