P H I
(8o 3 )
P H I
Moon gravitates towards the Earth, alio, according to its _ "Theoretical, or Speculative Philosophy, is that employ'd
Quantity of Matter, and the Sea again gravitates towards the in mere Contemplation, and which terminates therein. Such
Moon ; and all the Planets and Comets gravitate toward each is Phyficks, which is a bare Contemplation of Nature, and
other: It may be affirm'd univerfally, that all Bodies gravitate natural Things. See Physicks.
toward each other in the Creation. This Rule is the Foun- Theoretical -Philofcphy, again, is ufually fubdivided into
dation of ail Pbilofophy. three, viz. Tneumaticks ; Phyficks, or Scmaticks ; and Meta-
PHILOSOPHY, Philosophia, the Knowkge or Study phyficks, or Ontolcgia.
of Nature and Morality, founded on Reafon and Experience. The Firft confiders Beings abftracted from all Matter • its
See Knowlege. Object are Spirits ; their Nature, Properties, Effects, g?e.
PhiloSophy owes its Name to the Modefty of Pythagoras, See Spirit and Pneumaticks.
who refilled the Title jtjuk, -xife, given to his Predeceffots The Second confiders Matter and material Things ; its Ob-
Thaks, 'Pherecyd.es, i$c. as too affuming ; and contented him- jects are Bodies, their Properties, Laws, gfc. See Body and
fclf with the Apellation 4t piKbmwt, qnafi tpihai Jw mtfUs, a Physicks.
Friend or Lover of Wifdom. The Third extends to each indifferently ; its Objects are
Chauvin rather derives the Name from ?/a!«, Study, and either Body or Spirit. See Metaphysicks.
q. d. Studium fapientite-. 'Pythagoras, fays he, ceiving that the 'Application of the human Mind, ought ra- ther to be call'd Study than Science ; fet afide the Appellation Wife, and in lieu thereof took that of Philosopher : For ha-
In the Order of our Difcovery, or Arrival at the Knowledge of 'em, Phyficks is firft, then Metaphyficks ; the third arifes from the two confider'd together : After an Acquaintance with God, ourfelves, and natural Bodies, we come to confider
ving difcourfed with great judgment and Learning before what is common to 'em all, the Attributes that agree to all,
JJontltss King of the Phliajil ; that Prince ask'd him what and thus form a Sort of univerfal Philosophy, or Doctrine lie
Art he profefl'ed ; or in what Points his Wifdom chiefly lay f Elite in general. See Ontosophy, Ens, Essence, £S?c. To which he anfwer'd, that he neither underftood any Art, But in teaching, or laying down thefe feveral Branches
nor was he a aoios, but a piaotbjw. Which Title St. Augufiin to others, we obferve a contrary Order; beginning with the
obferves, took fo well with other Authors ; that whoever ex- moft Univerfal, and defcending to the more Particular. And
celled in any thing relating to Wifdom or Knowledge had hence we fee why Perpateticks call Metaphyficks, and the
no other Appellation. Accordingly, Socrates, 'Plato, &c. ever Cartefians Pneumaticks, theprima Philcfophia. rcfrain'd from the fwelling Title of Sophos. See Sophist. Others prefer the Diftribution of Philosophy into four Parts,
The Word Philosophy is ufed in various Significations viz. i. 'Pneumaticks, which confiders, and treats of Spirits,
amon? ancient and modern Writers; In its laxer Senfe, it fig- z. Somaticks, of Bodies. The third compounded of both, An-
hifies the Zove of Truth; thus Plato frequently calls it 'Phila- thropolcgy, which confiders Man, letheia. — In other Places it fignifies the Knowledge of many Spirit are found. The 4. Ontqfopby, 1. e. Things : Thus Zeno calls Pl'Jihfepby za.Tt1M1J.it Compreben- is common to all the other three.
whom both Body and
which treats of what
i the other three.
Praclical Philosophy, is that which lays down the Rules
of vertuous and happy Life ; and excites us to the Practice
thereof.
PraSical PhiloSophy, is properly Ethicks alone, or the
Method of leading a virtuous and happy Life: Yet, moil
Authors divide it into two, anfwerably to the two Sorts of
human Actions to be directed thereby, viz. Logicks, which
to Phyficks, or the Knowledge of govern the Operations of the Underftanding. SeeLooicKS
and Understanding.
And Ethicks properly fo call'd, which direct thofe of the Will. See Ethicks and Will.
Natural Philosophy Moral Philosophy
I Se
cNatural. ^ Moral.
ficn ; becaufe comprehending all Truth : Agreeable to which is Cicero's Definition of Phihjopher, viz. He who fludies to know the Natures and Caufes of all Things human and di- vine, and to attain to every good Rule and Method of Life.
In a (tricter Senfe, Philojophy is frequently confin'd to fome Science, or Branch of Science, v. g. to Logic, as we find it in Plato and Arifiotle; to Phyficks, or the Knowledge of Nature, in which Senfe it was chiefly ufed in the jFonic School; and to Ethicks, or the Rules of Morality; Thus Clemens Alexand. relates, that among the Greeks there are Philofophers who held Disputes about Virtue.
