Self knowledge : a treatise, shewing the nature and benefit of that important science, and the way to attain it ; intermixed with various reflections and observations on human nature / by John Mason, A.M.

  • Mason, John, 1706-1763.
Date:
1793
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Self knowledge : a treatise, shewing the nature and benefit of that important science, and the way to attain it ; intermixed with various reflections and observations on human nature / by John Mason, A.M. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    of certain properties, parts or affe£lions belonging. ^ to them, which were never before thought of. For -v in order to a true felj knowledge, the human mind, vith its various powers and operations, muff, be narrowly infpe&ed ; all its fecret bendings and doublings di(played. Otherwise our fclf acqusint- f ance will be but very partial and defective ; and the heart after all will deceive us. So that in treat- ing this fubjedfc there is no fmall danger, either of doing injury to it, by flight and fuperficial inqueft on the one hand, or of running into a refearch too minute and philofophical for common ufe on the other. The two extremes I fhall keep in my eye, J and endeavour to fleer a middle courfe between them. Know thy/elf, is one of the moil useful and com- prehenfive precepts in the whole moral fyftem. And it is well known in how great a veneration this maxim was held by the ancients; and in how high efleem the duty of /elf examination as neceffa- ry to it. Tholes the Milefian is faid to be the firft author of it (aj. Who ufed to fay, thzijor a man to knozo hm- felf is the hardcfl thing in the world fbj. It was after- wards adopted by Chylon the Lacedemonian ; and is one of thofe three precepts which Pliny affirms to have been confecrated at Delphos in golden letters, It was afterwards greatly admired and frequently ufed (a) He was the prince of the philofophers, and flourished abou!: Ji. M. mo, and was cotemporary with Jofiah king of Judah, (b) See Stanley's Life of Thales.