Nature of method.-Method everywhere visible in nature, 63.-Neces-
sary to carry out any plan, above all the general plan of life, 63.-
Individual system of life must harmonize with the social system we
belong to, 64.-Absence of method in views of life and education,
65.-Remedy lies in higher motives, 66.-Influence of method on
study, 67; preserves proportion and balance of the mind, 68; teaches
the real value of time, 70.-Evil of breaking resolutions, 70.-
Difference between punctuality and method, 72.—Influence of
unmethodical habits on the occupations of women, 73.-Economy, its
social influence, 75.-Education of children, 77.-Formation of a
habit of method, 78.
CONSCIENCE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE WILL
Conscience the moral governor of our being.-Natural relations of our
several faculties and affections, 81.-Different offices of conscience
and reason, 82.-Evil of conscience being unenlightened by reason,
83.-Use of revelation as a standard of right and wrong, 84.-
Importance of love of truth in enquiries concerning duty, 85.—
Positive and relative duties, 86.-Moral evil of thoughtlessness,
87.-Application of general principles, 87.-Imperative obligation of
duty sometimes opposed to desire of enjoyment, 90.-True nature of
happiness, 92.-Force of habit in training a sense of duty, 93.-
Danger of self-deception, 93.-Error of wishing for a different sphere
of duty, 94.
Sect. 2. Use of reason in the pursuit of truth, 104.—All knowledge
not intuitive gained by reasoning, 105.-Propositions, 105.-Diffe-
rence between facts and general laws, 106.-Error of rejecting the
use of reason, 106.-Common sense, 108.-Nature of proof, 110.-
Demonstrative evidence; why not attainable on moral questions,
111.-Probability.-Different subjects require different kinds of
proof, 112.-Moral certainty the ground of principles, 114.-
Opinion rests on lower evidence.-Difficulty of forming sound
opinion, 114.
Sect. 3. Moral obstacles to perception of truth, 115.-Influence of
passion, 116.-Influence of prejudice, 116.-Proper deference to
authority, 117.-Independence of opinion not presumption, 118.-
Inconsistency of borrowed opinions, 120.-Defect of education with
regard to formation of opinion, 120.-Impatience of doubt; doubt a
necessary condition of our existence, 121.-Narrowness of mind, 123.
-Moral merit or demerit attached to opinions, 125.-Right view of
opinion leads to toleration, 127.-Objection and answer, 127.-In-
tolerance injures truth, 130.-Power of truth, 131.-Freedom of
inquiry not leading to indifference, 131.-Caution in expressing
opinions, 132.-Deference to public opinion necessary in women,
Sect. 4. Practical habits flowing from the love of truth, 133.-
Veracity, honesty, and justice; honesty to be tested by the standard
of our position and education, 134.-Corrupting influence of vanity,
135.- Dissimulation, plausibility, 137.-Bribery, 138.-Exaggera-
tion; inaccuracy common in writing and speaking, 138.-Confusion
of facts and inferences, 140.-Women wanting in justice, 142.-
Partisanship; its evils, 143.-Justice between ourselves and others,
143.-Thoughtlessness one cause of injustice, 144.-Integrity the
guarantee for right use of influence, 145.-Excuse for want of
justice in women, 146.
Character of benevolence; the essential principle of Christianity, and
bond of social intercourse, 159.-Sympathy, 160.-Want of benevo-
lence in social intercourse, 163.-Commercial spirit of society, 164.
-Charity to the poor; more to be done by moral influence than by
money, 167.-Want of benevolence in family intercourse. 169.-
Compassion to the erring, 171.-Digression on love and friend-
ship, 172.-Character of true friendship, 173.-Love, false notions
on the subject, 177.-Grounds of a right choice in marriage, 178.-
Happiness of real conjugal affection, 179.-Comparison between
married and single life, 182.-Unrequited attachment, 184.
INSTRUMENTS OF MORAL DISCIPLINE
Sect. 1. Self-knowledge. The key to self-improvement; not difficult
to attain when honestly sought, 187.-Self-correction impossible
without it; causes of self-delusions, 188.-Self-examination must be
habitual, 189.-Method of self-examination, 189.-Errors to be
avoided, 190.
Sect. 2. Self-control, 191.-Submission of the will to determinate
principles, 192.—Power of choosing our guiding principles, 192.—
Means of acquiring self-control, 193.-Self-command in danger, 193.
-Power of the will over the intellect, 194.-Women deficient in
self-control; why, 197.-Management of temper, 199.-Habitual
cheerfulness the sign of a well-regulated mind, 201.