Agreeably hereto Pythagoras defines PhihSophy, a Medita- tion ofDeith ; by which, according to Plan and Clemens is meant an AWtraaion or Retirement from the Body; which Muleius thus explains : AThHofopber is to fiudy nothing fo
much as to Set his Soul at Liberty from its Correspondence with Wine, or Syffem of Opinions, broach'd by fome confiderable the "Body. Thus Cicero calls Pbilofiphy Arsviu, and Seneca, n lexvitte; and thus Plutarch— Conftancy, Fidelity, and a Sound Mind, are the real PhiloSophy ; all the other Parts of Wif- dom, tending any other Way, are P>rettineJJ'es and Curicfities : And in this Senfe it was, that Philofophy chiefly flourilh'd in the School of Socrates, afterwards call'd the AcademickSchool, and among the Stoicks. See Academick and Stoick.
Lafily, P,ilofcphy is frequently ufed by 'Pythagoras and ^Ptato for Metaphyficks, or the Knowledge of God ; which 'Plato calls the true philofophy, others the Prima Philofophia ; and in refpeft whereof, the Platonijls call all other PhiloSophy, NBurnal, eiixfrei*" wmtqziu.
Gale includes all the feveral Ideas hitherto deliver'd, under this one general Definition : PhiloSophy is the Knowledge of thinps Notional, Natural, Moral, and Supernatural, firft granted by God to our fill! Parents, and tranlinitted to us for the Honour of the Creator, and the Good of the Univerfe.
That Definition of Eptfl.-tus is pretty comprehenfive : Phi- loSophy confifts in three Things; the Practice of Precepts, the Reafon of Precepts, aud the Proof of Precepts.
Some have given the following Epithets to the ancient 'Phi- loSophy, under its feveral Stages : PhiloSophy, fay they, be- came Impious under Diagoras ; Vicious under Epicurus ; Hy
Philosophy is alio frequently ufed for the particular Doc- nc, or Syffem of Opinions, broach'd by fome confiderable
Philofopher, and efpoufed and adhered to by his Followers.
See System and Hypothesis. In this Senfe we fay the
Mofiiic
Epicurean
Ariftotelian
'Platonic
Cartefian
Newtonian
llermetical
> Philosophy. See
Mosaic
Epicurean
Peripatetic-.
Platonic.
Cartesian.
Newtonian.
Hermetical.
Philosophy is alfo ufed for a certain Manner of Philofo- phizing ; or certain Principles, upon which all the Enquiries f; r g. thereby made, do turn. In this Senfe we fay
Cerpufcular or Atomical Philo- \
SOPHY. /«
Mechanical Philosophy. f e
Experimental Philosophy. J
Corpuscular.
Mechanical. Experimental.
pocrilical under Zeno ; Impudent under Tiiogenes ; Covetous under T)einochares ; Voluptuous under Metrodorus; "
ntafii- cal under Crates ; Scurrilous under Menippus ; Licentious under 'Pyrrbo ; gH'.arrelSome under Cleanthes, &c.
The feveral Dogmata maintain'd by the feveral Philoso- phers arc infinite : Cicero makes no fcruple to aver, that There is nothing in the World, how abfurd foever, but has been maintain'd by one 'Pbilofipher or other — From the firft Broachers of new Opinions, and the firft Founders of Schools, PhiloSophy is become divided into innumerable SeBs ; fome Ancient, and others Modern; fuch are the Platmiip, Peri- pateticks, Epicureans, Stoicks, 'Pyrrhonians and Academifis; and fuch are the Cartefians, Newtonians, &c. See the Rife, Doctrines; fge, of each Sect under its proper Article Pla-
Philosophy, again, is confider'd with regard to the Age, or the Place wherein it was taught. In this Senfe we fay
Scholafiick or School Philosophy. See Scholastick. New Philosophy, &c.
PHILTRATION, or Filtration, the Separation of the finer Part of a Fluid, from the Coarfer ; by paffing it through a Filtre, viz. a Linnen Cloth, Shammy Skin, Brown Paper, or the like. See Filtration.
PHILTER, Philtre, Philtrum, in Pharmacy, Sfr. a Strainer, or Filtre. See Filtre.
Philter, or Filtre, is alfo ufed for a Drug, or Prepa- ration, which 'tis pretended will excite Love. See Charm. Philters, are diftinguifh'd into true mi Spurious: The tonist, Peripatetick, Epicurean, Stoick, Pyrrh- Spurious are Spells or Charms, fuppofed to have an Effect onian, Academic, Cartesian, Newtonian, Ese. beyond the ordinary Laws of Narure, by fome magick Virtue ;
Philosophy may be divided into two Branches, or confi- f uc ij are t h f e f a id to be given by bid Women, Witches, gfc. der'd under two Habitudes, Theoretical ani T'rafftcal. See Magick and Witchcraft,
3 The
