Progr. de VEsp. Hum., 9« éiioque

36. Pol. .Just. 2' éd. Book VIII, chap. vm ; vol. 11, pp. .506-7.

37. Priestley développe longuement la tln^orie du progrès indi'finiau début de VEssay de 1768 : Man dérives two capital aihantages from the superiority of his intelleclual powers. The first is, thaï, as an individual, he possesses a certain com])rehension of miml, wliereby lie contemplales and enjoys the pastand Ihr future, as well as the présent. Tins coinpreliension is enlargcd with the ex.|ierience of every day; ami by tliis means th bappiness of man, as he advances in intellect, is continnall,\ less dépendent on teniporary circumstances and sensations. — The neat advantage resulling IVom the same principle, and whicli is. in many respects, hoth the cause and elTect of the former, is, that the human species itself is capable of a similarand unbounded improvement; whereby mankind is in

(Pp. 132-133) NOTES. 327

a \divv âge greatly siiperior to iiiankind in a lormer âge, tlic in(li\iduals l)eing takeii at tlie sanie time of life... — Knowledge, as Ion] Ikicoii observes, Ijeiny poiccr, Ihe liiunan jiowers \vill in faet, lie eiilarged ; nature, including botli its materials and ils laws. wili lie nioi'e at OUI- command ; men will niakc Iheir situatinn in tliis woild abundantly more easy and comtbrtable: tbty will piubably prolong llicir existence in it, and will grow daily more liappy, eaili in bimself, and more able(and, I believe, more disposed) to communicate ]iaiii»iness to otliers. Thus, \\liatever uas llie beginning of lliis world, tliecnd uill be gîorious and paradisiacal, beyond what our imaginations ean now Loneei\e. Extravagant as some may suppose thèse views to be, I tliink 1 could siiow tliem to be fairly suggested l)y the true theory of human nature, and to arise from the natural course of liuman affairs. -^ (Paradisiacal. Cf. Hartley, Part I, Prop. XIV, Cor. 9). — Priestley reconnaît expressément avoir emprunté à Hartley la théorie du progrès, dans The conclusion of the late Dr Hartleifs Observations on the nature, powers and expectations of man, slrikimjli/ verified in the events of the présent Unies, witli notes and illustrations by the Editer, London (l'94), note A. — Leslie Stephen [English Thouyht, etc., vol. II, p. 256) ne semble pas voir que Priestley copie presque Hartley.

38. Manual of Politicnl Economy;Bo\\r\ng:,\o\. 111, pp. 38-39.