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ON THE
INFLUENCE OF AUTHORITY
IN
MATTERS OF OPINION.
BY
GEORGE CORNEWALL LEWIS, ESQ.
LONDON:
JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND.
MDCCCXLIX.
SAVILL AND EDWARDS, PRINTERS, 4, CHANDOS STREET,
COVENT GARDEN.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
ON THE NATURE OF AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF OPINION.
SECTION
1. Distinction between matters of fact and matters of opinion
PAGE
1
2. Subject of the Essay: authority in matters of opinion ex-
plained
3
7
3. Relation between this subject and logical science
CHAPTER II.
ON THE EXTENT OF OPINIONS FOUNDED UPON AUTHORITY.
1. Children derive their opinions from the authority of their
parents
.
10
12
2. Extent to which these opinions are modified in after-life
3. Disposition to follow the crowd in matters of opinion
4. Disposition to defer to the authority of others, arising from
the habit of holding opinions without remembering their
grounds
14
5. Derivation of opinions from authority in matters of practice.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE MARKS OF TRUSTWORTHY AUTHORITY.
1. Elements of credibility in a witness to a fact. Distinction
between testimony and argument as to moral character.
2. How far anonymous testimony may have weight.
3. Cases in which testimony is strengthened by special training 25
4. Distinction between testimony, argument, and authority.
25
26
27
5. Comparative frequency of qualities which render a man a
credible witness, or an authority in matters of opinion
6. Qualifications of an authority in matters of opinion
7. First qualification: that a person must have studied the subject
carefully in theory, or have had experience of it in practice 27
8. Second qualification: that his mental powers must be
adequate to the subject
9. Third qualification: that his moral feelings must be in a
proper state.
10. Process by which the existence of these qualifications in any
person is determined.
12.
11. Additional indications of trustworthy authority :-
(1.) Agreement or consensus of competent judges.
(2.) Marks of imposture in professors of science
13. (3.) The countries whose opinion is to be considered
14. The guides to opinion are chosen voluntarily. .
15. Supposed opposition between reason and authority.
CHAPTER IV.
ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY
TO QUESTIONS OF RELIGION.
1. Gradual progress to agreement in scientific matters.
2. All nations agree in recognising the existence of a God 3. All civilized nations agree in recognising some form of Chris- tianity.
4. But they differ as to the form or mode of Christianity. 5. Causes of the existence of numerous Christian churches and sects
699
6. The various Christian sects remain distinct, and do not tend
to an agreement
7. Attempts which have been made to bring about an agreement
in Christian belief.
8. One portion of the Christian world makes the teaching of the true church the standard of religious truth. .
9. Differences of opinion as to the marks of the true church.
10. Differences of opinion as to the organs of the true church