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THEORY OF THE FINE ARTS

CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF HUMAN

EXISTENCE.

BY

STEPHEN M. LANIGAN, A.B. T.C.D.

BARRISTER-AT-LAW.

'Omnes artes, quæ ad humanitatem pertinent, habent, odda commune vin-
culum, et quasi cognatione quâdam inter se continentur.' Creo

'Reason must approach Nature with the view indeed of receiving information from
it, not, however, in the character of a pupil, who listens to all that his master chooses
to tell him, but in that of a judge, who compels the witnesses to reply to those ques-
tions which he himself thinks fit to propose.' KANT, Meiklejohn's Translation.

LONDON: BURNS AND OATES,

Portman Street and Paternoster Row.

LONDON:

ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W.

ΤΟ

ST. GEORGE MIVART, Esq. F.R.S.

AS A TOKEN OF SINCERE REGARD,

THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED.

PREFACE.

THIS essay is an attempt to show that the popular Materialistic Philosophy of the present day has no such infallible character as is generally attributed to it, when applied to the explanation of facts of existence, which have their origin in the essential conditions of the intellectual principle in man.

This Philosophy is put forward by men who have attained a certain eminence by their successful labours in the advancement of Physical Science; and from the fact that they are so distinguished, they come with what would at first seem a certain recommendation as to their capabilities to decide on questions of more special interest to mankind.

But, on consideration, I believe it will be evident that this apparent qualification for such an important undertaking is in reality the very reason why they are incapable of even distinctly realising in thought the Mental and Moral principles with reference to which they so flippantly advance their crude opinions.

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