Modern Materialism in Its Relations to Religion and Theology: Comprising an Address Delivered in Manchester New College, October 6th, 1874, and Two Papers Reprinted from "The Contemporary Review"G.P. Putnam's sons, 1877 - 211 pages |
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Modern Materialism in Its Relations to Religion and Theology, Comprising an ... James Martineau No preview available - 2015 |
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affinity assumptions atoms Balfour Stewart blind body Bois-Reymond carbon carry causality chemical chemical affinity Clerk Maxwell cognition conception consciousness Conservation of Energy cosmogony datum deduction definite Democritus Descartes discovery Divine doctrine dynamic earth elements Empedocles essence eternal existence fact faith feeling forces disappears Geschichte des Materialismus give higher homogeneous human hydrogen hypothesis ical idea ideal identical illusion infinite inner inorganic intellectual JAMES MARTINEAU justments knowledge Lange light living locus standi logical look Martineau materialist meaning mechanical ment metaphysical mind MODERN MATERIALISM molecular molecules monistic moral motion move movements natural science necessity never object observation organic phenomena philosophical physical position possible present principle Professor Tyndall province quæsita question reality reason relations Religion religious says Professor scene scientific sciousness simply stand supreme teleologi theology theory things thought tion tricity true truth turn uncon universe whence whole words
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Page 116 - But the passage from the physics of the brain to the corresponding facts of consciousness is unthinkable. Granted that a definite thought, and a definite molecular action in the brain occur simultaneously; we do not possess the intellectual organ, nor apparently any rudiment of the organ, which would enable us to pass, by a process of reasoning, from the one to the other.
Page 167 - ... force, which gives us this internal conviction of power and causation so far as it refers to the material world, and compels us to believe that whenever we see material objects put in motion from a state of rest, or deflected from their rectilinear paths and changed in their velocities if already in motion, it is in consequence of such an EFFORT somehow exerted, though not accompanied with our consciousness.
Page 16 - That the upper zones of human affection, above the clouds of self and passion, take us into the sphere of a Divine communion.
Page 167 - It is our own immediate consciousness of effort, when we exert force to put matter in motion, or to oppose and neutralize force, which gives us this internal conviction of power and causation, so far as it refers to the material world, and compels us to believe that whenever we...
Page 31 - Such extremely clever Matter, — matter that is up to everything, even to writing Hamlet, and finding out its own evolution, and substituting a molecular plebiscite for a divine monarchy of the world, may fairly be regarded as a little too modest in its disclaimer of the attributes of Mind.
Page 27 - That is not enough,' he replies; ' it might do for Democritus and the mathematicians, but I must have something more. The atoms must not only be in motion, and of various shapes, but also of as many kinds as there are chemical elements ; for how could I ever get water if I had only hydrogen elements to work with ? ' ' So be it,
Page 30 - We must radically change our notions of Matter," says Professor Tyndall; and then, he ventures to believe, it will answer all demands, carrying " the promise and potency of all terrestrial life...
Page 124 - are conformed," we are assured, " to a constant type with a precision which is not to be found in the sensible properties of the bodies which they constitute. In the first place, the mass of each individual," " and all its other properties, are absolutely unalterable.
Page 108 - ... properties, brought about without any changes to be called chemical, are interpretable only as due to molecular rearrangements ; and, by showing that difference of property is producible by difference of arrangement, they support the inference otherwise to be drawn, that the properties of different elements result from differences of arrangement arising by the compounding and recompounding of ultimate homogeneous units.
Page 186 - What can we say?" I say, first of all, that this demand for a Divine brain and nerves and arteries comes strangely from those who reproach the Theist with "anthropomorphism." In order to believe in God, they must be assured that the plates in "Quain's Anatomy" truly represent him. If it be a disgrace to religion to take the human as measure of the Divine, what place in the scale of honour can we assign to this stipulation? Next, I ask my questioner, whether he suspends belief in his friends' mental...