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dent a mass of crude and conflicting statements, his mind be. comes perplexed. To be able to resolve such a mass into its elements, and to separate truth from errour, implies' an acquaintance with the laws of the intellect, and a degree of mental discipline, which he is not yet supposed to have acquired ; and hence, instead of obtaining much important knowledge, he becomes distrustful of every thing.

Now these evils, saying nothing of the loss of time attendant on such a course, are to be remedied in the same way as in other sciences. In other departments of learning, ingenious men discuss points of difficulty ; conflicting arguments are accumulated, until the preponderance on one side is such, that the question in debate is considered settled. Others employ themselves in collecting facts, in classifying them, and in deducing general principles; and when all this is done, the important truths of the science, collected from such a variety of sources and suitably arranged and expressed, are laid before the student, in order that he may become acquainted with them. Very seldom any one thinks it advisable, that the pupil, in the course of an education limited to a very few years, should be obliged to attempt an acquaintance with every scientific tract and book, whether of greater or less value. It is neither desirable nor possible, that he should be able to cousult all the Memoirs of Institutes and of Royal Societies ; and still less to read the multitude of halfformed suggestions, which are either struck out in the momentary heat of debate, or are developed from all quarters in the natural progress of the mind. It belongs rather to professional men and to public instructers, to engage in this minute and laborious examination,and to present those whom they instruct with the results of their inquiries. It may indeed be desirable to give them some knowledge of the history of a science,and to point out such authors as are particularly worthy of being consulted by those, whose inclination and opportunities justify more particular investigations. But this is all, that is either demanded, or can be profitable in the ordinary course of education. And this is what is attempted to be done in the present work.

It has been my desire and endeavour, as was intimated at the beginning of these remarks,to give a concise, but correct view of the prominent principles in Mental Philosophy, so far as they seemed at present to be settled. The statement of

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these principles is attended with a perspicuous summary of the facts and arguments, on which they are based ; together with occasional remarks on the objections, which have been made from time to time. In selecting facts in confirmation of the principles laid down, I have sought those, which not only had a relation to the point in hand, but which promised a degree of interest for young minds. Simplicity and uni

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. formity of style has been aimed at, although in a few instances the statements of the writers referred to have been admitted with only slight variations, when it was thought they had been peculiarly happy in them. As my sole object was the good of young men, I did not feel at liberty to prejudice the general design, by rejecting the facts, arguments, and in some cases even the expressions of others.

THOMAS C. UPHAM,

BOW DOIN COLLEGE, Maine.

THIRD ABRIDGED EDITION.

Great pains have been taken with this new edition. The more important improvements, contained in the larger work in two volumes, have been introduced into this. Teachers will find it, in some respects, essentially altered from any former impression; and this may occasion a temporary inconvenience, as different editions cannot be used in the same class. But it is hoped they will be willing to overlook this, in consideration of the decided improvements, which they may expect to meet with in various parts of the work. In a treatise embracing such a multiplicity of topics, it it could hardly be expected that the first attempts would be so successful as to leave nothing for further and more exact inquiry.

Norge, 13.32.

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Resemblance the first general law

of association

Resemblance in every particular

103 CHAP. XIII-GENERAL CLASSIFICA-

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