Record Number: 12972
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'My habits have been so much deranged by change of place, that I have not yet got rightly settled to my studies. I have read little since I saw you: and of that little, I doubt, I have not made the best use. Have you seen Playfairs introductory essay in the Encyclopedia? I am sure you will like it. It is distinguished for its elegance & perspicuity. I perused it some weeks ago, and thought it greatly preferable to Stewarts. Indeed I have often told you, that I am somewhat displeased with myself because I cannot admire this great philosopher, half as much as many critics do. He is so very stately - so transcendental - and withal so unintelligible, that I cannot look upon him with the needful veneration. I was reading the second volume of his "Philosophy of the human mind", lately. It is principally devoted to the consideration of Reason. The greater part of the book is taken up with statements of the opinions of others; and it often required all my penetration to discover what the Author's own views of the matter were. He talks much about Analysis & Mathematics, and disports him very pleasantly upon geometrical reasoning; but leaves what is to me the principal difficulty, untouched. Tell me if you have read it.'
Century:1800-1849
Date:Between 1 Jan 1817 and 12 Feb 1817
Country:Scotland
Timen/a
Place:city: Kirkcaldy
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:4 Dec 1795
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Teacher, later man of letters
Religion:Christian
Country of Origin:Scotland
Country of Experience:Scotland
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Mind
Genre:Social Science, Philosophy, psychology
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:12972
Source:n/a
Editor:Charles Richard Sanders
Title:The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle
Place of Publication:Durham, NC
Date of Publication:1970
Vol:I
Page:90-1
Additional Comments:
Letter to Robert Mitchell
Citation:
Charles Richard Sanders (ed.), The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle (Durham, NC, 1970), I, p. 90-1, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=12972, accessed: 02 October 2023
Additional Comments:
None