Sect. 3. Decision of character, 204.-Why as necessary to women
as to men, 205.-Not incompatible with feminine gentleness, 206.-
Elements of decision of character, 207.-Its proper grounds and
limits; moral courage, 209.-Women capable of it in a high degree,
211.-Evils of cowardice to women, 213.-Importance in nursing
the sick of presence of mind and moral courage, 215.-Digression
on economy and household duties, 216.-Harmony of the mind with
itself, 223.
Sect. 2. Observation, 229.-Its value in connection with the spirit of
inquiry, 230.-Different modes of observation; its value in educating
children, 231.
Sect. 3. Attention, 232.-Some studies more favourable than others
for training attention, 233.-Reflection is attention to thought, 234.
-Necessity of controlling thought, 234.
Sect. 4. Association, 236.-Different kinds of association, 237.-
Influence of habitual associations, 238.-Influence of association on
memory, 241.
Sect. 5. Cultivation of Reason, 243.-Habits of reasoning depend on
culture, 244.—Process of reasoning, what; syllogism, 245.--Value
of mathematics in training the reason, 251.-Mental and moral
philosophy, 253.-Different modes in which reason is exercised in
their different subjects, 255.
Sect. 6. Language as influencing the habits of reasoning, 257.—
Defects and difficulties of language, 257.-Test of our own accuracy,
258.-Exaggeration, 259.-Conclusion, 261.
Difficulties in the way of woman's studies, 263.-Method indispensable
in study, 263.-Three principle points in study: 1. Comprehension -
difficulties, careless readers, 265; How to read, 267.-2. To form
opinion on what we read, 270; Reading critically, 272; Caution
against hasty opinions, 273.-3. Retention-Assistance to be
derived from the influence of association on memory, 274; Works of
reference, 277; Advantage derived from the practice of writing, 278 .
-Choice of books, 281.
Natural division of subjects; essentials and non-essentials, 286.-Study
of Scripture, 286-Mathematics, 286.-Interest of science, 286.-
Mental and moral philosophy; answer to objections to, 287.-Essen-
tial for all employed in education, 289.-Study of our native lan-
guage and literature, 291.-Critical study of language, 292.-Peculiar
interest of national history, 293.-Politics, 294.-Evils of women's
ignorance of politics, 296.-Political economy, 298.-Study of
history in general, 299.-Foreign languages, 300.-Difference
between slight and superficial knowledge, 303.
. 321
Importance of imagination, 322.-Not cultivated in education, 322.-
Repressed in English society, 323.-Effect on character when it is
wanting, 323.-Sympathy, tact, and influence, 324.-Its evil influ-
ence on women when not duly cultivated, 328.-Day dreams, morbid
feelings, 329.-Enthusiasm; danger to women, 330.-Love of the
beautiful, 333.-Beauty of nature, 334.-Art, 335.-How to
cultivate imagination; comparison of poetry and common fiction,
335.-Accomplishments, 338.—Value of cultivated imagination as
life wears on, 340.
Object of this chapter to consider essential principles of Christianity
apart from dogmatic theology, 343.-And prevalent errors regarding
them, 343.-Influence of views of religion on individuals and
national character, 343.-Christianity affords the governing idea of
life, 345.-Obedience to God's will; rule of moral, physical and intel-
lectual life, 345.-Sectarian views, 346.-Peculiarity of Christianity
lies in its motives to action, 347.-Love of God its fundamental
principle, 348.-How adulterated by superstition, 349.—Errors, 350.
Substitution of means for the end, 350.- General consequences, 351.
-Misapprehension of the object of Christianity, 352.-Doctrines
derived from Scripture, 353.-Grounds for toleration, 353. -Intole-
rance consistent in the Church of Rome, 354.-Inconsistent in
Protestants, 355.-Assumption of infallibility, 355.-Possibility
of error to be always borne in mind, 356.-Argument_summed up,
359.-Meaning of faith as used in Scripture, 359.-True end of
Christianity, 360.-The moral regeneration of man,360.-Evidences
of religion, 360.-Historical and critical, 361.-Moral evidence, 361.
Study of Scripture, 362.-General method of study, 363.-Definite
object in study, 363.-The general purport and spirit of Scripture
the only safe ground for conclusions, 363.-Danger of resting
doctrines on individual texts, 363.-Use of moral evidence in the
interpretation of Scripture, 364.-Objections answered, 364.-
Principles not minute rules to be sought for, 366.-The Bible to
be studied with reference to other knowledge, 366.-Spirit in which
it should be studied, 367.-Caution to the young, 368.-Practical
influence of the errors pointed out, 368.-Separation of religion
from secular life, 369.-Influence of women in religion, 371.-
Religious education of children, 373.-Religion, the crowning aim
of self-education, 373.-Its practical influence, 373.-Its inestimable
benefits, 374.
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