Elements of the philosophy of the human mind. By Dugald Stewart. Rev. and abridged, with critical and explanatory notes, for the use of colleges and schools. By Francis Bowen ...

ABSTRACTION. 139
rank of species, those which include only individuals. But here
it was his opinion, that our inquiries should stop, and, as to individuals, let them wholly alone; because of these there could not
possibly be any science."
" Such,l" continues this author, "'was the method of ancient
philosophy. The fashion, at present, appears to be somewhat
altered, and the business of philosophers to be little else than
the collecting from every quarter, into voluminous records, an
infinite number of sensible, particular, and unconnected facts,
the chief effect of which is to excite our admiration." In
another part of his works, the same author observes, that " the
mind, truly wise, quitting the study of particulars, as knowing
their multitude to be infinite and incomprehensible, turns its
intellectual eye to what is general and comprehensive, and,
through generals, learns to see and recognize whatever exists."
If we abstract from these obvious errors of the ancient philosophers, with respect to the proper order to be observed in
our inquiries, and only suppose them to end where the Platonists said that they should begin, the magnificent encomiums
they bestowed on the utility of those comprehensive truths
which form the object of science, (making allowance for the
obscure and mysterious terms in which they expressed them,)
can scarcely be regarded as extravagant. It is probable that,
from a few accidental instances of successful investigation, they
had been struck with the wonderful effect of general principles
in increasing the intellectual power of the human mind; and,
misled by that impatience in the study of particulars, which is
so often connected with the consciousness of superior ability,
they labored to persuade themselves, that, by a life devoted to
abstract meditation, such principles might be rendered as immediate objects of intellectual perception, as the individuals which
compose the material world are of our external senses. By
connecting this opinion with their other doctrines concerning
universals, they were unfortunately enabled to exhibit it in so
mysterious a form, as not only to impose on themselves, but to
perplex the understanding of all the learned in Europe for a
long succession of ages.