INSTITUTES OF METAPHYSIC

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH

INSTITUTES OF METAPHYSIC

THE

THEORY OF KNOWING AND BEING

BY

JAMES F. FERRIER, A.B.

OXON.

PROFESSOR OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY,

ST ANDREWS

TAN

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS

EDINBURGH AND LONDON
MDCCCLIV

265.b.9.

CONTENTS.

Page

3. Which of them is the more stringent,

INTRODUCTION.

1. The word " philosophy" as here employed,

2. The two main requisitions of philosophy,

4. The value of systems determined by a reference to these requisitions,

1

ib.

2

ib.

5. An unreasoned system of no value, because at variance with definition

8. A reasoned system, though not true, has some value as an exercise of

reason,

ib.

.

9. It complies more closely with definition of philosophy than the other,

10. But a system should be both true and reasoned,

4

ib.

11. Systems of philosophy are unreasoned,

12. The present state of philosophy described,

13. First, How is this state to be explained? Secondly, How remedied ?

14. First, it is explained (§§ 14-31) by philosophy not being reasoned,

15. No good can be expected so long as philosophy is not reasoned,

16. The masks of philosophy,

17. Its unsatisfactory state further accounted for. The globe of speculation,

18. Explanation continued. First principles always come out last,

19. Illustrations of this from language and grammar,

23. Application to philosophy. Here, too, first principles come out last,

24. These principles, though operative in philosophy, are unnoticed and un-

known,

25. Hence philosophy is nowhere a scheme reasoned throughout,

26. The repudiation of necessary truths, a further retarding cause,

27. What necessary truth is,

15

16

17

19

ib.

28. Its criterion is "the law of contradiction.'

29. Its criterion is not ready acceptance,

30. Return. Philosophy deals with necessary truths-therefore retarded by